ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 8, 1996 TAG: 9606090023
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHICAGO
SOURCE: Associated Press
It's not a pretty thing, this coronation of the Chicago Bulls.
In an ugly Game 2 in which Dennis Rodman was the only one looking good, the Bulls overcame a performance worse than their rusty Game 1 effort and beat the Seattle SuperSonics 92-88 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
How gruesome was it? The Bulls had only one field goal in the final six minutes, had their second-worst shooting night of the postseason (39 percent) and missed three consecutive free throws in the final 10 seconds that would have clinched it.
Finally, after a jump ball sequence that was so ugly it had to be repeated twice, Rodman controlled the tip, got fouled and made the second of two free throws for the final four-point margin.
The crowd at the United Center let out a scream of relief and walked to the exits shaking their heads, wondering how the supposed best team in the history of the league could have played such a stinker.
But as they did many times in the regular season and in the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Bulls managed to find a way to win despite playing their worst.
The main reason was Rodman, who grabbed 20 rebounds - tying the NBA Finals record with 11 at the offensive end - and dominated a third quarter in which the Bulls took over with a 21/2-minute stretch of good basketball.
``I thought we'd play little better, but we didn't,'' Rodman said. ``But that's what the playoffs are all about. The people got their money's worth and hope we can get one Sunday.''
Game 3 is Sunday in Seattle, and the Sonics will be trying to become only the third team in NBA history to win the Finals after trailing 2-0.
The Sonics had their chances to change the course of the series and head home with a chance to win the best-of-seven series at Key Arena, but they scored only once from the field in the final four minutes.
Shawn Kemp's two free throws with 12 seconds left cut Chicago's lead to 91-88. Seattle needed to foul and hope somebody on the Bulls would miss a pair, and Scottie Pippen obliged.
After missing the first, Pippen's second attempt barely grazed the front of the rim. Rodman grabbed the rebound at the same time as Sam Perkins and a jump ball was called. Rodman controlled the tip, outjumping a player a couple of inches taller, and clinched the victory seconds later with his final free throw.
Rodman's 20 rebounds were one off his playoff high, and eight of his 10 points came in the third quarter.
Michael Jordan scored 29 points on 9-of-22 shooting that included seven consecutive misses in the second half, including a couple of airballs and shots off the sides of the backboard.
Jordan also missed six free throws, but he had a team-high eight assists and six rebounds. Pippen scored 21 points and Toni Kukoc came off the bench to hit two 3-pointers that turned the momentum Chicago's way - just as he did in Game 1.
Kemp led Seattle with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Payton had problems for the second consecutive game, shooting 6-for-15 and scoring 13 points - then mouthed off at Jordan after the Bulls had the game won.
The game turned Chicago's way quickly in the third quarter. The score was 63-62 with 31/2 minutes left, and just 21/2 minutes later the Bulls were up by 11.
Rodman, who had eight points and 10 rebounds - seven offensive - in the third quarter, rebounded a missed free throw by Pippen, then tipped in Pippen's missed field-goal attempt to make it 66-62.
Kukoc, who was scoreless to that point, hit consecutive 3-pointers for a 72-65 lead, and Pippen stole the ball at midcourt and went in for an uncontested dunk, sticking his tongue out a la Jordan on his way in. Jordan then fed Kukoc with a lookaway pass for a dunk that made it 76-65.
Seattle got no closer than three points in the fourth period.
Hersey Hawkins scored 11 points in the second quarter for Seattle and Ron Harper had nine for Chicago as the game stayed close, with neither team pulling ahead by more than four. Chicago led 46-45 at halftime.
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Chicago's Scottie Pippen drives against Seattle'sby CNBErvin Johnson during the first quarter of Game 2 on Friday. color.
Graphic: logo. color.