Dennis Rodman was back in the starting lineup Saturday, which was a good thing. He’s doesn’t do anybody any good on the bench.
In the fourth quarter, Rodman spent a few moments jawing with Pacers fan Kathy Harrison, who was sitting behind the Bulls’ bench and loudly reminding Rodman that he had just picked up his fifth foul. Rodman, towel draped over his head, turned around and . . . tried his best.
“He said my rings were cubic zirconium and that he had more money than I did,” Harrison said.
Well, that’s got to hurt.
It was the best Rodman could do Saturday, and it’s the best evidence that very little went the Bulls’ way in their 107-105 loss to the Pacers.
A few minutes after his verbal tussle, Rodman was back in the game, giving the Bulls the rebounding muscle they sorely need against the Pacers. But it didn’t last long. Rodman went up to defend against a driving Travis Best, and Ron Garretson, who was trailing the play, called a foul.
As NBA fouls go, it was an illegal turn on red, not a felony. Rodman stood with his arms outstretched, looking very much as if he were ready to be nailed to a cross.
“They always take it out on me,” he said. “My new name is the Phantom. All these (expletive deleted) referees.”
Those were Rodman’s only comments after the game, unless you count his 15-minute interview with a redheaded woman from a Dutch magazine.
After coming off the bench in the Bulls’ Game 1 and 2 victories, Rodman found himself back on familiar territory Saturday. That’s under the basket, and although his numbers weren’t spectacular–six points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes–his best work wasn’t found on the statistics sheet.
His tips kept countless rebounds alive for his teammates as the Bulls outrebounded the Pacers 40-29.
“I thought Dennis played OK,” Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. “But there’s some things I’d like to review. I thought he had some real good looks at the basket with tips that just didn’t fall for him. His defense was OK on Antonio and Dale Davis. And we won the boards, which is a big key.”
Antonio Davis had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Dale Davis (no relation) had eight rebounds.
“When Dennis Rodman starts it’s a different story,” Antonio Davis said. “Dennis was effective tonight and always commands respect.”
The Bulls are a different team with Rodman on the court. In the first two games, he played 23 and 24 minutes, but neither game was the war that Saturday’s was. When the game turns black and blue, the Bulls need Rodman. Or maybe Rodman is the reason it changes colors. Whatever, the Bulls had a decisive rebounding advantage with Rodman playing those 39 minutes.
Jackson talked about Rodman providing the Bulls energy off the bench in Game 1, when Toni Kukoc started at forward. But much of Rodman’s energy seems to come from being in the starting lineup and the spotlight.
And the Bulls slumped noticeably whenever Rodman left Saturday’s game. Immediately after he walked to the bench with about 8 1/2 minutes left, Antonio Davis tipped in a rebound.
It wasn’t long before Rodman was back on the floor, and it wasn’t long after that that he was picking up another foul. He believes the officials are persecuting him.
After picking up a foul at one point, Rodman makes the long walk to the bench with both hands in his shorts. The message–we’re guessing here–was that the refs wouldn’t let him put his hands on anyone without calling a foul.
Or something like that.
