A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : ADZ N THE HOOD : Is It the Money? Is It the Money?

Figuring that millions of young moviegoers would be avidly following the star-studded matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, Tri-Star Pictures kicked off its TV ad campaign for “Boyz N the Hood” by running a series of 30-second spots for the upcoming inner-city drama during the NBA championship series.

But guess who got the most free publicity out of the Bulls-Lakers series? None other than Spike Lee. Not only did Nike rerun all of the filmmaker’s sneaker ads, but Lee got a ton of exposure for his “Malcolm X” project--which isn’t due until 1992--from America’s most popular celeb pitchman . . . Michael Jordan. Jordan showed up for interviews on two different days wearing a black cap with a silver X, with a button displaying a photo of Malcolm X attached to the front of the cap.

Said one sports reporter: “You gotta figure Spike was rooting for the Bulls. Michael looks like a walking billboard for Spike’s new movie.”

If so, Spike is a happy man. The Bulls won the series in five games.