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Rodman goes from villain to hero
Posted: Thursday June 11, 1998 10:34 AM
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By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
CHICAGO -- Dennis Rodman
put the Bulls on the brink of a world championship Wednesday night. Not a
pro wrestling championship.The NBA championship.
Rodman's two offensive rebounds and four free throws in the final three
minutes carried Chicago to an 86-82 victory over Utah.
The Bulls grabbed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, and they can
close out the Jazz Friday night at the United Center.
Rodman was the unlikely hero in Game 4, especially after he became a local
villain by skipping practice Monday to participate in a professional
wrestling show in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
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Rodman pulled down 14 rebounds and hit crucial free throws down the stretch (AP) |
Rodman quickly redeemed himself.
He was the primary defender on Karl Malone, who
scored only two points in the fourth quarter. And Rodman wrestled two
offensive rebounds away from Malone and was fouled both times.
He made all four free throws, giving the Bulls leads of 74-72 and 81-77
and icing what had been a thrilling, back-and-forth battle.
``The much-maligned Dennis Rodman came back and found a way to dig himself
out of a hole,'' said Bulls Coach Phil Jackson, smiling. ``. . . He was
also our most reliable foul shooter.''
Michael
Jordan shook his head.
``I can never figure this guy out,'' he said. ``One day he's wrestling,
the next day he's defending. . . . Somehow, he always seems ready to play
the game of basketball.''
Jordan, who was the most outspoken Bulls critic of Rodman after his
decision to skip practice, spoke differently after Rodman gave the Bulls
six points and 14 rebounds.
``As long as he steps on the basketball court and does his job, it's hard
to argue with him,'' Jordan said. ``. . . He seems to excel in adversity.''
Rodman's first big play came with 2:53 left.
The Jazz had rallied into a 72-72 tie when Scottie Pippen
pulled up and missed badly on a three-point shot.
Rodman pinned Malone under the basket, however, and grabbed the rebound.
He was fouled by Shandon
Anderson and made two free throws, though the first drew as much iron
as net.
``He got offensive rebounds and made his free throws,'' said Jazz Coach
Jerry Sloan. ``What else can you say?''
With 43.8 seconds to go, Rodman struck again.
With Chicago looking to expand a 79-77 lead, Jordan missed a tough
baseline jumper over Bryon Russell.
The ball was batted out to John Stockton,
who headed up the floor. For a fraction of a second, it looked like the
Jazz had a numerical edge in pursuit of a fast-break basket that would have
tied the game. Then Jack Nies blew his whistle. Rodman and Malone ended up
on the floor. Nies called a foul on Malone.
No fast break.
No tie.
Instead, Rodman calmly went to the free-throw line, which Chicago visited
24 times in the fourth quarter, and gave the Bulls a four-point lead.
``Rodman pushed Karl,'' whispered the Jazz's Jeff Hornacek.
``They ended up on the floor. They called Karl for the foul.'' Sloan
offered a similar thought, basically refusing to talk about the critical
call.
``They called the foul on Karl Malone, didn't they?'' he said. ``What am I
supposed to think about it. . . . That's part of basketball.''
Sloan did allow himself one observation -- ``We couldn't keep them off
the foul line'' -- but avoided discussion of the Bulls' 40-21 edge in
free-throw attempts during the game, including a 24-3 advantage in the
Rodman-dominated fourth quarter.
``Dennis is an unbelievable individual,'' said Adam Keefe. ``He
can go off and do his own thing off the court and still come back with what
he has to do on the court.''
Copyright 1998, The Salt
Lake Tribune. Material may not be reproduced or reused without explicit
permission from The Salt Lake Tribune.
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NBA Finals
