Bulls-Hawks
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Karl Malone can't help but chuckle when describing his game-saving steal.
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Lenny Wilkens says the refs cost the Hawks by not calling a foul on Michael Jordan along the sideline. (Courtesy: NBA/TNT SPORTS)
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Christian Laettner doesn't think the Hawks got a fair shake from the officials.
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Karl Malone offered a slight admission of guilt.

Nick Van Exel sat dejectedly in the locker room, letting the sign below do the talking for him.

Mookie Blaylock and Lenny Wilkens were livid.

And the Los Angeles Lakers were so upset, they refused to say anything at all.

The discussion of two crucial non-calls in Tuesday night's NBA playoff games dominated the postgame locker rooms in both Chicago and Salt Lake City.

In Utah, where the Jazz took a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Lakers, the talk was about Malone's strip of L.A. guard Nick Van Exel in the final seconds.

With the Jazz holding a 103-101 lead and 2.1 seconds remaining, Van Exel caught an inbounds pass and appeared to be slapped on the arm as Malone knocked the ball away at the buzzer.

No call was made, and the Lakers bench erupted as Van Exel and coach Del Harris argued furiously with the referees as the Jazz claimed a two-point victory.

The Lakers were so incensed, they refused to talk the media after the game. Van Exel hung a note in his locker that read, "Nothing personal, just no (expletive) comment."

In a television interview immediately after the game, Malone admitted, "I might have gotten a little piece of him."

The Mailman seemed to change his tune a bit later when he said, "It was a clean steal, compared to what happened the whole game. It was a clean play."

ZONE POLL

In Chicago, where the Bulls held on for a 100-97 victory over the Hawks in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, the postgame talk was also about a pivotal no-call involving one of the game's superstars.

With 32 seconds remaining, Atlanta's Blaylock stepped on the sideline after taking an inbounds pass and was whistled for a turnover.

Blaylock said he was pushed by Jordan on the inbounds play, and replays did show that there was contact.

"I was clearly pushed out of bounds," Blaylock said. "You call it what you want to. You saw it. Write it the way you saw it. I was fouled.

"They got the call. That's part of basketball. You are going to miss some ... and I think (referee Joey Crawford) missed that one."

Asked if he nudged Blaylock, Jordan smirked and said, "I could have. I'll have to see the tape"

Even normally reserved Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens was talking about the call.

"The call on Mookie out of bounds wasn't a very good one," Wilkens said. "He was clearly bumped by Jordan."

But Blaylock said the game wasn't lost there.

"We should have won, but we didn't," he said. "It was a bad third quarter for us. Their intensity went up and we didn't play well."