Don`t be misled by the final score. This was an old-fashioned, no-doubt-about-it, in-your-face whipping.
Tired from their fourth game in five days, the Bulls were thrashed by the Atlanta Hawks 110-97 Saturday night. The Hawks led by 28 before both teams emptied their benches. It was the Bulls` third loss in a row and the Hawks`
50th victory of the season.
The Bulls didn`t lose any ground to Indiana in their three-way playoff scramble, because the Pacers also lost, but Washington won to gain a game on both.
Michael Jordan had 31 points, but hit just 9 of 24 shots to go with 13 straight free throws. Charles Oakley had 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Brad Sellers added 12 points and 8 assists.
Dominique Wilkins and Randy Wittman scored 24 points apiece for Atlanta, with ex-Indiana Hoosier star Wittman hitting 11 of 14 shots. The Hawks, priming for what they hope is an eventual showdown with the world champion Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy, have won 18 of their last 22 games.
The Bulls reserve five of Granville Waiters, Mike Brown, Sellers, Sedale Threatt and Pete Myers managed to slice the huge Atlanta lead in half as Myers scored a career-high 13 points.
On the strength of Oakley`s powerful start, the Bulls got off to a 12-7 lead. Oakley had 4 points and 3 rebounds in the first 1:20 and 8 points and 9 rebounds in the first nine minutes.
John Paxson got into early foul trouble, picking up his second with 7:59 left in the first quarter and leaving the game for Threatt. Wittman`s hot hand outside led the Atlanta attack. He hit 5 of his first 6 shots and had 12 points in the opening 10 minutes.
Jordan had only 4 points in the first quarter, Wilkins just 5 as the Hawks grabbed a 29-24 lead. Oakley, who has been dominant in his last four games and is playing the best basketball of his career, according to coach Doug Collins, had 8 points and 10 rebounds.
After Elston Turner was called for a second blocking foul on Spud Webb, Collins began arguing with referee Jim Capers. Capers hit him with a technical foul, to which Collins responded: ”You`re giving me a tech now when it`s 14-2?” He was referring to the discrepancy in fouls early in the second quarter. The Hawks had shot 14 free throws to two for the Bulls at that point. Several minutes later, Capers called a technical on Atlanta coach Mike Fratello when he protested a goaltending call on a Jordan drive.
In the middle of the second quarter, Jordan scored 7 points in a row to bring the Bulls within 38-37. Glenn Rivers` 15-footer and Wittman`s baseline jumper after running Paxson through two tough picks made it 42-37.
Fortunately for the Bulls, Wilkins was having a terrible shooting game. With 5 minutes left in the first half, the league`s second-leading scorer was 1-for-9. But Jordan was only 3-for-9.
A Kevin Willis dunk, a Rivers drive past Jordan and a Wilkins free throw led a 9-2 spurt that put the Hawks up 47-39. Oakley scored on an offensive rebound and Jordan beat the shot clock with a left-handed reverse layup to change the momentum. Two Jordan free throws and two by Oakley tied the game at 47, and Jordan just missed an opportunity to send the Bulls ahead when he almost corraled a tipped Oakley pass for a one-hand slam dunk.
Rivers sank two free throws and Wilkins hit a layup, but a pair of foul shots by Jordan, giving him 21 points, left the Bulls trailing only 53-51 at halftime.
The Hawks started the third quarter with a 12-4 runfor a 67-55 lead, with Rivers slicing through the Bulls` defense. The game was changing into a style favorable to the Hawks. With 7-footers Wayne ”Tree” Rollins and Willis blocking shots, the Hawks were smothering the Bulls` effectiveness down low and triggering Atlanta`s fast break.
