Put yourself in Stan Albeck`s sneakers and desperation becomes the mother of invention.
There was no Michael Jordan, no Quintin Dailey, no Jawann Oldham and probably no way the Bulls would escape their present downward spiral. But Albeck gave it a shot just the same.
He unveiled a gimmick defense that almost worked. Instead, the Bulls fell to the Indiana Pacers 124-110 Monday for their seventh straight defeat, dropping them to 17-38. They have lost 10 of 11 and 15 of 17.
”The Bulls came out and played their rear ends off,” Indiana coach George Irvine said. ”Stan took me by surprise with a new defensive concoction, something we`re not used to seeing in the NBA.”
Outmuscled by the league`s No. 1 rebounding team and trying to keep the ball away from 6-foot-11-inch Pacer power forward Herb Williams, the Bulls trapped and pressed and forced the Pacers to start their offense higher than usual. Williams scored a career-high 39 points in a 104-88 victory over the Bulls last Friday in the Stadium.
”We were trying to keep them out of the post-up,” Albeck said. ”Herb Williams absolutely burned us last time. You will probably see more of it because teams are just riddling us inside. One way to compensate is to force them to take outside shots.”
Snapping the trap was a backcourt combination of John Paxson and Michael Holton. Along with forwards Gene Banks and Sidney Green, they ignited two Bulls` runs that prevented an Indiana runaway.
The Bulls outscored the Pacers 12-2 at the outset of the second quarter to wipe away a 33-23 Pacer lead. They went on a 16-4 tear late in the third quarter and early in the fourth that turned an 86-71 deficit to 90-87 with 10 minutes 45 seconds left in the game.
Holton, who was signed to a 10-day contract last Wednesday, saw his first extended action and produced 12 points and 4 steals in 17 minutes. He juiced up the backcourt with the one element the Bulls have lacked there all season
–quickness. Paxson contributed 12 points and 8 assists.
”It felt good to get out there and play,” said Holton, who was cut by Phoenix one week into the season and wound up in the Continental Basketball Association. ”What I want to do when I get in a game is make things happen.” Instead of folding, as they had earlier in the year, the Pacers regrouped behind guard Vern Fleming, who had 16 points and 17 assists. The assists tied the team record set by Don Buse on Jan. 26, 1977, against Boston.
The National Basketball Association`s youngest team reacted by shooting 70 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter. Ron Anderson and Williams each finished with 22 points, and Steve Stipanovich had 20.
The Bulls` last good shot came with 2:22 left when a George Gervin three- point play made it 110-104. But the Pacers responded with a 12-2 run, 6 by Anderson, and the Bulls` streak went on. Gervin had 23 points, Dave Corzine 21 and Banks 18.
”I can`t be unhappy with us, as short-handed as we are,” Albeck said, noting Jordan`s foot injury, Dailey`s drug rehabilitation, Oldham`s broken jaw and Orlando Woolridge`s strained right knee.
Woolridge`s injury sent him to an early shower with 5:45 left in the third quarter. Trainer Mark Pfeil said Woolridge could be back for Wednesday`s game at New Jersey.
”These guys are working their tails off. We just don`t have the bodies and talent,” said Albeck. ”Without any talent, you have to resort to gimmicks on defense and offense and try to pull something off.”
After orchestrating the Pacers` third straight victory and 8th in 12 games, Fleming got nothing but abuse from his teammates.
”That`s more assists than you`ve ever had in your whole life combined,” Williams said in jest. Fleming just laughed.
”I`ve been a shooting guard throughout my career, so the guys were a little shocked by that,” Fleming said. ”I didn`t even know until it was announced to the crowd.”
There doesn`t seem to be any end in sight for the Bulls. The Nets will be ready and waiting to pound some more lumps on their former coach, and Thursday night, the Bulls face Portland in the Stadium.
”You coach harder, the players play harder and frustration ranks absolutely supreme,” Albeck said. ”You stay close, but things happen to you that wouldn`t happen in a normal season.”
