NBA Playoff 97-98 Game 4 (recap)

Chicago 86, Utah 82

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

"Rodzilla" may have missed practice, but he didn't miss his free throws.

Dennis Rodman, who blew off a practice for a wrestling gig, surprisingly made four clutch free throws in the final three minutes and shut down Karl Malone in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls edged the Utah Jazz, 86-82, in Game Four of the NBA Finals and moved within one win of their sixth NBA title in eight years.

Michael Jordan scores two of his 34 points over Utah's Jeff Hornacek in the Bulls' Game 4 victory.

Rodman missed Monday's practice and showed up that night on a wrestling program as "Rodzilla," a green-haired sidekick of Hulk Hogan who hit an opposing wrestler with a chair. He made $250,000 but drew a pair of $10,000 fines and a ton of media attention for his absence.

"I didn't do anything to embarrass the team," said Rodman, who has won seven straight rebounding titles.

Rodman was grappling again in the fourth quarter as he beat Malone to position for defense and rebounds. After boasting that he could guard the All-Star forward any day of the week, he held Malone scoreless until a meaningless long jumper in the final seconds. Malone collected 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Rodman finished with six points and 14 rebounds, seven on the offensive end. Both pairs of his clutch free throws came after he pulled down offensive boards and the Jazz fouled him. But the 55 percent free-throw shooter foiled the strategy and may avoid a return trip to Utah, which he dreaded.

"They put me on the line to shoot the basketball and I did," Rodman said.

Rodman was 5-for-6 from the line in the final period as part of a parade to the line by Chicago. The Bulls made 17-of-24 foul shots in the fourth quarter, while the Jazz were 2-of-3, with a crucial miss by Chris Morris.

Michael Jordan scored 34 points and Scottie Pippen continued his Finals MVP push with 28 for the Bulls, who can wrap up their third straight championship with a win at home Friday. Chicago is gunning for a "double-triple," having won three consecutive titles from 1991-93.

Utah bounced back strongly from its record-setting 42-point loss in Game Three, holding the lead with five minutes left. But the Jazz got nothing from Malone and John Stockton down the stretch and after winning the opener, have lost three in a row for the first time this season. No team has ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals.

Malone got off to another quick start and made 10-of-21 shots, with most of his points coming against Bulls 7-2 center Luc Longley. Stockton finished with seven points and 13 assists, but shot 3-of-11 as he again was harassed by Pippen and Ron Harper.

"I am more mobile (than Longley)," Rodman said. "My agility is a lot better."

"I can never figure this guy out, and I'm not about to start," Jordan said. "One day he's wrestling, and the next day he's defending."

Rodman rebounded a missed three-pointer by Pippen and drew a foul with 2:53 to go. His first free throw hit the rim about four times before dropping in and he calmly sank the second, giving Chicago the lead for good.

Morris had seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter, but missed the second of two foul shots that could have tied the game 18 seconds later. Jordan, who made 12-of-27 shots, went around Shandon Anderson for a pair of baskets to offset a jam by Morris for a 78-75 lead with 1:38 remaining.

Morris missed an open three-pointer and Pippen split a pair of free throws before Jeff Hornacek made a 19-footer to pull the Jazz within 79-77 with 1:05 left. But "Rodzilla" struck again.

Jordan badly missed on a corner jumper and Rodman fended off the 256-pound Malone with one arm while trying to corral the rebound with the other. Both men crashed to the floor and a foul was called on Malone with 43 seconds to go. Rodman again made both free throws for an 81-77 lead.

Stockton missed a layup on the next possession and two free throws by Toni Kukoc sealed it. Jordan added two more as this city began to sense what is becoming an annual occurrence -- a victory parade followed by a celebration in Grant Park.

Pippen grabbed nine rebounds, Jordan had eight and Kukoc scored eight points for Chicago, which overcame 37 percent shooting (27-of-73) by making 27-of-40 free throws. The Bulls made just four baskets in the fourth quarter.

Bryon Russell scored 10 points and Jeff Hornacek and Howard Eisley added eight apiece for the Jazz, who shot 42 percent (33-of-78) but just 2-of-15 from three-point range. Utah got another strong effort from their bench. Utah's reserves held a 30-8 scoring edge.

Malone opened the fourth quarter by missing two jumpers and two free throws by Longley extended Chicago's lead to 68-61 before Utah surged to the lead behind Morris and Anderson.

Anderson had a three-point play and a layup around a foul-line jumper by Stockton, who found a streaking Morris for a layup and the lead at 70-69 with five minutes left. It was the first lead for the Jazz since the three-minute mark of the second quarter.

Jordan, who missed two free throws during Utah's run, buried a jumper and Stockton missed twice around a free throw by Harper before a transition layup by Hornacek tied it for the last time at 72-72 with 3:15 to go.

Utah's adjustments began with Adam Keefe in the starting lineup in place of the bigger Greg Ostertag, preventing Pippen from drifting as much as he did in Game Three. But the defensive demon hurt the Jazz on the offensive end, making three three-pointers in the first quarter and scoring 11 points.

Malone started quickly again, making his first four shots. He scored nine of his team's first 11 points as the Jazz came out aggressively, attacking the boards and the officials. Keefe grabbed a pair of early rebounds and coach Jerry Sloan picked up a technical foul with 7:08 to play in the period, arguing that Pippen was roaming again.

Just over a minute later, the Bulls were whistled for an illegal defense. Jordan missed four of his first five shots before he hit a jumper and he made 1-of-2 from the line after taking a hard foul from Greg Foster.

Rodman entered for the first time with 1:33 left and Pippen made a three-pointer at the end of the period, giving Chicago a 21-19 lead. Despite his slow start, Jordan scored 10 points, while Malone had 11 for the Jazz.

Jordan sat down to start the second period and Pippen carried the offense, making a layup, a pull-up three-pointer and a jumper to extend the lead to 28-22. A free throw by Rodman with 7:09 left was Chicago's first point not scored by Jordan, Pippen or Kukoc and gave the Bulls a 31-26 edge.

Stockton, whose offensive game has been smothered by Pippen, took charge against Steve Kerr, scoring five points in an 8-0 surge that gave the Jazz a 34-31 lead with 3:20 remaining. Jordan had his shot swatted away by Anderson before scoring Chicago's final three baskets of the half, including a spinning scoop layup at the buzzer for a 39-37 lead.

Malone was scoreless in the second quarter, but Utah's bench was a factor, holding a 10-1 edge. Rodman had Chicago's only bench point and also grabbed six rebounds.

A jumper by Malone opened the third quarter and tied it, but the Jazz had a sloppy sequence midway through the period and could not grab the lead. After a miss by Malone, Kukoc went down the lane for a hoop and a 48-47 lead. Keefe scored inside and Russell drew a foul, but he missed both free throws with 6:16 left.

Jordan answered with two foul shots and Malone missed a wide-open layup before Pippen made a free throw, building the lead to 53-47 with 5:03 remaining. However, Eisley kept the Jazz close by scoring their last six points of the period, making it 61-57.

Eisley's free throws with 38 seconds left allowed Utah to surpass its record-setting low of Game Three. The Jazz scored 20 points in a period for the first time since the third quarter of Game Two. Jordan and Pippen again carried Chicago, combining for 15 points

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