RICHFIELD, Ohio -- The scoreboard and the scoresheet showed the Chicago Bulls were in trouble Friday night when Michael Jordan came back into the game with only 13 points and Chicago trailing by 7 with 9:31 left.
Jordan dominated the rest of the way, however, scoring 16 of his 29 points in the fourth period and 11 of Chicago's final 16 points to lead the Bulls to a 99-94 victory over Cleveland and back into the NBA finals.
The defending champion Bulls eliminated the Cavaliers in six games in the Eastern finals and meet Portland in the best-of-seven finals beginning Wednesday night in Chicago.
'If I am out of rhythm, I have problems, but I found it in the fourth period,' said Jordan, who was 5-for-20 when Cleveland had its 79-72 lead after scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter.
'I wanted to win so bad, I didn't want to think about going back to Chicago.'
Bulls Coach Phil Jackson feared a return home for Game 7 was inevitable until Jordan heated up.
'Anytime your leading scorer is having trouble putting the ball in the hoop you want something else to happen,' Jackson said. 'We gave him (Jordan) some rest and he made some big plays for us in the fourth quarter.'
Scottie Pippen added 12 fourth-quarter points to match Jordan with 29 for the game.
'We gave ourselves many chances, but we didn't hit any shots in the stretch,' Cleveland Coach Lenny Wilkens said. 'We got in a hurry and turned the ball over a couple of times.
'Chicago's a great team. They played very well and they made the big shots down the stretch. They won the game but we'll be back.'
The score was close the entire game. Neither team led by more than seven, and the score was tied 45-45 at halftime and 72-72 after three quarters.
Cleveland appeared ready to take control and force a seventh game by scoring the first seven points of the final period while Jordan was on the bench.
But Jordan returned and promptly ended the Cavaliers run with only his sixth basket of the night. Jordan dominated the rest of the contest, converting a three-point play with 6:05 to go that drew the Bulls within two points and finally reaching the 20-point mark two minutes later to again draw Chicago within two.
John Paxson tied the score at 87-87 with a jumper before Cleveland took its last lead of the game at 90-87 on a three-point play by Brad Daugherty. Jordan then hit a layup and Pippen put the Bulls in front, 91-90, with a basket.
Two more free throws by Jordan extended Chicago's lead to three, but Cleveland's Mark Price tied it again with a three-point shot with 52 seconds left.
It was one of only two baskets for Cleveland in nine trips down the floor, however, and when Jordan drove for a layup and was fouled with 37 seconds left, the Cavaliers' season began to run out.
After Jordan's three-point play, Price missed at the other end and Pippen made one of two free throws to put Chicago in front, 97-93. Jordan finished off the scoring.
Horance Grant chipped in 20 points for Chicago, Jordan grabbled eight rebounds and had eight assists and Pippen pulled down 12 rebounds.
Larry Nance had 25 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers, and Daugherty scored 18 points with 13 rebounds despite a dislocated finger on his shooting hand.
