[Comey]

1988-89 NBA Playoffs: Conference Semifinals
Chicago Bulls (61-21) vs New York Knicks (50-32)
Season Series: Knicks 3-2

This is easily the Bulls’ toughest playoffs so far. Even with Indiana being hurt and caving, the Knicks can beat you in a variety of ways. Naturally, it starts at power forward, where David Brenneman averaged 23.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. He was a nightmare for Josh throughout the season. There’s no reason why anyone should expect any different now.

It continues with their wings, where rookie guard Gervais Caudron (19.5 pprg, 4.1 rpg, 2.9 apg) took the league by great surprise, while SF Joshua Shriver, in his second season, relegated Joshua Morris to a sideshow on the sideline. He averaged 14.8 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Point guard Robert Withrow averaged 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.

The Knicks play great defense, and they are efficient on offense. The combination of the two may lead to the Bulls’ demise. Remember, the Knicks won two at Chicago Stadium. They are young and innocent enough to believe they can do it three or four times.

Prediction: Honestly? I think they will.
PICK: Knicks in 6

Game 1: Maybe the Knicks realized this isn’t the regular season, and Jack wasn’t going to let them come into his house and take his chance at a title. His 32-12-14 with four steals led Chicago to a 109-98 blitzing of the Knicks at Chicago Stadium. Josh added 23, and Josh Whitman posted 19 and six assists, as Chicago looked rested, together, and ready. The Knicks only forced eight turnovers. What the Bulls can’t like is getting outrebounded (41-37) and the 51% they allowed the Knicks to shoot. David Brenneman, as expected, led the way with 25-7-4. Center Randall Karr added 18 and 9 rebounds, but five costly turnovers. Caudron had 16-6-6, while Joshua Morris had 13-6-7 (4-10 FG) off the bench. Joshua Shriver scored 12 on 5-9 shooting.
Bulls Lead 1-0

Game 2: The Knicks got the Bulls to play their kind of game, one that is lower scoring. Only Jack and Josh were contributors on offense. The issue for the Knicks, though, were two-fold:

1) Jack and Josh combined for 57.
2) The Knicks only scored 16 in the final quarter.

The combination of those two led to a 99-93 Bulls win, and a 2-0 lead. Jack had 37-12-11, with six blocks, while Josh added 20-9-4. Jack played turnover-free ball. Eddie Shank added 12 from the bench, while Josh Whitman, while scoring only four points, had nine assists. Brenneman had 19-8-5 to lead the Knicks, who put six in double-figures. Caudron had 16, while Karr, Shriver, and Robert Withrow had 14 each. Withrow added seven boards and seven assists. Still, it was not enough.
Bulls Lead 2-0

Around the league, Utah and San Antonio have raced out to 2-0 leads. Detroit and New Jersey are tied at one game apiece.

Game 3: Jack had, quite possibly, his weirdest game as a professional. He scored a career-low seven points. He took only nine shots, making just three. It was a chippy game, and Jack was out for a good portion of it with an injury. However, he returned, and his teammates had his back. Josh led the way with 31, Jack still fashioned 13 assists, and the Bulls beat back the Knicks in a come-from-behind, 105-96 win. It appeared the Knicks would gain control, but Jack returned and led an efficient, determined Bulls’ offense. Gregory Escalera scored 16 and added five boards, while Gayle Cruz scored 14. Sheldon Maurer and Bye Felicien combined for 23. David Brennman scored 26 with 11 boards and three blocks to pace the Knicks. Robert Withrow had 21-7-7…but TEN turnovers proved costly. Overall, the Knicks had 25; Joshua Shriver contributed seven of them. The Bulls had just 13.
Bulls Lead 3-0

Elsewhere: Utah took a 3-0 lead with a 98-88 win at Dallas. The Evil Harris Connors posted 26-12-8 with four blocks; Utah eliminated Dallas from the playoffs last year. Portland got back into their series with a 95-69 demolishing of the Spurs in Rose City. Kevin Yip, a fourth-year guard out of Kansas State, went 8-12 from the field, 5-6 from 3, to net a career-high 27 points. And Detroit ran roughshod over New Jersey in Newark, 102-82. Thomas Henderson had 29-7-5, and Stevie Michaelson 20, to offset just 15 points from scoring champ Brian Crawford. Detroit leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: The Knicks were able to stave off elimination and completely frustrate Jack. He earned his second ejection on technicals of the season, and scored just TWO POINTS in nine minutes. Up until that point, the Bulls were ahead. But they were hammered, 51-31, in the second half, to get crushed, 89-72. Brenneman and Shriver each scored 22, Shriver with 11 rebounds, as the Knicks gained an important win…and perhaps a psychological one, as they really got to Jack.
Bulls Lead 3-1

Elsewhere, Dallas beat Utah, 119-110, to prevent their own ejection from the postseason. Carl Caro had 30 points on 15-18 shooting, with nine boards, three steals, and no turnovers. How is he only a +1? Clemente Ellis scored 32, with 9 boards, four assists, and four blocks. San Antonio pushed Portland to the brink with a 82-81 victory. King Harvey (sigh) scored 18 with 13 boards, to pace the Spurs. Chris Henderson contributed 11 off the bench, while Clarence Cassady did Clarence Cassady things; he had 9-11-6. And Detroit, behind 41 from Brian Crawford and 16 assists by Michael Drake, pushed New Jersey to the edge with a 132-118 win. John Jennings scored 34 for New Jersey, but it was all for naught.



Game 5: Jack had enough nonsense, and he had a Keanu Reeves Matrix moment. He stopped Joshua Shriver cold (4-8 shooting, five fouls), didn’t commit a foul himself, and erupted for 37-10-12-6-2, as the Bulls eliminated the Knicks, 113-100. The game was tied going into the fourth, but Jack took over, scoring 18 in the final stanza. Josh added 23-10-7 (and six turnovers and five fouls), while Escalera scored 17 with nine boards. Brenneman (28-10-5) and Caudron (24-5-6) drove the Knicks, who will absolutely be back. This may very well be the team that rivals Chicago…should Jack stay.
Bulls Win Series, 4-1

Elsewhere: Utah closed out Dallas, 105-83, behind 31 from the Evil Harris Connors. Portland got a magical 103-98 win in San Antonio to give themselves a puncher’s chance. San Antonio still leads, 3-2. Robert Ritz had 27-12-5, and Saul Jones 11 points and 12 assists, to get the win. New Jersey, down to their final shot, hit it to force Game 6 with Detroit. Hugh Turnage hit a buzzer-beating three, off a John Jennings pass, to stun the Pistons, 117-116. Turnage scored 31, Luke Black had 27 and 10 boards, and Jennings 19-8-7 with four steals, as the Nets proved how capable they are. This was the final act to a historic night, as Brian Crawford scored 61 points, a playoff record. He became the first to score 60 since Andrew Edmiston did in 1985, and only the fifth player to do so (Jackie Davis of Atlanta did twice). The record for points in a game is held by Davis and John Roseman, who both hit 62. Crawford had a 59-point game back in 1987. The Evil Harris Connors scored 58 back on December 30th. I have to start paying attention to this stuff more.

Game 6: Portland and New Jersey both forced Game 7. Portland got 36 and eight boards from Robert Ritz, as they beat San Antonio, 103-98. Frank Padgett added 17-7-10. Marco Fortier had 21-13-6 for the Spurs, while King Harvey (sigh) scored 20 and had 13 boards. And while Brian Crawford is going off (44 points), New Jersey is winning with some balance. Luke Black led the Nets with 31, Allen Moffatt added 28, and John Jennings 23-9-9, as the Nets turned back the Pistons, 117-112. Crawford needed 32 shots to get his 44. Thomas Henderson had a 24-10-9 effort.

Game 7: Wow. Both San Antonio and Detroit, up 3-1 in their series, found defeat. Portland built a huge lead, then held on to finish off the Spurs, 111-106. Robert Ritz scored 21, Eddie Avina had 21-12-3, and Frank Padgett 19-15-6, as the Trailblazers are back in the Western Conference final for the first time since they ran to the NBA Championship Series two years ago. King Harvey (sigh) led all scorers with 33, while Jordan Maus registered 29 points and 11 boards. In Detroit, Brian Crawford went cold, shooting 8-21 for 20 points. Luke Black, meanwhile put up 32-11-2-2-4, and John Jennings added 16-8-7, as the Nets returned to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight seaosn. Stevie Michaelson led Detroit with 34-7-5. In the end, they didn’t have enough basketballs to go around.

1988-89 Conference Finals

1) Chicago vs 7) New Jersey
1) Utah vs 7) Portland