Grant Makes It Look Easy This Time : Bulls: Chicago forward scores 20 points, several on layups, in Game 2 after shaking Game 1 jitters.

Forward Horace Grant of the Chicago Bulls had a case of stage fright the night before the opening game of the NBA finals. He was so nervous, he couldn’t sleep Saturday night.

Unable to overcome his nervousness, Grant scored only six points, missing five of eight shots, as the Lakers defeated the Bulls, 93-91.

“It was the biggest game of our lives because it was our first time making it to the finals and I had butterflies all through the game,” Grant said. “I couldn’t sleep and I think it affected my play.”

After playing 40 minutes in the series opener, Grant was so tired that he said he slept soundly.

Calm and well rested, Grant scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds as Chicago evened the series by crushing the Lakers, 107-86, Wednesday night at the Chicago Stadium.

“I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time,” Grant said.

Operating inside, Grant made 10 of 13 shots as the Bulls shot a playoff record 61.7%, making 50 of 81 shots. Of course, it’s hard to miss the kind of shots that Michael Jordan (13 assists), John Paxson (six assists) and Scottie Pippen (10 assists) set up for Grant, who had eight layups and a dunk.

“Grant was really nervous and he was reassured that he was going to get involved (in the offense),” Jordan said. “He wanted to get involved and he did that tonight.”

Grant ignited the Bulls, scoring 10 points in the first quarter as Chicago opened a 28-23 lead. Grant made five of six shots, all layups. Jordan set him up for three of them, and Paxson and Cliff Levingston also dished off to Grant.

“I got open a lot in Game 1, but the ball wasn’t there because the guys missed me,” Grant said. “I did the same thing I did Sunday, but I got the ball tonight.”

Chicago Coach Phil Jackson said the Bulls wanted to go to Grant early to build his confidence.

“He had missed some easy shots (Sunday), and when you miss some easy shots you get depressed,” Jackson said. “But tonight he made some easy shots early in the game and his momentum was there.”

Grant gave the Bulls momentum in the first half, scoring 14 points as Chicago took a 48-43 lead. He made seven of nine shots in the first half, scoring on six layups and a dunk.

“Horace had an unbelievable first half, both offensively and defensively,” Laker guard Magic Johnson said.

Matched against Laker center Vlade Divac at the start of the game, Grant held Divac in check, before Grant was switched to James Worthy after Jordan got into foul trouble and Jackson realigned the Bulls’ defense.

The Bulls’ inside game wasn’t a factor in Game 1 as Laker forwards Sam Perkins and Worthy and Divac outscored the Bulls’ front line of center Bill Cartwright and Grant and Pippen, 60-31. However, the Bulls’ low post offense was in sync Wednesday as Grant and Pippen got 20 points apiece and Cartwright added 12.

“We were determined not to let their inside game beat us. One of the key things we had to do was get myself, Bill and Paxson more involved in the offense and when we do that we play looser,” Grant said.

“I think I was just determined tonight to come out and make Vlade and Sam and James work on defense. We got our low post game in sync. They were concentrating on Michael a lot and when they concentrate on Michael I have to move to the open spots and I got the ball in great position.

After wearing goggles to help correct an astigmatism, Grant started playing without the goggles in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks because they kept getting knocked off by Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing.

Not wearing goggles didn’t seem to matter as Grant shot 69% from the field as the Bulls swept the Pistons in the Eastern Conference final.

But after shooting poorly in Game 1, he decided to wear them for Game 2.

Asked by wave after wave of reporters whether the goggles made a difference in his shooting, Grant said: “I could see better, but I think that if I didn’t play with the goggles that I still would have shot well because I got the ball in good position.”