European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Finals even at blazers rally to overtake bulls 93-88 by Bill Barnard Portland Ore. A the Portland Trail blazers spent most of the game chasing Chicago. When they finally caught up not even Michael Jordan could reverse the tide and keep the bulls in control of the Aba finals. Jerome Kersey broke out of a slump and joined Clyde Drexler with 21 Points wednesday night As the blazers beat Chicago 93-88 to even the bust of seven championship series 2-2. Kersey whose flagrant foul against Scott Williams in the fourth Quarter could have been costly shot 40.6 percent from the Field in the first three games before coming through with 8-for-12 shooting in game 4. He scored 10 Points in the Pivotal fourth Quarter. That was his average for the first three games. A i came out trying to be More aggressive a Kersey said. �?o1 think the flagrant foul did get us fired up. I Don t think it was a flagrant foul but it did get us  Kersey attributed his improved shooting to extra jump shots after practice. A i got my Confidence Back i Wasny to hesitating to shoot a he said. Jordan scored 32 Points but none in the final 10 minutes As he missed his last four shots. The bulls were outscored 2719 in the fourth Quarter committing five turnovers to none for Portland and managed Only 3 Points after John Paxson s 3-Pointcr tied the score 85-85 with 2 35 left. A they played solid defense on us Down the stretch Jordan said. A we played a Good 42 minutes but the last 6 minutes we did t execute. We did t do it As a team Down the  Quot Clyde did a great Job staying in front of Michael and bothering his shot a Portland coach Rick Adlman said. The Trail blazers overcoming a combined 17-2 deficit in the opening minutes of each half improved their playoff record to 9-1 at Home this year. Wednesday nights Victory also snapped a four season nine game Home losing Streak in the finals by the Western conference Champion the Streak included four consecutive losses by the Trail blazers at Portland three against Detroit in the 1990 championship series and one against Chicago. Previously the Western conference Hadnot won a finals Home game since the los Angeles lakers captured game 7 against Detroit in 1988. Quot we had Confidence that we could win Here a said Drexler whose Layup Over Jordan with 3 35 left after slapping the Ball away from the bulls superstar gave Portland its first Lead. Quot there a a sense of Relief but we re looking Forward to fridays  Adlman called Drexl cry a steal from Jordan Quot probably the key play of the  one More Victory at Portland on Fri the stars and stripes june 12,1992 Page 28 Day night would give the Trail blazers a 3-2 Lead in the series which moves Back to Chicago stadium for game 6 sunday night. But the task probably wont be easy for the blazers even at Home. While the defending Champion bulls Are 13-7 in this years playoffs they have yet to lose consecutive games and won both of their previous game 5s. The bulls have lost All three of their game 4s in the playoffs on the Road. Quot we had the game in hand and let it slip away a Bull coach Phil Jackson said. A we led the whole game but did t execute Down the stretch. And Portland  after Paxson a 3-Pointer tied the score with 2 35 remaining Jordan missed on two consecutive possessions and the blazers took control with two free throws each by Cliff Robinson Terry Porter and Drexler in a Span of 1 06, giving Portland a 91-85 Lead with 1 16 remaining. Robinson came off a poor performance in game 3 to score 17 Points and Porter had 14. Scottie pippin finished with 17 for the bulls but he and Jordan had no other teammates in double figures. The blazers fell behind 10-0 in the first 3 08 of the game and spent the entire first half trying to catch up twice pulling within one before Chicago took a 48-45 halftime Edge. Portland started the second half almost As poorly missing nine of 10 shots and falling behind 55-47 in the first four minutes. Again the blazers rallied closing to 65-62 on Kersey a free throw with 2 25 left in the third Quarter. Drexl cry a Only two Points of the period made it 67-64 before Craig Hodges making his first appearance of the series hit from just inside the 3-Point line. Robinson coming off a 2-for-ll performance in game 3, finished the third Quarter with a Layup leaving Chicago with a 69-66 Edge. The margin was 77-74 with 7 43 remaining when Williams was fouled while shooting by Robinson and was hit again bulls Forward Scottie pippin grabs a rebound from Kevin Duckworth of the blazers. By Kersey who was called for a flagrant foul. Williams made All three free throws for a 6-Point Lead but Jordan missed a 3-Pointcr that would have made it a 6-Point Possession. Two baskets by Kersey helped close the blazers to 82-81 before Drexler slapped the Ball away from Jordan and took a return pass from Porter for a Layup giving Portland its first Lead of the game with 3 35 left. Jordan scored 7 of the bulls first 10 Points including his first 3-Pointer since making six in the series opener. The Trail blazers missed their first five shots and nine of their first 13, and turned the Ball Over six times in the first nine minutes. Trailing 22-9, Portland energized the restless Home crowd with a jumper by Robinson his Dunk after a steal and sprawling save of the Ball by Danny Ainge and Buck Williams rebound Basket. Jordan a breakaway Dunk with 11 seconds left giving him 11 Points in the Quarter put Chicago ahead 26-18 at the end of the  reaches no. 200 in a hurry Milwaukee a Mark Mcgwire has reached 200 homers faster than All but four players in major league history. The four Are All in the Hall of fume. A a in a in pretty Good company a Mcgwire said wednesday after hitting his major league leading 22nd Home run to help the Oakland athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2. A having your name associated with them is an Honor. To be fifth quickest to get to it yeah in a pretty  Mcgwire whose Homer came in his 2,852nd career at Bat got to 200 faster than everyone except Ralph Kiner 2,537sue Page 26 for More baseball at Bat babe Ruth 2,580hannon Killebrew 2,584 and Eddie Mathews 2,811. Can he go for 500? he a just in his sixth full season. �?o1 done to think 1 can play this game Long enough like those Guys did. Those Are a lot of years a Mcgwire said. A i can t Tell How Long ill be around. Ill just keep playing As Long As its  Mcgwire a Homer allowed him to match his entire total of last season his worst in the majors when he batted Only .201. A a in a pretty tired about people bringing up last year especially so far into the season. Its a new year that Sall it is a he said. Harold Baines also homered in support of Ron Darling 6-3who limited Milwaukee to seven hits in seven innings to win for the fifth time in his last six decisions. Gene Nelson and Dennis Eckersley worked one inning apiece in Relief with Eckersley earning his 22nd save in As Many opportunities. Mcgwire a two run Homer to left in the second off Chris Bosio 4-4 followed an error by Brewers shortstop Pat Listach on Baines  sport army of soccer titles on line a Page 22mlnor-league standings scores a Page 23barkley sees Mellower sir Charles a Page 25ziegler reportedly quits As hockey chief a Page 27