Pippen's last-minute trey saves Bulls

Rodman, who was ejected from Game 1 of Chicago's series against Washington, had seven rebounds and no points in only 22 minutes Tuesday. He wasn't around to comment after the game.

Dennis Rodman is restrained by Luc Longley and Michael Jordan as he exchanges words with referee Joey Crawford.

"Obviously, we were all disappointed with Dennis' ejection," Chicago's Michael Jordan said. "These are important games for us. He knows that we need him to stay in the game."

With 5:57 left in the third period, Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo approached Rodman under the basket and pointed his finger in Rodman's face. Rodman slapped Mutombo's hand and received his second technical of the game, which is an automatic ejection.

"It was nothing that really happened," Mutombo said. "I blocked him from going to the offensive end and he just pushed me.

"When I looked at him to ask him why he pushed me, he tried to come after me and the referee was there to break it up."

On his way to the locker room, Rodman knocked over a rack of basketballs and a garbage container.

"Rodman has been sick," Mutombo said. "I don't think he's crazy anymore. I think he's sick and needs to see a doctor.

Rodman received his first technical just two minutes into the game for pushing Christian Laettner.

"Who knows what was going on? I know he was sitting down in the locker room before the game was over," Laettner said. "He doesn't even enter my mind. He's just a player out there."

"He has to avoid that frustration to the point where it takes away from what the team is trying to accomplish," Jordan said of Rodman. "If he doesn't, it's going to hurt us in the long run.

"Tonight he let us down by getting kicked out. The veteran referees are going to try to control and corral him."