Get Up Eight Times

Continuing from the 3rd quarter.

Cut shot to Phil Jackson wearing Jordan Nikes. Sweet.

Speed lineup in for the Pistons, with Thomas, Salley and Rodman and Laimbeer all in. MJ driving to the hole guarded by Rodman…ends up getting blocked out by Salley. Here are the Bad Boys.

Pippen with a nice block, but no one’s boxing out for Chicago. Two putbacks by Laimbeer and Thomas.

Scottie can’t buy a jumper, and he leaves Rodman alone in the paint for a layup. Chicago only has a two point lead now.

Another offensive board for Detroit. Someone might think of putting Bill Cartwright back in.

Salley missing two dunk opportunities, but Detroit gets another rebound and the Microwave ties the game. You’ve got to love Doug Collins coached teams–they blew leads like no one’s buisness.

MJ goes into triple coverage and make a layup. This does not bode well for Chicago if that’s their fallback strategy.
Missed shot, offensive rebound, made shot. This might as well describe Detroit’s last ten possessions.

Okay, ahow about missed FT, offensive rebound, made shot. Detroit up by 1.

Pippen on the cutter pass by Cartwright, still a tough shot to give Chicago the lead back.

Isiah misses two free throws. This is where Chicago would usually stick it to their opponents. Jordan goes straight for the midrange free throw shot and 1. 4 point game

Chicago playing zone, and another offensive rebound and putback by Laimbeer. Detroit has dominated the boards in the 2nd half after being outhustled for twenty minutes. Chicago’s fatigue is beginning to show after a grueling six game series with New York.

Detroit’s help defense on Jordan was always crazy. He blew by one, another one would come, and then Laimbeer would be waiting at the end. It took Michael three years to learn to pass it back to his teammates.

Another offensive rebound leads to a foul shot, leading to a free throw miss that leads to another offensive rebound that leads to a turnover. Detroit should have blown by the Bulls at this point if they only could have made a damned shot.

And after Cartright nails a turnaround jumper, we have a missed shot by Detroit, offensive rebound, turnover. Unbelieveable how lucky Chicago gets in this game.

Vinnie Johnson had a crazy hunched over shot, almost reminds me of Shawn Marion. The Microwave could definitely create his own shot though.

Jordan lowers his head and barrels into Rodman, as he flies ten feet into the air for the offensive foul. That’ssss a little questionable.

Davis wraps his arm around Rodman’s neck on the layup opportunity, and here come the Bad Boys. Laimbeer and Salley ain’t happy with that. One point game.

Pippen gets lucky with an ugly looking running jumper after an offensive rebound. Chicago would not learn the value of set possessions until Phil Jackson installed the triangle offense. He makes two, then misses two on a loose ball foul.

Jordan again weaves by two defenders at the three point line, moves past another one, then tries for the layup on Laimbeer, which ends up in a miss. Great moves, but too hard a shot. In two years MJ would perfect the fadeaway and the fingerroll to make up for that.

Isiah pulls up for a jumper. Clang. Thomas was great when he penetrated, not so good when he stood and shoot. This leads to a Hodges three on the open end when Detroit ill-advisedly double teams Cartwright and leaves poor Isiah to guard Horace Grant. 87-81 Chicago.

Johnson gets the leaner, 87-83. Horace Grant fouls out, which could mean more offensive rebounds for Detroit.

Pippen with the rejection, and Detroit gets it back and draws the foul with 2:39 left. Get the ball Chicago!

Right on cue, Alex Trebek (Dave Corzine) checks back in to grab the rebound. Isiah missing another crucial free throw that cuts the lead to three.

Jordan draws three defenders and instead of kicking it out travels. Just too hard a situation.

MJ pushes it ahead to Pippen, and Thomas gets a tough tough call against him. That could have been a crucial Chicago turnover. Five point lead.

It’s taking everything the Bulls have to grab an offensive rebound, as Jordan gets called for a foul pushing off of Mahorn. I can imagine what other games in this series will be like when Isiah starts making his shots.

It’s worth noting that Jordan has played point guard most of the game, which is a great strategy if you want to run your star into the ground. Of course they were doing this because Chicago had not developed enough faith in John Paxson and didn’t yet have B.J. Armstrong. And you’re kidding yourself if you think Craig Hodges ran the point well–he was buried on the bench for Chicago’s first two title runs. The fact that he’s starting tells you a lot about the flaws of the ‘89 Bulls team.

Jordan fakes out  Rodman on the jumper, misses the jumper, and Pippen puts back the offensive rebound. Big five point lead for Chicago.

Isiah gets a hard foul and gets away with the charge on Hodges thanks to a hard foul on Jordan. Very off game for Isiah, who ran a less effective point here than MJ did. Nails the free throws.

Cartwright tries to drive to the rim and gets called for the charge, thanks in part to Rodman staying in front of Jordan throughout the possession and forcing him to give the ball up. 91-88 Chicago, with a minute left.

Johnson runs the curl route, where he comes from behind the basket, gets the ball around twenty feet from the low post, drives into the lane and then either gets an open jumper or feeds a trailer next to the basket. In this case it’s Mahorn, who blows the layup but goes to the line. Perfect execution.

Mahorn misses two, Scottie boxes out for the rebound. Just like ol’ times.

4 on the shot clock, Doug Collins calls a timeout thanks to great pressure defense on Pippen by Dumars. They force it into Cartwright’s hands in a bad possession. Detroit now has a chance to tie or cut the lead to one.

Chuck Daly buries his head in his hands as Mahorn knocks Pippen off the ball and Detroit doesn’t get a shot off. This is followed by ten seconds of “Try to foul MJ.” Just a lame possession by Detroit. 93-88 with 18 seconds left.

Isiah airballs a three, and that’s that. The Detroit backcourt was 11 for 45 from the field in this game, and that migth be the most telling stat of all. After a furious comeback by the Pistons, Chicago holds onto Game 1, 94-88.

Rating: 4/5 (Entertaining comeback, some low-quality animosity brewing, MJ doing MJ-like things, but also Isiah throwing up a stinkbomb; certainly could have been much worse though).