Mailman stamps out Bulls

NBA Finals page

SALT LAKE CITY -- At the end of the rainbow, you'll find Dennis Rodman.

Rodman had a new look for Game 3.

About 1½ hours before tip-off, Rodman was on the floor of the Bulls locker room, sprawled out on his equipment bag, watching a tape of Game 2.

He was wearing headphones, which prevented reporters from asking questions of Rodman. But the headphones couldn't hide his new hairdo: Bright, bright red/purple on one side of his head, and a rainbow-like assortment of colors on the other side.

Strangely enough, even though Rodman was there, the most extreme players in the locker room were Brian Williams and Jud Buechler.

Williams, still in his dress clothes, sat in front of his locker and quietly read a book, refusing to answer questions.

At the other extreme was Buechler, who was suited up and ready to play. He passed the time by giving an interview.

Let's get physical

Jordan

"We learned that from Detroit," Foster said, referring to Rodman's "Bad Boys" of the late 1980s.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan elaborated, saying he doesn't condone hurting Jordan.

"One game isn't that important," Sloan said. "Michael Jordan is bigger than one game of basketball."

However, if Jordan has a wide-open look and comes into the lane, Sloan expects his guys to foul and make MJ earn his points.

"That's how I played," Sloan said.

When asked if the game would be more physical, Jordan said, "It could be. But that would be nothing new for me in the playoffs."

Big problems

Foster

"At times it was like 4-on-5," he said.

"If he feels that way, he feels that way," Foster said. "But we're going to come out and play hard tonight."

Sloan specifically targeted starter Greg Ostertag, who scored a combined three points in the first two games.

"We don't have time to red-shirt here," Sloan said, adding that if Ostertag didn't produce, the Jazz would go with somebody else.

Of course, it's tough for Ostertag, Antoine Carr and Foster to produce when Sloan doesn't play them. In the first two games, Ostertag averaged 15.5 minutes, Carr averaged 14.5 and Foster 14.

Feel the noise

Ron Harper walked in and told a locker room attendant he needed four tickets, if any were available.

Harper

At 5:45 a.m., a local radio station hired a marching band to play outside the Bulls' hotel in Park City in an effort to keep the Bulls awake.

"I had a great night's sleep," Harper said when asked about the ploy. "If they're not in my room, laying beside me in bed and hitting me on my head, then they're not going to bother me. I heard nothin'."

A Bulls attendant scoffed and said, "I heard it all."

"That should tell you how tired I was," Harper said.

Star-gazing

Jordan's fellow All-Star, Scottie Pippen, will be wearing a new orthotic in his left shoe as he continues to play through a foot injury.

Pippen wore the orthotic during the shootaround and liked how it felt.