It has been a long haul, longer, it seems, than any previous season. It has been a tough road, much tougher than any previous trip to the postseason.
Yet the Bulls are ready to get the ball rolling and begin their quest for the franchise’s third consecutive NBA title and sixth in eight years.
First the Bulls have to get through the East, with their playoff trek getting under way Friday night against New Jersey at the United Center.
The belief is that this road to the championship won’t be easy. The Bulls have been banged up while compiling the best record in the East, where 10 teams finished .500 or better.
But Bulls coach Phil Jackson said his team is ready to summon the playoff intensity that has characterized its 1990s dominance.
“Most of the years we go into the playoffs and we hope for the best teams to rise,” Jackson said. “We want the best competition in the playoffs. We don’t want to go in there and think we have a better hand against this team or that team. You want to be able to take on all comers.”
First up is the Nets, who didn’t clinch the No. 8 berth until Sunday, when they beat the Detroit Pistons to end a four-game skid. Here’s a closer look at the seven teams trying to block the Bulls’ path to the NBA Finals:
NEW JERSEY NETS (43-39)
Season series: Bulls won 4-0.
Bulls’ playoff record against: Never played.
It seemed to take New Jersey forever to nail down its first postseason berth in four years. What the Nets have to show for it is a chance to play the Bulls, who swept the season series, but one particularly memorable game went down to the wire.
The winning basket in the Bulls’ 100-98 win at New Jersey on Jan. 23 came when Toni Kukoc found a wide-open Jason Caffey for an alley-oop layin on which Jayson Williams was called for goaltending as time expired. Caffey was wide open because the Nets had just four players on the floor.
New Jersey has one of the league’s toughest point guards in Sam Cassell (eight assists a game), though he has been bothered by a strained back. The Nets have one of the league’s best rebounders in Williams (13.6 a game), but he’s questionable because of a dislocated thumb. Rookie Keith Van Horn (19 points a game) and second-year man Kerry Kittles (17 points) are part of an exciting young nucleus; versatile Kendall Gill is a dependable veteran, and center Rony Seikaly always gives the Bulls trouble.
“New Jersey has a lot of energy and youth and unpredictability,” Jackson said.
This could be a fun series, albeit a short one.
ATLANTA HAWKS (50-32)
Season series: Bulls won 3-1.
Bulls’ playoff record against: 8-5.
The Hawks came back to earth rather quickly after their 11-0 start, which included an 80-78 victory over the Bulls at the Georgia Dome. The Bulls managed to stay close in that game without Scottie Pippen in the lineup.
They beat Atlanta the next three times, including an impressive 89-74 victory in front of the largest crowd in NBA history (62,046) at the Georgia Dome on March 27, again without Pippen.
Atlanta poses two problems. First, the quickness of point guard Mookie Blaylock (6.7 assists and a league-leading 2.64 steals a game) usually makes for an exhausting night on defense for Michael Jordan or Ron Harper. Second, the Bulls can’t seem to do much with center Dikembe Mutombo (3.4 blocks a game), who discourages penetration by Jordan and Pippen.
Still, after the Hawks stole the second game at the United Center in last season’s second round, the Bulls won the next three, including two games in Atlanta.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (51-31)
Season series: Bulls won 3-1.
Bulls’ playoff record against: 3-1.
More than any other team in the East, the Hornets made off-season moves designed specifically for a postseason matchup with the Bulls. They got guard Bobby Phills from Cleveland largely because of his reputation as a Jordan stopper. They got point guard David Wesley because the Bulls had a hard time containing him while he was with Boston.
If the Bulls should meet the Hornets, it could be interesting. Center Matt Geiger usually plays well against them, and even Pippen can’t stop Glen Rice when he gets hot.
But the Bulls have a knack for figuring Charlotte out, as they did in a 31-point victory in January. If Phills and Wesley don’t play well, the Bulls don’t sweat.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (47-35)
Season series: Teams split 2-2.
Bulls’ playoff record against: 14-4.
The Bulls aren’t dominant against the Cavs in the regular season–they dropped both games at Gund Arena this season and have lost nine of their last 12 in Cleveland, and it was the Cavs who halted their NBA-best 13-game winning streak two weeks ago. But they have had considerable postseason success against them.
The reason Cleveland plays well against the Bulls? Coach Mike Fratello. His team does a good job keeping Jordan and Pippen from penetrating and slows the game down just enough to disrupt what the Bulls like to do on offense.
When the Cavs do run, rookie point guard Brevin Knight (8.1 assists) is the catalyst and Shawn Kemp (18.1 points a game) is the main man.
But when it comes to the postseason, Jordan is the main man. Just ask any Cavaliers fan.
INDIANA PACERS (58-24)
Season series: Teams split 2-2.
Bulls’ playoff record against: Never played.
First-year coach Larry Bird has the Pacers believing they can compete with anyone, including the Bulls. In splitting the season series, the Pacers won at Market Square Arena and then knocked off the Bulls at the United Center last Monday.
That second victory was huge for the Pacers, who proved they could win in Chicago. They also bothered Jordan so much he fired a ball at Mark Jackson’s head in frustration.
Reserve Jalen Rose’s once-promising career has been rejuvenated; he’s the main reason Indiana’s bench is now one of the deepest in the league. Rose scored 22 points against the Bulls last week. And Reggie Miller is, well, still Reggie Miller.
The only question mark for the Pacers surrounds center Rik Smits. His chronically bad feet limited his playing time down the stretch.
MIAMI HEAT (55-27)
Season series: Bulls won 2-1.
Bulls’ playoff record against: 10-1.
The Heat wants nothing more than another shot at the Bulls after being embarrassed in the playoffs two years in a row. There certainly is bad blood between the teams; Miami coach Pat Riley lets Jackson and Jordan get under his skin, and Alonzo Mourning lets Dennis Rodman get into his head.
The Bulls haven’t had many problems with Mourning (19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds a game), who is healthy after missing the first part of the season with a knee injury. And though Jamal Mashburn should be back from his hand injury, he might be slow to find his shooting touch.
The Heat’s best weapon is point guard Tim Hardaway, Miami’s unsung hero. Not only is he averaging 18.8 points and 8.3 assists, he loves playing against the Bulls.
Of course, the Heat has to get past the Knicks first.
NEW YORK KNICKS (43-39)
Season series: Bulls won 4-0.
Bulls’ playoff record against: 24-12.
Center Patrick Ewing isn’t scheduled to return from his wrist injury until the second round, should New York get that far. But if the Knicks happen to steal one of the first two first-round games against Miami, look for Ewing to try to play hurt.
Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy received a few coach of the year votes for getting injury-plagued New York to the playoffs. That should keep him in his job for at least another year . . . or long enough for Phil Jackson to complete a much-talked-about year’s sabbatical from basketball.
Ewing or no, the Knicks need a strong postseason from Allan Houston (18.1 points a game), who is the main reason they’ve made it this far, and some consistency from John Starks (13.3 points).
Wouldn’t a Bulls-Knicks conference final be exciting?
