INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The Chicago Bulls turned an eagerly awaited marquee series into a mini-series Wednesday night when they downed the Los Angeles Lakers 108-101 to capture their first NBA championship.
John Paxson, one of Michael Jordan's supporting cast, grabbed some of the limelight from the Chicago star by scoring 10 of his 20 points in the final 4 minutes. Scottie Pippen tied a career playoff high with 32 points and Jordan, often portrayed as a one-on-one superstar who couldn't carry his team to the title, added 30 and 10 assists as Chicago capped its 25th anniversary season by winning the best-of-seven series 4 games to 1.NEWLN: more
The Lakers, missing injured starters James Worthy and Byron Scott, turned in an inspired effort behind Magic Johnson, who finished with 20 assists -- one off his Finals record -- 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Jordan was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals. The league's regular-season MVP also became the first since Milwaukee's Kareem Abdul- Jabbar in 1971 to lead the league in scoring and play for the titlist in the same season.
After losing the opener when Jordan missed a jumper in the closing seconds, the Bulls won the final four games. Chicago took the last three at the Forum, becoming only the third club to get three road victories in the championship round.
Again Wednesday night, Jordan's teammates were sensational. Pippen, who like Jordan played all 48 minutes, added 13 rebounds, and Paxson delivered time and again with a lethal jumper down the stretch. He hit 5 of 6 shots in the fourth quarter.
This series was supposed to be a glamorous affair, featuring a duel between Jordan and Johnson. Johnson said he dreamed it would come down to him against Jordan in the final moments of Game 7.
It did not happen.
The Bulls finished the playoffs 15-2 to tie the 1988 Pistons for the second-best winning percentage in postseason history. They surrendered a paltry 91.7 points a game, and only twice did a playoff opponent score more than 100.NEWLN: (more)
