Bull run ends with stunning loss to Hawks

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But after the Bulls' 103-95 loss to the Hawks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semis Thursday night, the Rodman Watch had moved into the red-alert stage.

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

All because Rodman fouled out of Game 2, just two days after being tossed out of Game 1 with 18 minutes to play. The Bulls, playing nowhere near their best ball, still won the series opener, 100-97. But afterward, Michael Jordan used a postgame session with the media to read his wayward teammate the riot act. Why is this news? Because Jordan lashes out at Rodman with a lot less frequency than Rodman screws up.

Jordan knows the score. If Rodman continues to self-destruct, he'll bring down the Bulls. Which is what everyone gave him a better than 50-50 chance of doing in his second season in Chicago.

"It puts us in a rough position," Jordan said. "If he's going to be part of the team, he's got to abort that frustration. He let us down by getting kicked out. You know the veteran referees are going to control him. I knew coming in it was very possible that he could get a technical in the first four minutes."

MJ was late by two minutes. Rodman got his first tech after only 2:00 for pushing Christian Laettner. To warrant his sixth T of the playoffs and first ejection of the post-season, Rodman threw an unprovoked forearm into Dikembe Mutombo, the champion finger-wagger, in the midst of a Bulls' comeback from a 16-point deficit.

The Bulls claimed that Mutombo started it by wagging his finger at Rodman. But the bottom line is that Rodman has to chill out in these playoffs, not get tossed out.

He was back at it in Game 2 on Thursday, getting a technical in the third period for shaking his head at a ref's call.

"Dennis exacerbated the situation, and he's culpable in that situation, and he's the one who has to be able to withstand the urge or the payback mentality," Phil Jackson said. "That was an emotional letdown. The guys were disappointed. We were back on our heels again."

That's getting to be a familiar place for the defending champs. The Bulls have a lot of problems now, despite a 4-1 playoff mark. Toni Kukoc still is trying to find his way back from a tendon injury. In every game, they've been slow out of the gate -- a tendency that finally caught up with them Thursday. Defensive lapses have been compounded by rebounding woes. If not for Jordan and some timely defense down the stretch, they'd be in lots of trouble.

But the saving grace is that it's still early in the playoff season, and their opponents simply aren't good enough to take advantage of the Bulls' struggles.

"We know what it takes to be a champion," said Jackson. "And we're not living up to a standard that we have set."

Rodman isn't living up to his end of the deal. He isn't getting paid $9 million to get thrown out of postseason games. The Bulls need his rebounding and hustle plays if they're going to complete the Drive for Five. Right now, his antics are the No. 1 reason that the Bulls look vulnerable.

Rodman

Rodman always loves to talk about how the young players don't know what it takes to win. He's been killing Shaquille O'Neal about that since he came into the league. This year, he carried on a one-man campaign against Allen Iverson for the same offense.

But while Rodman might be onto something with both of those young stars, there are nights, like in Game 1, where a 36-year old with 132 games of playoff experience and three championship rings doesn't have a clue about winning. How come Rodman never scolds the guy he sees in the mirror?

"If he doesn't start understanding that, he's going to put us in a hole every night," Jordan said. "I hope he sees that. If not, we're going to have to re-state that to him. Because if he doesn't notice that, it's going to hurt us in the long run."

It might even kill 'em. Who's to say Rodman doesn't go off in the conference finals? Or in the Finals? Who's to say he doesn't do something worse than draw two T's in a game? Something that gets him tossed for even a couple of games, perhaps? Don't put it past him.

"Getting kicked out is like part of his game to make the fans happy," suggested Mutombo.

Not that these ejections bother Rodman. Not in the least. How do we know this? In his only statement to the media after Game 1, he didn't show a bit of remorse for doing something so stupid as getting tossed at a time when he could have killed the Bulls' momentum. Maybe even cost them the game.

"Rodman is sick," said Mutombo. "I don't think he's crazy no more. I think he's sick. He needs to see a doctor. He's weird. I don't understand him. Is this the first time you've seen Dennis Rodman get kicked out? It's like the man has a disease in his blood."

The Disease of Me, no doubt. As usual, Rodman wasn't the problem in Rodman's eyes. The NBA is. Isn't it always?

"Did you notice that Darell Garretson was in the stands?" Rodman said, referring to the league's chief of officials. "Enough said."

In other words, they're out to get him. Right. Granted, the league does some funny things with it's officials. For the first Bulls-Bullets playoff game, and Rodman's first game back since March 25 when he went down with a knee injury, the league sent Ted Bernhardt and Steve Javie to work the game.

Welcome back, Dennis, seemed to be the message. Bernhardt is the unfortunate soul who was head-butted by Rodman last season. Javie is known for his quick trigger and run-ins with Dennis The Menace. And that night, Garretson was also in the stands, taking it all in.

"You didn't have to be a genius to figure out that equation," said Jackson.

But instead of picking fights with the striped shirts, Rodman has to keep his emotions under control. The theory going around the Bulls is that he is merely frustrated that his knee is less than 100 percent, and that's the reason why he's taking it out on officials.

I see. His knee is connected to his brain.

Only in Chicago, where the Dennis Rodman Watch is a 24-7 operation.

Mitch Lawrence, who covers the NBA for the New York Daily News, is a regular contributor ESPNET SportsZone.