Jordan Still the Key to Chicago Revenge

Scottie Pippen was back for the Chicago Bulls, but it didn’t matter much.

Michael Jordan was there for the Bulls, and that mattered plenty.

Jordan had 36 points and 11 rebounds Thursday night at Chicago, and the Bulls used a 20-1 run in the second quarter to avenge their worst loss of the season, beating the New York Knicks, 107-86.

“Tonight, we got a great defensive effort from our team and Michael refused to lose this game,” said Bulls’ Coach Phil Jackson. “I could tell all day by the way Michael was carrying himself at practice that he wanted to send a message to New York, telling them that what happened there in the last game against them was not going to happen again.”

The Knicks became the only team all season to beat Chicago by more than 10 points, routing the Bulls, 104-72, on March 11 in New York.

The Bulls’ 41st consecutive regular-season home victory extended their NBA record. Orlando, which did not play Thursday and is on the road Friday, has 40 victories in a row at home.

Pippen was supposed to be out two weeks because of a sore ankle, but sat out only five games. He went scoreless Thursday until 10:49 remained in the game and finished with only six points, 14 below his average.

The Bulls continued to play without Dennis Rodman, the league-leading rebounder who is serving a six-game suspension for butting a referee.

Cleveland 98, Houston 85--Terrell Brandon scored 27 points at Houston to lead the Cavaliers to their third consecutive victory.

The Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon missed his second game in a row because of tendinitis in both knees.

New Jersey 97, Denver 89--Chris Childs had 21 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Nets, who came back to win at East Rutherford, N.J., after blowing an 18-point third-quarter lead.

Phoenix 104, Golden State 96--Charles Barkley scored only two of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, but he had seven of his nine rebounds in the period for the Suns, who held off a rally at Phoenix.

NBA Notes

The NBA suspended Philadelphia’s Jerry Stackhouse for two games and fined him $7,500 for grabbing Utah’s Jeff Hornacek by the throat during a fight Wednesday. Stackhouse was the third player suspended in the past four days, and the league issued a warning to players to stop fighting or face heavier fines and longer suspensions. . . . Golden State’s Rony Seikaly, who tore a tendon in his left thumb against Houston Tuesday night, was placed on the injured list. . . . A New York newspaper said that New Jersey Devil owner John McMullen has offered $90 million for the Nets.