Ron Harper often eases into his chair in the locker room the way a skier might enter a hot whirlpool after a long day on the slopes.
Bones creak. Joints ache. Muscles burn.
And this is before the game.
Then, of course, the 12-year veteran goes out on the floor and turns in a workmanlike and steady performance, like the one he had Tuesday night in the Bulls’ 104-98 victory over Indiana that gave them a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Harper finished with seven points and a game-high nine rebounds and limited Reggie Miller to 19 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Miller’s 19 points are misleading–10 came from the free-throw line, and several while Harper was out of the game. Miller hit only two shots with Harper guarding him.
“Ronnie is doing a great job shadowing Reggie,” Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. “He’s keeping the ball out of his hands and forcing tough shots.”
At 34 and with major knee surgeries and his first 82-game season since 1992 behind him, Harper may act like he is about as flexible as the Tin Man. But his long arms, slippery ability to avoid picks and veteran’s know-how classify him as a defensive stopper. Whether he wants to admit it or not.
The range of disparate styles Harper has been assigned to guard this season is impressive, starting with lightning-quick point guards who look to penetrate, like Allen Iverson and Damon Stoudamire.
“I can’t guard those guys,” Harper said. “They’re too fast.”
Then there are guards with shooting range and a scorer’s mentality like Mookie Blaylock and Tim Hardaway.
“I can’t stop those guys,” Harper said. “They’re too good.”
And now, perhaps the toughest assignment of them all, the unlimited range and brash confidence of Miller.
“I don’t think I did that good a job on him in Game 1,” Harper said before Game 2. “He had shots.”
Harper’s routine is like clockwork. A pregame cup of coffee or tea, a postgame beer and self-deprecating comments–or lies–about how he can’t guard anybody.
Harper even jokes about drawing the short end of the straw for his defensive assignment, saying Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen picked Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson, leaving him to guard Miller.
“It wasn’t a choice,” Harper said. “Pip and MJ are the two (team veterans), so they made me pick the player I have.”
Kidding aside, Harper has done a number on Miller in the first two games of the series. Miller is shooting 33 percent (9 for 27) and has rarely had room to breathe, much less get open shots.
“This guy, he runs and runs and runs the whole ballgame. He doesn’t seem to get tired,” Harper said. “I have to chase and dodge and do my thing. I just try to be sure I have a hand in his face. I’m getting a lot of rest. I’ve taken the last couple of days off and just stayed at home.”
The performance isn’t surprising: Typically, as the playoffs progress, Harper becomes more effective. In each of the last two title runs, Harper averaged more points in the postseason than he did during the regular season.
Injuries, however, are not fun. And the truth is Harper has not played at 100 percent health all season. Nagging back and hamstring injuries make his 82-game commitment all the more impressive.
“There were times I was hurt,” Harper said. “But if you truly love and enjoy the game, you go out there. We had players hurt all season long. Somebody had to go out there and try to play.”
Harper did a fine job of it Tuesday night.
