European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes thursday april 23, 1992 Page 26 n b n p i a y o f f s sizing pm up for 1st round by Bill Barnard a basketball writer the first round of the Aba playoffs could feature another Indiana Boston War Utah and new York battling emotional wounds and Miami trying to overcome a 29-Gamc regular season deficit. The los Angeles lakers Are making their 16th consecutive playoff appearance in an unfamiliar underdog role after beating the Odds to get a berth on the final Day of the season. The Crosstown clippers will play their first postseason games in 16 years. The pairings in the Best-of-5 series and predicted finish in each conference with seedlings in parentheses Eastern conference Miami 8 at Chicago 1 a the bulls Are 14-0 against the heat in the four years since Miami joined the Aba and there a Little reason to expect the first Victory to come now. Glen Rice made giant strides toward All Star status in bringing the heat to their first playoff appearance but the bulls have two olympians in Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Chicago won 67 games Miami 38. Bulls in 3 games. Indiana 7 at Boston 2 a even without Larry Bird the celtics won their last eight games to take the second seed As the Atlantic division leaders. Bird loves to play against his Home states team and hell be there if his aching Back will let him. Birds presence also fires up the pacers Chuck person who was outstanding in Indiana a 3-2 first round loss to Boston last season. Detlef Schrempf still the sixth Man emerged As the teams Best All around player As the pacers came Back from a terrible Start to make the playoffs again. The celtics Are playing Well but Schrempf person and Reggie Miller will make it close again. Celtics in 5. New Jersey 6 at Cleveland 3 a the Cavaliers despite the a bad a second Best record had to Settle for a no. 3 seed because they play in the same division As the bulls. Cleveland is battling nagging injuries to key players Brad Daugherty and Mark Price plus a More serious knee injury to guard Craig Ehlo. But the cars Are too solid for the volatile nets who seem too interested in coach Bill Fitch a substitution decisions. Like Michigan in the College ranks new Jersey has the Talent already on hand to go further in the playoffs but they could learn some maturity from the wolverines freshmen. Cavaliers in 4. Detroit 5 at new York 4 a kicks coach Pat Riley swears there will be no psychological scars from blowing the no. 2 seed to Boston. But there Are other a \ Hamit Ion shut Eastern conference first round Best of 5 1 Chicago semifinals Best of 7 8 Miami 4 new york5 Detroit 2 Boston 7 Indiana 3 Cleveland 6 new Jersey final Bestol 7 Western conference final Besl of 7 semifinals Best of 7 first round Best of 5 Quot Portland 1 la. Lakers b Phoenix 4 san Antonio 5 Utah 2 finals 7 . Clippers 7 Golden St. 3 Seattle 6 wounds to new Yorkus psyche that arc closer to this series a like the 61 Points the kicks scored against the pistons less than two weeks ago. The Home court advantage will work in the a Nicks favor if they Start Well but the edgy new York fans will remember the five game Lead with eight to play if things Start going poorly. Detroit also has walked a psychological Tightrope lately following a 1-6 stretch with a six game winning Streak. The proud pistons should be Able to keep it together until its time to face the bulls. Pistons in 4. Western conference los Angeles lakers 8 at Portland 1 these lakers Arentt very similar to the franchises 15 other playoff teams in the last 16 years. There a no magic Johnson Kareem Abdul Jabbar James worthy and Sam Perkins to intimidate the opposition. Houston blew this playoff berth More than the lakers won it. In this series Clyde Drexler Terry Porter Buck Williams and Jerome Kersey Arentt Likely to follow the rockets Lead. If Trail blazers Center Kevin Duckworth continues his recent resurgence Portland will be More dangerous than Ever. Blazers in 3. Los Angeles clippers 7 at Utah 2 a the jazz Are the Western conferences answer to the kicks when it comes to carrying emotional baggage. They won the Midwest by eight games so their ability to win the close ones is still in question after last Day division losses the previous two years and first round playoff defeats in 1989 and 1990. The clippers who have played far better than seventh seed level since Larry Brown took Over As coach could prove to be a rough first round test for the jazz. The determination of olympians Karl Malone and John Stockton and Utah a outstanding record at Home should carry the jazz Over Danny Manning and Ron Harper. Jazz in 5. Seattle 6 at Golden state 3 a the sonics Are another team that improved after a mid season coaching change from . Jones to George Karl. Seattle certainly has the potential to give the rebound deficient warriors trouble inside with Benoit Benjamin and Shawn Kemp. In Ricky Pierce and Eddie Johnson the sonics also have the scorers to match Chris Mullin Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis but with a few Days to prepare and a whole series to adjust coach Don Nelson should find a Way to win. Warriors in 5. San Antonio 5 at Phoenix 4 a of course this is a More interesting series if David Robinsons playing for the spurs. Tom Chambers is hobbled for the suns and several other Phoenix players Are fighting nagging injuries but nothing approaches the loss of Robinson to san Antonio which went 5-9 Down the stretch without him. Even with Robinson the suns would be Tough for the spurs to beat at Phoenix so san Antonio needed the Home court advantage. The suns should be Able to Wear Down the slower spurs. Suns in 4.Here come the bulls a at High tide Chicago a Here in the Venice of the West where people now paddle through the hallways of their offices the Aba playoffs come just in time. It May take some minds off the flooding of the Loop area from the Waters of the Chicago River what could come first a second bulls championship or a dry Wacker drive while the . Army corps of engineers and assorted other agencies attempt to Battle the flood disaster now in its second week and radio reports inform where to find mass transportation shuttles to avoid the saturated streets and Sodden subways the bulls High and dry and Happy about it began preparation on tuesday to defend their title. In North suburban Deerfield they held their first practice of the real season a that is the playoffs a since they concluded their six month warm up period known As the regular season with a Victory Over the Detroit pistons sunday. It gave the bulls a 67-15 record for the season the fourth Best in National basketball association history. It was very Nice most agree but it Means nothing. Well not nothing but not a great Deal either since a new Day will Dawn Friday night when they Host the Miami heat in the first round of what they anticipate will be a total of four rounds ending As it did last season in the Aba finals a now reality sets in a said the lengthy coach Phil Jackson. A in a Large sense a said Bill Cartwright the Center a it All just comes Down to the so they arrived at the multiplex a workout Emporium for the locals that houses a Small gymnasium and commentary a Berkow they came nearly As was written at the time of another noted flood a a two of every sort a when a fall the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven it happens that it has also been raining Here Here came a pair of Large Pivot men Cartwright and will Perdue and a pair of Small guards John Paxson and . Armstrong and a pair of Lithe forwards Horace Grant and Scotty Pippen and a wait a minute whereas the other Guy whereas Michael Jordan the bulls know that they must have Michael if they Are to set sail with Confidence. And we recall on sunday after the game Jordan was in terrible pain having suffered from lower Back spasms. He had injured himself in the first Quarter but insisted on playing the full game wearing a Back Brace and wound up scoring 32 Points. Immediately questions were asked How is this and was Jordan Foolhardy in playing with the pain and some recalled Jordan a hefty ego a an item not uncommon among megastar a and others recalled his history of injury. It seems that As Hurt As he sometimes is he comes Back As if having taken a Miracle drug. Bulls watchers remember for example a game in Portland in novem Ber when his Back Hurt so badly he take off his game Jersey and boarded the plane still wearing it. The next night against Sacramento he scored 30 Points. A a where a Michael is Michael Here a someone now asked at the multiplex. From the Back door at that moment came in Michael. Alone. Which probably would have been the Case had he climbed aboard the old Ark because there has never been another quite like him. He wore a to shirt floppy khakis a baseball Cap and a familiar smile. And he walked a Little stiffly but easily. He did no to practice but Hung out in the trainers room. Health report Good. Even with Jordan at full strength said Jerry Krause the bulls general manager a we Arentt going to have an easy Road. We re not going 15 and 2 like we did last season. Too Many Tough teams out there. Miami is Young and Loose and talented. After that there a Detroit or new York and then maybe Boston or Cleveland. And that a just to get to the and Phil Jackson recalls the 1973 kicks who beat the celtics in the playoffs after the celtics had won 68 games during the regular season. A yes Quot said Jackson a a in be alluded to such things with my despite such reality checks the bulls remain the Best team in basketball and their record during the Warmup season just underscored that. Still accidents do happen. And Chicago has had its share. Ask the people downtown who Are now investing in periscopes. But that involved the Chicago River. The Jordan has proved More dependable. The new York time
