Bulls Wake Up in the Nick of Time to Overcome the Heat

By MARK HEISLER

May 21, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

CHICAGO — When the Miami Heat goes to New York, it has to bring extra security and wear earplugs, but when it comes here, the local reaction is a little different.

Try a great big civic yawn.

At this level, letdowns aren’t supposed to be a problem, but the Chicago players seemed so deflated at not getting the Knicks, Coach Phil Jackson warned them to bring some enthusiasm. They did in the second half--after Miami took a 15-point lead in the first--which was still enough time for the Bulls to win, 84-77, Tuesday night in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals.

“I think we might have caught them napping a little bit today,” Heat Coach Pat Riley said.

“I knew they were yawning for two days when they found out they were going to play us. But maybe we won’t give up and we’ll get their very, very best in the next game, but we had a great opportunity today.”

It looked like that for a while, but not at the end, when the Heat went from 72-69 ahead with 6:28 left to 84-74 behind with seven seconds left without making a basket--or even hitting the rim.

In between were three airballs, two turnovers, a 24-second violation and nine free throws--of which the Heat missed seven.

“We heard those comments [by Miami’s Tim Hardaway], we may be too old to deal with this,” Michael Jordan said. “That first half, we probably looked like an old team, missing layups, not really playing with the rhythm.

“Like I said, there’s two halves. We came out and played like young men if you want to say it like that. The intensity was there. We limited them to six field goals in the second half. I mean, doesn’t sound like old men to me.”

The 34-year-old Jordan had 37 points and nine rebounds, not bad for a player who still looks like he can’t find his stroke. Dennis Rodman, 36, had 19 rebounds in his best outing in the playoffs.

As further proof Rodman is back to his old menace self, he put a shoulder into Alonzo Mourning’s ribs after a play, escaping detection by the referees as Mourning crumpled to the floor and lay there for several minutes.

“Y’all know Dennis,” Mourning said. “It’s unfortunate that we as players have to put up with that stuff. . . . But I’ve grown past that. If you slap me, I’m going to turn the other cheek.”

All in all, the Heat was a big surprise to everyone but Jackson, who has played enough Riley teams to know you can’t write any of them off. He warned against a letdown, although it can’t be said he completely stamped out overconfidence on his roster.

The day before the series, Chicago reserve center Brian Williams was asked if the Heat had a decided advantage at any position.

“I like their mascot,” Williams said. “Burnie’s pretty good down there.”

For a while, the Heat was pretty good too.

Voshon Lenard, he of the four single-figure games against the Knicks, made all four of his three-point tries, Mourning blocked four shots and Jordan put up 11 shots looking for his missing jumper, of which he made four--all in the first quarter.

The Bulls missed 21 of 28 shots in the first quarter and six of their first seven in the second, by which time the Heat was up by 15 and the Bulls knew how they were going to have to spend the rest of their evening.

“It was just getting the intensity level up to where we needed it to play defense,” Jackson said later, “that kind of energy that’s desperate energy.”

Oh, that energy.

There’s nothing like real desperation to produce it and the Bulls, finally convinced there was a threat, turned on their best defense. Nevertheless, the Heat hung on, until that final 6:28, after which, as Riley said later, “we succumbed.”

“You always knew they would come and make a push at you,” Riley said. “C’mon, they started in the third quarter.

“They know they’re playing with that big baseball bat they carry in Michael.

“We just needed to be strong at the end and we got flustered.”

Unusually relaxed after a disappointing loss, Riley laughed at suggestions Lenard was struggling in his matchup with Jordan--”Why does it have to be Voshon? It’s a bad experience for anybody you put on him.”--suggesting he knows who the underdog in this series is and why.

Of course, the Heat will come back strong in Game 2. This time it shouldn’t catch the Bulls by surprise, but you never know.