It doesn`t get any worse than this. The Bulls have hit rock bottom. This is a team in dire straits.
The Bulls passively submitted to the Indiana Pacers 104-88 Friday night in the Stadium before 10,346 disgruntled fans who enjoyed the postgame Spinners` concert far more than the act that preceded it. The loss was the Bulls` fifth stright, eighth in nine games and 13th in the last 15. Their 17-36 record is the worst in the National Basketball Association`s Eastern Conference.
Bulls` owner Jerry Reinsdorf sat with a disgusted look on his face all evening before finally exiting with a minute to go. Vice president of operations Jerry Krause stayed to the bitter end and then met with the coaching staff for 50 minutes afterwards.
”The meeting was about what we can do to change the team around,” coach Stan Albeck said. ”Jerry will be on the phone investigating the possibility of getting any other people in the league, possible changes. That`s very difficult now because of the salary cap.”
The NBA`s trading deadline is midnight Saturday. After that, the Bulls are stuck with what they`ve got.
And there doesn`t appear to be much left. Assistant coach Mike Thibault tried a little gimmick before Friday`s game to instill a spark in this lifeless bunch. He put together a video of some of the Bulls` more exciting moments this season, complete with inspirational, rabble-rousing music.
”There was no response,” Kyle Macy said. ”The guys just sat there.”
About the same as they played Friday. The Bulls went through enough motions to stay close to the Pacers until the third quarter, when Indiana outscored the Bulls 27-10 during one stretch, including 10 straight. After taking an 82-69 lead after three quarters, the Bulls never came any closer than 9 the rest of the way.
Herb Williams led the Pacers with 39 points and 3 blocked shots, while the Bulls` only consistent player of late, rookie Charles Oakley, turned in another fine performance with a team-high 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Oakley got the first start of his NBA career when he opened up at center for Jawann Oldham, who is sidelined with a broken jaw.
Oakley, whose normal position is strong forward, had 8 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter. Macy dealt out five assists as the Bulls hit their first nine shots to move in front 18-12.
The Pacers came back with 10 straight points to take a 22-18 lead. A Williams basket gave Indiana a 25-24 lead after the first quarter, during which the Pacers shot 67 percent.
The Bulls scored the first 6 points of the second period, highlighted by Oakley`s 3-point play, and led 30-25. The lead seesawed the rest of the quarter until Indiana made a move just before halftime to take a 53-49 lead at intermission.
Oakley led the Bulls with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dave Corzine had 13 points in the second quarter. Williams led Indiana with 19 points.
Williams had four baskets in the first five minutes of the third quarter to help give the Pacers a 65-59 lead.
With 6:22 left, Oakley was whistled for his fourth foul and replaced by Corzine. The Pacers ran off 10 straight points and built a 71-59 lead with less than five minutes to go. When the score reached 75-61 with 3:47 left, the Bulls called a timeout and boos rang out.
But it got worse. Vern Fleming scored on a layup to put Indiana ahead 82-67, and the Pacers led 82-69 after three quarters. The Bulls couldn`t come any closer than nine points in the final period.
In a pregame press conference, Michael Jordan said he was leaving for North Carolina Monday to continue working toward his degree in cultural geography.
Jordan will be out at least four more weeks and probably the rest of the season because of cracked bone in his left foot. He said he wanted to avoid the same fate as Boston center Bill Walton, who suffered a similar injury early in his career and never fully recovered because he came back too soon. Jordan said that even though his foot wasn`t completely healed, he didn`t feel any pain in it.
