Sports - Chicago Bulls vs. San Antonio Spurs - 11/3/97

CHICAGO 87, SAN ANTONIO 83 (2OT)
(Box Score)

CHICAGO -- Michael Jordan scored 29 points and made the final basket of regulation, overtime and double overtime, lifting the Chicago Bulls to an 87-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Jordan shot just 12-of-39 from the field, including some awful misses. But he made his shots when they counted, burying his first 3-pointer of the season as time expired in regulation and a tying jumper with 22 seconds to go in the first extra session.

"We were lucky to win that game," Jordan said. "Nobody could get a shot off. San Antonio shut down the inside completely and I could never find my jump shot. I shot almost 40 times and I was lucky to make, I think, 12 of them."

With the Bulls clinging to an 83-82 lead in the final minute, Jordan sprung for a 15-footer from the left corner with 32 seconds left. The teams traded free throws thereafter as Chicago held on for its second straight win. Former Spur Dennis Rodman grabbed 22 rebounds before fouling out and Jordan added 13 for the Bulls, who overcame a 16-point second-quarter deficit and 31 percent shooting (33-of-108).

Said Chicago coach Phil Jackson: "It's very rare when you take over 100 shots and make less than one-third of them that you win a game. I credit our tenacious defense and Dennis' rebounding with the victory."

David Robinson collected 21 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Tim Duncan added 19 and 22 for the Spurs, who managed just 54 points over the final 46 minutes. San Antonio, which shot 40 percent (34-of-85), had won its first two games.

"I thought it was a hell of a defensive struggle for both sides," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "When you hold another team to 30 percent from the floor, you know you've done a great job, especially when they're the world champions. I give them credit, they found a way to win. That's why they are the best."

Two free throws by Avery Johnson gave the Spurs a 73-70 lead with 16 seconds left in regulation. Jordan and Toni Kukoc missed 3-pointers before Jordan corralled a loose ball on the left wing and drilled the tying 3-pointer as the horn sounded.

Jordan tied it at 79-79 with 22 seconds left in the first overtime, sending Chicago to its first double-overtime game since April 1994 against Boston.

The Spurs had 24 turnovers and were 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

CHICAGO BULLS 87, San Antonio Spurs 83 (2OT)
(Recap)

SAN ANTONIO (83)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Duncan          46  8-14   3-6  6-22  0  4   19
Elliott         43  2-10   0-1   0-2  1  3    4
Robinson        48  8-20   5-6  1-12  6  5   21
Del Negro       24   4-7   0-0   1-4  3  2    8
Johnson         45  5-13   2-2   1-4  5  3   12
M Williams      23   2-6   0-1   1-6  3  6    4
Alexander       13   0-2   0-0   0-1  4  1    0
W Perdue        15   3-5   1-2   2-5  0  2    7
Herrera          7   1-1   0-0   0-0  0  1    2
Jackson         25   1-7   4-5   0-0  1  4    6
Geary            1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Rose           DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         290 34-85 15-23 12-56 23 31   83
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.400, FT-.652. 3-Point Goals:
0-7, .000 (Duncan 0-1, Elliott 0-3, Alexander
0-1, Jackson 0-2). Team rebounds: 14. Blocked
shots: 6 (Robinson 4, Duncan, Johnson).
Turnovers: 24 (Robinson 6, Elliott 5, Duncan 4,
Johnson 3, Alexander 2, Del Negro, Herrera,
Jackson). Steals: 6 (Jackson 2, Del Negro,
Johnson, M Williams, W Perdue).


CHICAGO (87)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Caffey          12   0-1   1-2   1-2  1  4    1
Harper          36   2-9   1-2   2-5  4  3    5
Longley         46  5-12   7-8   4-9  2  6   17
Jordan          48 12-39   4-6  4-13  4  0   29
Brown           18   0-5   0-0   2-2  2  1    0
Rodman          46  1-10   1-4 10-22  1  6    3
Kerr            42  4-12   0-0   1-1  3  2   10
Kleine          10   2-4   1-2   0-1  1  2    5
Kukoc           19  5-13   0-0   2-3  0  1   11
Buechler        13   2-3   0-0   0-2  3  2    6
Burrell        DNP - coach's decision
Wennington     DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         29033-108 15-24 26-60 21 27   87
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.306, FT-.625. 3-Point Goals:
6-17, .353 (Harper 0-3, Jordan 1-4, Kerr 2-5,
Kukoc 1-3, Buechler 2-2). Team rebounds: 13.
Blocked shots: 9 (Longley 6, Jordan 2, Harper).
Turnovers: 14 (Longley 5, Jordan 3, Rodman 2,
Brown, Buechler, Kukoc). Steals: 12 (Jordan 5,
Brown 2, Buechler 2, Harper, Kerr, Rodman).
______________________________________________________
San Antonio        29   16   12   16    6    4  -   83
Chicago            15   20   18   20    6    8  -   87
______________________________________________________
Technical fouls: Chicago 2 (Kukoc, 12:00 4th;
Rodman, 2:14 2nd OT). Flagrant fouls: None.  A:
23,868. T: 2:53. Officials: Hue Hollins, Derrick
Stafford, Scott Wall.