EVENING STAR; JORDAN PULLS BULLS BACK INTO SERIES : CHICAGO 93, UTAH 88.

Byline: Terry Armour Chicago Tribune 

If there was any doubt about the importance of this game, all one had to do was listen to the participants.

There was Michael Jordan, who rarely finds himself in this position in the postseason, talking about the 0-1 hole the Chicago Bulls had to dig themselves out of heading into Game 2 of their NBA Finals series with the Utah Jazz on Friday.

``All the games are must-win,'' Jordan said.

Then there was Utah coach Jerry Sloan, not too comfortable with his team's series-opening victory and knowing the Bulls were still capable of heading back to Chicago with the series tied.

``I don't feel any relief just because we won the first game,'' Sloan said. ``I'm still on pins and needles.''

Those words set up what turned out to be an intense and entertaining 93-88 victory by the Bulls at the Delta Center. The series is even, and it's the Bulls with home-court advantage as they head back to the United Center for the next three games beginning Sunday.

``We have to win four games - it doesn't matter where or when they come,'' Jordan said after leading the Bulls with 37 points. ``We have to win four games to get to a championship and defend what we have.

``People were talking about our age, about playing too many minutes,

whatever. But we're here, we beat some good teams to get here. If that's what it means to be dead, I want to be dead for a while longer.''

The Bulls have done this before. They won four straight after losing the opener of the 1991 Finals to the Lakers.

The Jazz went seven minutes without a basket to start the fourth quarter, its only point coming on a Karl Malone free throw. The Bulls used an 11-1 run to take an 81-74 lead with 5:19 left on a three-point play by Jordan.

They were up 85-79 with 3:09 to go after a Scottie Pippen baseline jumper, but the Jazz didn't go away, scoring seven straight points to grab an 86-85 lead on Jeff Hornacek's 3-pointer with 1:46 left in regulation.

Then came an amazing sequence.

Toni Kukoc stole John Stockton's errant pass and got the ball to Steve Kerr, who missed a pull-up 3-pointer but ran down his own rebound and got the ball to Jordan, who made a layup, was fouled and completed the three-point play to give the Bulls a two-point lead.

Malone missed a jumper on Utah's next possession, and Dennis Rodman grabbed the rebound. Then Kerr was fouled and connected on both free throws, and the Bulls were up 90-86 with less than 20 seconds to go.

Ron Harper virtually guaranteed victory when he stole Bryon Russell's inbound pass to Stockton. Jordan was fouled and split the free throws for a 91-86 lead.

The Jazz isn't a turnover-prone team, but Utah had 20 turnovers, accounting for 33 of the Bulls' points. The Jazz also couldn't survive another bad shooting night from Malone, whose 16 points came on 5-of-16 shooting, just one bucket in the second half.

``They were the aggressors all night,'' Sloan said. ``That is a great defensive team. They're very good, very quick. This is a rhythm team, and they created a rhythm for their offense and kept it for almost the entire game.''

Hornacek had 20 points to lead the Jazz, which got only four second-half points from Malone as he finished with 16 on 5-for-16 shooting. In Game 1 he was 9 for 25, scoring 21 points.

``I don't know if I'm content to be more perimeter oriented, they just did a great job,'' Malone said. ``A lot depends on how I play, and I haven't played well the first two games.

``If I don't play well, we don't win the series. The worst thing for me to do right now is put the whole weight of the team on my shoulders. It's only been two games.''

Malone had four turnovers and John Stockton, Hornacek, Bryon Russell and Howard Eisley had three each.

Both teams shot 50 percent in the first quarter, with Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc combining for all 23 of the Bulls' points. The teams battled through nine lead changes, but it was the Bulls who were up 23-20 when the period ended.

Just as in Game 1, Utah's reserves gave the Jazz a spark to start the second quarter, Shandon Anderson scored its first six points of the period, and when Antoine Carr made a layup with less than 3 minutes gone, Utah had a 28-27 lead.

But Luc Longley sandwiched two baskets around a Scott Burrell 3-pointer and gave the Bulls a 36-30 lead midway through the second period. They were the first Bulls other than Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc to score as bench play remained a sore spot for the visitors.

GAME 2: A CLOSER LOOK

HERO

Dennis Rodman, Chicago

He played tremendous defense on Karl Malone and grabbed nine rebounds in the second half, including five on offense that gave Chicago crucial second chances in the stretch run.

GOAT

Karl Malone, Utah

Malone made just 5 of 16 shots, committed five fouls (which hampered his defense) and was a non-factor in the second half, especially in the final minutes when Utah desperately needed a basket.

QUOTE

``Any time we lose a game, Chicagoans are going to worry. But we have a good feel for where we are now.''

- Michael Jordan, after scoring 37 points

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Color) The Jazz bench, with Jeff Hornacek, Howard Eisley and Adam Keefe, watch the final seconds tick away.

Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press

(2) Michael Jordan goes uncontested for two of his game-high 37 points. The Bulls tied the NBA Finals series at 1-1.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

BOX: GAME 2: A CLOSER LOOK (see text)