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January
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Bulls Escape Bullets Fusilade (Which Should Be Aimed At Refs)
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14 Janaury 1997. Chicago Bulls 108, Washington Bullets 107 (record: 19-17)
Game leaders: Webber (33 points), Webber (10 rebounds), Webber, Strickland (7 assists)I'll get to the officiating of this game in a moment. But, surprise of all surprises, the Bullets hung tough with the NBA champion Chicago Bulls and lost by only 1 point. And what a critical 1 point it might have been.
You see, this was yet another example of the difference in officiating that occurs when you play a championship team, especially the Chicago Bulls. I only watched the fourth quarter, but it was enough to convince of the hideous, biased officiating. At one end, we've got Dennis Rodman hooking Juwan's arm on an attempt to post, yet there is no call. At the other end, Juwan gets a ticky-tacky foul (it probably was a foul, but it was never replayed) and he fouls out with over 9 minutes left.
Road Trip Notes Some quick tidbits from J.A. Adande of the Washington Post about the Miami comeback and Lorenzo Williams' knee. Or how about Chris Whitney's 3-point play that should have been. Whitney was fouled behind the 3-point line by Jordan, but the officials on the court insisted it was a 2-point shot. They lied. Replays showed there's no way they should have been mistaken. This, plus other calls that essentially favored the Bulls, made for an glaringly obvious homecourt advantage. Even worse - that Whitney play may have eventually allowed the Bullets to tie the game.
Still, the Bullets showed some guts. They led by 7 after 1 quarter, then got blitzed by Michael Jordan in the second quarter for 15 points, and the Bulls led by 11 at halftime. The Bulls led by 9 points after 3 quarters, but the Bullets opened on a 14-2 run to start the fourth. Jordan, who had earlier strained his neck, was having problems shooting, and the Bullets weren't missing.
However, two straight Scottie Pippen 3-pointers (he made 6 on the night) gave the Bulls a 3 point lead. The Bullets briefly regained the lead, but Jordan had gotten hot again (he finished with 39 points) and the Bulls were able to hold off the Bullets in the end.
So close. This goes to show something that I've believed for a while - this Bullets team is made to give the Bulls fits. The Bullets need to learn how to win, first, but they are starting to come together as a team and, should they face the Bulls in the playoffs, will give the Bulls something to think about.
The Bullets tough stretch is not over yet. After beating Cleveland and playing Miami and Chicago tough on the road, they now get Miami Friday (in Baltimore, our secret home-court advantage), Boston on the road Saturday, and New York for an afternoon game on MLK Day (Monday) on the road. Good luck, Bullets.
wtf 15 January 1997
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