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Pacers-Bulls Notebook
Jordan closing in on playoff scoring record
Posted: Saturday May 30, 1998 11:59 AM
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The Bulls will need another outstanding performance from Jordan in game 7 (AP) |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Michael Jordan is closing in on another
record -- most prolific playoff scorer in NBA history. He needs only
five points on Sunday to claim the record.
Jordan went into Friday night's game just 40 points short of the
mark and quickly began his drive for the record with 12 of
Chicago's 24 points in the first quarter. However, he scored only
three points in the second quarter, when he missed his only two
shots from the field.
Jordan finished with 35 points, but he had his problems down the
stretch and lost the ball when he fell as he was attempting to
drive past Derrick McKey in the final seconds.
Jordan has scored 194 points in the six games in the series,
bringing his career playoff total to 5,758. Jordan has 5,723
playoff points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with 5,762.
Jordan is also closing in on fourth place in career playoff
assists. He had two Friday, giving him 1,000, seven short of
passing Dennis Johnson.
"Records are nice, but they aren't why I play the game," he
said before Friday's game. "I play them for championships. That's
what it is all about."
Jordan is seeking his sixth championship in eight years.
Nervous Bird?
Sometimes, it looks as if he just got up from a
snooze or is bored by an after-dinner speech.
But Larry Bird admitted Friday that he gets the jitters on the
sideline.
"I get nervous, there's no question about it," he said. "But
once the game starts you know it is up to the players to perform.
That's what it's all about. But if you're not nervous, you're not
into it."
Bird, the coach, found the situation very different from when he
led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships.
"I don't have to run up and down the court anymore," he said.
"I love to watch individuals compete. ... I'm nervous, and I'm
anxious and I want to win."
As a rookie coach, he guided the Pacers to their most successful
NBA record ever and was named coach of the year. Indiana finished
39-43 and failed to make the playoffs last season. With basically
the same team, the Pacers compiled a 58-24 mark and now finds
itself one victory away from its first NBA Finals.
Rodman Milestone
Bad boy Dennis Rodman became the third
player in league history to be called for 600 personal fouls in the
playoffs. Abdul-Jabbar holds the record of 797 and Robert Parish is
second with 617.
Despite the high number of fouls, Rodman isn't among the top 10
in disqualifications. In 162 playoff games, Rodman has fouled out
12 times. Tom Sanders holds the league record of 26, and 12 other
players have fouled out 14 or more times.
On a positive note, Rodman moved to eighth on the league's
career playoff rebounds list. His total of 192 is the highest in
the league this year and he has 1,620. Immediately ahead of him is
current Indiana coach Larry Bird at 1,683.
Three-point Leaders
Three of the league's most successful
3-point shooters in playoff history participated in the Eastern
Conference finals. Scottie Pippen moved into third place during the
series and raised his total to 155 with one Friday.
Reggie Miller moved past Dan Majerle into fourth place by making
his 153rd on Friday and Michael Jordan is sixth with 144.
New York's John Starks holds the league record from behind the
arc with 175 in the playoffs. He passed current Phoenix coach Danny
Ainge as the Knicks lost to Indiana in four games this month. Ainge
hit 172 in his career.
Rose Returns
Jalen Rose of the Pacers was back Friday night
after serving a one-game suspension for leaving the bench during a
scuffle in Game 4.
Rose remained at the team hotel to watch Wednesday's Game 5 on
television.
"It was very disturbing," said Rose, who saw his teammates go
14 minutes without a field goal in the first half to fall behind by
25 points at the break. "Anytime you see your teammates go through
what they did, I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to be in the
lockerroom and have my head down with the guys."
Teammate Antonio Davis said it wasn't Rose's scoring or defense
that the Pacers missed.
"I think emotionally, he wouldn't have let us get into that
funk we had in the last game. We missed him in that sense," Davis
said.
Rose played 26 minutes Friday night, finishing with eight points
and two assists.
Home Cooking
The Pacers have won 14 straight games at Market
Square Arena. They haven't lost at home since scoring 55 points
against San Antonio on March 29 -- an NBA record-low since the shot
clock.
"Indiana is the only team that has won all the games at home,"
Chicago coach Phil Jackson said. "They play very well at home."
Miller & Kukoc
Indiana's Reggie Miller and Chicago's Toni
Kukoc, both played despite injuries. Miller, who sprained his right
ankle in Game 3 and hasn't missed a game, failed to score in double
figures for the first time in this year's playoffs. He scored eight
points, going just 2-of-13 from the field.
Kukoc injured his shoulder when he was fouled in Game 5.
"It shouldn't be any problem," Kukoc said before Game 6. He
had 19 points and seven assists in Game 5 and scored just 10 on
3-of-7 shooting on Friday.
Mullin's Big Game
Chris Mullin's dream of playing in his
first NBA Finals after 13 years is still alive.
"It feels beautiful being just one victory away from the
finals," said Mullin, who only played 13 minutes Friday, his low
for the season and he had only two points.
"I feel great. It just shows the kind of team we have. When one
guy doesn't do it, someone else steps in and gets the job done,"
he said. "That's what we've been doing all year."
Mullin had never even reached the conference finals until this
year.
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