It was as if the entire building hyperventilated and Michael Jordan was too busy looking for his own oxygen supply to relieve their stress.
As a result, an event that commanded big bucks and even bigger connections to crash, was at the mercy of a game that turned out to be a giant ripoff.
Against a supposedly tired Orlando Magic team, Jordan and the Bulls, leading most of the night, succumbed 106-99 following a late collapse.
Jordan, playing a game-high 44 minutes, finished 7 of 23 for 21 points-4 of 15 in the first half-in a disjointed effort while the Magic thrashed the Bulls on the boards 53-35, had four starters with 19 points or more and most importantly, outscored the home team 29-19 in the fourth quarter while the Bulls floundered at 7 of 20 (35 percent) shooting.
“I just can’t turn it on,” Jordan said afterward. “As much as I want to, I just can’t turn it on.”
Orlando (51-17) never bowed, never came close to breaking and outscored the Bulls 11-1 from 90-86 with 5:59 left in the game until 97-91 Magic at the 4:07 mark on a jam by Horace Grant.
In between, Grant scored on a layup, Brian Shaw buried a three-pointer, Anfernee Hardaway scored on the break and then hit two free throws following a technical on Larry Krystkowiak for protesting a possession call from the bench. The Bulls during that span had two turnovers, both by Jordan, and they would never come closer than five the rest of the way.
For Jordan, who as expected was greeted in his United Center debut by an ovation that drowned out his pregame introduction, his performance was an obvious letdown.
“The crowd paid me a lot of respect and it was fun to come here,” Jordan said. “But I’m disappointed I couldn’t play the basketball I wanted to play and the way they have seen me play. Hopefully by the end of the season, I will be back to my caliber.”
Jackson admitted that he played Jordan overtime. “Obviously, he played a lot of minutes but it was a big game for him and for us,” he said. “I wanted him to have the opportunity to play this game. People came to see him. But it’s going to affect him .”
The atmosphere generated by Jordan’s presence didn’t carry over to any tangible energy burst by the Bulls in the first half, or for most of the night, for that matter. While shooting well at 58 percent, the Bulls never sustained enough momentum for a prolonged run.
Instead, their biggest lead was six late in the first quarter as Jordan’s shooting problems dragged the Bulls percentage down to 44 percent in the second.
“A couple times I wasn’t in rhythm,” Jordan said. “But I couldn’t pass up the shot. That’s my nature. I can’t pass up the open shot.”
An 8-0 run by the Magic midway through the second left them with a three-point lead, an edge they would hold at the half.
Jordan guarded Nick Anderson and the Chicago native nailed his first four three-point tries en route to 14 first-quarter points, and was 5 of 6 from three-point range for the half for 17 points.
Jordan appeared fatigued in his team-leading 22 minutes in the first half save for one burst in the first quarter when he scored on three of four Bulls possessions-two jumpers sandwiched around a jam off the assist from Pippen.
Most of Jordan’s attempts came from the perimeter, as they have in all three games since his return. Only once through three quarters did he aggressively drive to the basket, going past two defenders for a layup.
“I’m used to playing across the street,” said Jordan, “but the dimensions are the same and I have to get used to the surroundings. As much as I want to blame something else, I have to blame me and my game.”
Still, the Magic, presumably tired in their third game in four nights, never went away. Instead, they scored the first six points of the second half to take a seven-point lead and hung close despite several mini-runs by the Bulls, who led 80-77 going into the final period.
Armstrong added eight points in the third quarter and Jordan, nine, four coming on free throws as his game total slid to 6 of 20.
The Magic, who had only a three-rebound edge on the Bulls at the half, dominated the boards in the third, 16-8.
“We’re trying to win,” said Jordan, “but we’re going through an adjustment period. I’d love to learn and win but sometimes something has to give and now, the wrong thing is giving.”
