9101200899
DETROIT FREE PRESS
910522
Wednesday, May 22, 1991
METRO FINAL CHASER
1D
MITCH ALBOM
SEE ALSO METRO FINAL ONE-BALL EDITION PAGE 1D
Copyright (c) 1991, Detroit Free Press
PISTONS KEEP FAITH; BULLS KEEP WINNING
CHICAGO -- Scared yet?
You ought to be. The Bulls now have done half of what they need to do to
win this Eastern Conference final, and the Pistons haven't done anything,
except turn a bunch of stiffs into cult heroes here in Chicago. Anytime the
press is interviewing Will Perdue after a playoff game, something is seriously
wrong.
Another loss? Another poor performance? Naturally, the Pistons are not
scared. But then, the Pistons are unique. The Pistons could be on the Titanic,
after it hit the iceberg, and their reaction would be: "Someone call the
restaurant. We're gonna be a little late."
We mortals are not so lucky. To our eyes, the sight of Mark Aguirre
slapping helplessly as the Bulls steal the ball for another lay-up, or the
sight of Joe Dumars tossing a pass into the hands of Chicago's Scottie
Pippen, or the sight of Tree Rollins starting the second half because James
Edwards and Bill Laimbeer have been as effective as a used postage stamp -- or
the fact that Detroit is now down 2-0 in a playoff series, which hasn't
happened since Boston four years ago -- I don't know, to us, these things
suggest . . . concern? Worry? Chewed fingernails?
"We're down, but we have the utmost confidence," Laimbeer said after the
Pistons dropped Game 2 Tuesday night, 105-97. And he played terribly!
So we are confused by this. Of course, we are not basketball players. We
have never been through the NBA Finals. "You do not know our championship
attitude,'(at) the Pistons will say.
Fine. Except this isn't only about the champions anymore. This is about
the challengers, too. After all, champions never admit fear. But they do get
dethroned. And it is usually at the hands of a hungry team whose members are
playing over their heads, a team with a guy like Pippen taking revenge on the
critics who laughed at him, a team with a geek like Perdue scoring more points
in one night than Laimbeer and Edwards combined. A team like . . . . . .
the Bulls?
Pistons again bench-pressed
"How do you feel about having to win four out of five games to reach the
Finals now?" someone asked coach Chuck Daly.
"I don't even think about four of five," he moaned. "I just want to win
one."
Yes. That would be nice. I still believe the Pistons are the more talented
team. And they could win the next two, at the Palace, and easily tie this
series. But here's the problem: With each defeat, they are giving the Bulls
something they should have locked inside a treasure chest. They are giving
them confidence -- and that has always been Detroit's edge. Deep down, the
Pistons feel superior, they cannot lose four times in seven games. But deep
down, the Celtics felt that way in 1988 -- until Detroit smacked their Big
Green Ego. Champions, as I said, never get scared.
But they do get dethroned.
"We can smell it," said Pippen Tuesday night. I'm not sure if he was
referring to the NBA Finals, or the way the Pistons played. Stinky? I don't
know. Does getting five points total from Laimbeer, Edwards and John Salley
qualify as stinky? The Pistons' bench once again scored more points than its
starters. And Detroit drew whistles the way raw meat draws flies. For those
who missed it, let me sum up Game 2:
1) Pistons miss, Bulls rebound.
2) Pistons drive -- no foul.
3) Bulls drive -- whistle! whistle!
4) Will Perdue comes in.
5) Bulls take 17-point lead.
Kind of depressing, huh? It might not be so bad if they were losing to the
Bulls. But they are also losing to the sub- Bulls, previously known as the
TerriBulls, or the LaughaBulls. The bench? Come on. Not the Chicago bench!
Here comes Perdue, Cliff Levingston, B.J. Armstrong and Craig Hodges to start
the second quarter with Chicago up by five -- and by the time they sit down,
Chicago is up by 16.
You'll notice I did not mention Michael Jordan. He was sitting the whole
time, no doubt thinking of how to market himself on Mars if he wins this
series. "We may be surprising Detroit," His Highness said after scoring 35
points, 15 in the fourth quarter. The thing is, it shouldn't be a surprise.
The Pistons need only look inside themselves to see where the Bulls are coming
from. And why they should worry.
Who's not worried now?
But OK. We don't want to completely depress you. So let's come up with
some comforting reasons as to why Detroit has lost these first two games:
1) Still recovering from the Celtics series. Last year, Detroit played
the first two games of the Finals against Portland before realizing it wasn't
Chicago out there. It takes a while to adjust. By Saturday, the Pistons will
be completely focused.
2) Must feel backs against the wall. Why come home with series tied 1-1?
There's no drama in that.
3) Laimbeer, who just celebrated his 34th birthday, is going through a
mid-life crisis.
4) The moon is in the Seventh House.
Take your pick. Then cross your fingers. Yes, the Pistons could simply
follow the home-court advantage thing until Game 5, or Game 7, win, and
advance to the Finals. Wouldn't surprise me. They are that confident.
But has it occurred to anyone else that while the Pistons are spending so
much time not worrying, so, perhaps, are the Bulls?
Hmmm?
COLUMN; DPISTONS; BASKETBALL; LOSS; NBA; PLAYOFFS; GAME 2;Pistons