Antoine Carr couldn’t help but gloat a little. It was, after all, the inimitable Michael Jordan who lived out his advertising campaign in Game 1 of the NBA Finals with his last-second game-winning shot.
On Sunday, Jordan was on the receiving end of Utah’s dramatic 78-73 Game 4 victory that tied the series at two games apiece and Carr cheerfully observed the irony.
“It was kind of like his commercial,” the Jazz forward said. “Sometimes, you don’t make it.”
Jordan fell short of another apparent heroic finish after a slow start, the Jazz igniting its late flourish with a defensive stand that shut out the Bulls over the final 2 minutes 2 seconds.
Included in that nightmarish span were two notable Jazz plays coming at Jordan’s expense–a strip by John Stockton that brought Utah within three points when he made one of two free throws with 1:35 remaining, and a missed three-pointer with 48 seconds left that led to a Stockton rebound and a brilliant assist pass to Karl Malone for a layup and a one-point Utah lead.
“There are going to be games I can’t live up to the fantasy and hype of what Michael Jordan is supposed to be,” Jordan said. “I just have to accept that and look at it as a motivational situation. And if it doesn’t happen, I just have to look further.”
After going 4 for 7 in the first quarter, Jordan was just 1 for 8 through the second and third quarters, and was scoreless in the third. He got into it in the fourth quarter, nailing 6 of 12 shots and accounting for 12 of the Bulls’ last 14 points.
After the passive start, Jordan characteristically took charge, coming off a screen for a jumper from the right wing to put the Bulls up 69-66 with 3:07 remaining. He then took a feed from Scottie Pippen following a long rebound off a Malone miss for a breakaway slam and hit a fadeaway jumper from 15 feet over Bryon Russell to give the Bulls their last bucket of the night and a four-point lead.
“Michael hadn’t gone to the foul line all night, which is always a surprise to us that could happen,” Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. “When he got going in the middle of the fourth quarter, he said, `If you get the ball in my hands, I think I’ve got a good rhythm.’ So we kept going there.”
Jordan had a chance to put the Bulls up by four with 48 seconds remaining, but his miss was snared by Stockton, who fed Malone downcourt for the go-ahead layup. Then, with the score 76-73, he had a three-pointer rattle out, and Russell made an uncontested layup for the game’s final margin.
“That last three-point shot, he threw up there,” Jackson said, “I consider it a tough shot for most people . . . but he’s the guy we like to go to.”
As for the strip, it was a matter of great anticipation by Stockton. “With that game on the line, who do you think is going to shoot the ball?” Malone said. “Stockton was able to anticipate right on the money.”
Stockton gave credit to Russell: “Bryon was really working hard on him, making him turn and turn, and I just tried to time one of the turns.”
Said Jordan: “He picked me clean. I know Stockton likes to gamble, but I didn’t think he was there. Then I had no choice but to chase him down. I went to block his shot and I thought I had it cleanly but (referee) Dick Bavetta said I got him on the body.”
Pippen took exception to suggestions that the Bulls rely too much on Jordan. “I took a three-pointer (and missed with 1:04 remaining). Steve (Kerr) had one (with 26 seconds left),” he said.
