Blaylock a near-lock from long range
Associated Press
"His three-ball is going in like a layup," teammate Eldridge Recasner said Thursday night after Blaylock went 8-for-9 from 3-point range and helped Atlanta stunned the Chicago Bulls 103-95 to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series at 1-1. "It's almost automatic."
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Mookie Blaylock has broke a first-round slump to torch the Bulls for 57 points two games.
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Blaylock's 57 points in the two games are just four fewer than he had in the entire five-game first-round series against Detroit. He's shooting 53 percent against the Bulls after hitting just 33 percent against the Pistons.
"The first series I was doing a lot of rushing and trying to get shots off because they were doing a lot of face-guarding, trying to get ball out of my hands," Blaylock said. "Right now, I'm taking my time and I got a rhythm."
Blaylock is not only getting open against the Bulls, he's making Michael Jordan expend valuable energy on defense.
"I think Michael was a little bit tired," Blaylock said. "He just can't play 48 minutes (actually 44) and stay strong."
Jordan, one of several defenders to chase the quick Blaylock, finished with 27 points on 12-of-29 shooting.
"I have to do my job on the defensive end to control Blaylock, and he's going to make sure I pay attention to him," Jordan said. "Physically, I was a little tired."
Blaylock is effectively using the screens of his teammates to find his shot.
"My man is getting picked and their big guy is not helping so I'm getting a lot of wide-open looks," Blaylock explained.
"The creativity off Blaylock off the screen-roll is what hurt us," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "It was his shooting that kept them motivated in the first half."
Now the Hawks get two home games. Blaylock knows, however, that the Bulls have a large fan base in Atlanta -- largely because Jordan is Southerner who starred at North Carolina.
"It doesn't bother me," he said. "Everybody loves Michael. In fact, my son has a Michael Jordan jersey."
