Jordan Takes It Out on Heat

MIAMI — Pat Riley, the Great Motivator, fired up the wrong team’s superstar Saturday.

That left his overmatched Miami Heat to feel the full fury of Michael Jordan, who woke up the lethargic Bulls and led them to a devastating 98-74 rout and a 3-0 lead in the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals.

Jordan, bristling at Riley’s claim the referees were protecting him, said he’d like to lay 100 points on Riley. He scored a mere 34, making 14 of 25 shots and getting eight rebounds.

The Heat, which couldn’t beat the Bulls with Jordan going four for 15 in Game 2 and writing himself off with the immortal characterization--”doo doo”--had no chance against Real Mike, collapsing with such a crash Riley flayed his players further afterward.

“I’ve been in a lot of games,” Riley said, “but I think this is probably the bottom for this team this year as far as being totally embarrassed. . . .

“It was a great performance by their team. I know there are gonna be games in the playoffs and during the regular season where you take your hit, but today was about as low as it could get.”

He hopes.

The Heat has at least one chance Monday to embarrass itself further, but here’s how bad Saturday was:

* Miami turned the ball over 32 times.

* Leading scorer Tim Hardaway went two for nine from the floor. No. 2 scorer Alonzo Mourning went one for four. Randy Brown, a humble Bull reserve, made more shots (four) than both of them together.

* Miami matched the playoff record for fewest field goals in a game with 21.

* The Heat, held to 68 points in Game 2, had quarter totals of 15, 19, and 15 before finally getting over the elusive 20-point barrier in the fourth quarter, which was all garbage time, when it managed 25 against the Bulls’ scrubs.

In one third-quarter spurt, the Bulls forced turnovers on four consecutive Heat possessions and scored after all four, treating the Miami players like high school JVs. Late in the period, Jordan knocked Voshon Lenard down and then helped him up, suggesting even Mike, the league leader in killer instinct, felt bad for the Heat.

The Heat averaged 72.5 points and shot 37% in the first two games of the series, and if Riley ever needed to find an edge, it was now.

Typically, he thought of something.

He said the referees were taking care of Jordan, which he called “the injustice of what comes with championship teams.”

Of course, Riles didn’t think it was so unjust when he was coaching championship teams and opponents complained Magic Johnson got so many favorable whistles, they might as well just let him call his own fouls.

Riley said he was going to send a tape of the Heat’s fouls against Jordan to the league. He repeated everything for NBC.

Jordan, who has turned milder observations into challenges to his manhood, took this as expected.

“Riley doesn’t play, does he?” Jordan asked, entering the arena.

“I wish he would have played me in his early days. I probably would have scored 100 points against him--if he got off the bench.”

Jordan had been struggling with his jumper, although no one quite struggles like Mike. Starting Saturday’s game, he led all the remaining scorers in the playoffs and also led the Bulls in rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots.

He struggled Saturday but only briefly.

His first shot, an 18-footer, missed. His second, a 12-footer, was an airball.

Then he put a spin move on Hardaway on the baseline, got to the hoop and dunked. Jordan made a 15-footer the next time down and after that, it was the whole repertoire, high-arching runners in the lane, severe fadeaways, etc., even a three-point basket after having gone three for 28 in the playoffs.

“Our names have been changed back to our original names,” said a beaming Jordan, appearing with Scottie Pippen (21 points) at the postgame press conference, an allusion to Game 2, when he gave Scottie an even worse name than “doo doo.”

So much for merriment.

It was a long day for the Heat, outgunned and forced to suffer Dennis Rodman too. Once Dan Majerle went after Rodman and both got technical fouls. Once, Rodman flagrantly fouled John Crotty, who threw the ball at him.

“Don’t give him that kind of credit,” Riley said later, wincing. “He’s just being who he is. I think if anybody is getting in our heads, the positions are two [Jordan] and three [Pippen.]”

Summing up the day perfectly, Mourning was fouled in the fourth quarter while shooting a layup and missed, then, in disgust, shot another layup after the whistle.

He missed that one too.

Mourning later announced flatly Miami will win Monday. Unfortunately for Mourning and his teammates, no fights broke out and no Bulls were suspended, so this time, they’re on their own.