It was a dagger that a MacBeth used to defeat a rival.
And Saturday night at the Capital Centre, the drama was played out again, less bloody but with similar results.
John MacBeth Paxson, the Bulls` ruthless reserve point guard, plunged the knife of defeat into the Washington Bullets with three sharp jumpers and a pair of free throws in a three-minute span of the fourth quarter to turn a 4- point lead into a 12-point margin as the Bulls left the Bullets for dead in their home opener 111-98.
”It was a big win, especially after the opening-night loss,” said Paxson, named for his grandfather, John MacBeth. ”We wouldn`t want to go to New York and Boston (Tuesday and Wednesday) with two losses.”
The Bulls had plenty of heroes besides Paxson, who scored 16 points in a 22-minute stint.
Horace Grant came off a poor effort Friday against Detroit (7 points, 2 rebounds) to produce career highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds.
”I went to the boards a lot, which I didn`t do Friday night,” said Grant, who outscored twin Harvey, the Bullets` No. 1 draft choice, 25-9. ”I was tight and tentative Friday, and I`d be lying if I said I wasn`t feeling the pressure (of replacing Charles Oakley at power forward). So I had something to prove tonight.”
Dave Corzine came off the bench to pick up 12 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks and joined with Michael Jordan (29 points, 7 assists), Paxson, Grant and Anthony Jones (8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) to form a frenzied fourth-quarter quintet that held Washington to 21 points.
”The defense stopped them,” said Paxson. ”And we never let them back in after we got ahead.”
Brad Sellers, who had matched Grant`s 2 for 8 shooting against the Pistons, was 5 for 6 for 13 points, and the two starting forwards were a combined 14 for 17.
It was a good thing they were on, because new Bulls center Bill Cartwright was stymied.
”Bill struggled,” noticed coach Doug Collins. ”But this is the type of team Bill will have problems against, a Denver-type team with motion, a lot of cutting and passing. But Corzine stepped in and did the job. That`s the way it`s got to be for us.”
It wasn`t easy-the game was tied at 77 with two minutes left in the third quarter-and you get the idea it`s not going to be easy this season as the Bulls adjust to two new starters, an offense with a low-post center, the loss of Scottie Pippen until December and the departure of Oakley to New York.
With Oakley gone, the Bulls` rebounding figured to be hurt, but it wasn`t against Washington. The Bullets, with a snub-nosed front line of 6-foot-9-inch Charles Jones, 6-8 Terry Catledge and 6-7 Bernard King, were outrebounded 50-37.
The Bulls` smallest frontliner was Grant at 6-10, and even if Bullets coach West Unseld wasn`t impressed (”Grant did a great job because we didn`t do the job on him”), his players certainly had their mouths open.
Grant scored 8 first-quarter points on a variety of power moves and follow-ups, though Washington led 27-25 at the end of the period.
The Bulls then went to the bench and, instead of fading as they did against Detroit, they moved ahead by 7 midway through the second quarter.
”You can`t match up against Detroit`s second team,” Collins said.
”Their second team could make the playoffs.”
The Bulls settled for a 54-51 halftime lead, but Collins said he was pleased that, considering Jordan had taken only six shots.
”When`s the last time that happened?” Collins asked.
The Bulls moved up 10 in the third quarter, but second-round pick Ledell Eackles scored 6 straight points and 11 for the quarter (he had 19 and King led Washington with 21) to bring the Bullets close.
But Jordan bolted out in the final quarter with a dunk and short jump shot, and then Paxson took over. That put the Bulls up by 12, and they went ahead by 17 with four minutes left after Corzine, with 7 fourth-quarter rebounds, hit a jumper and Paxson made two more free throws.
And that damn spot that looked like a zero in Chicago`s win column was finally out, out.
