He loses ball Buy Nike Air Max Shoes Online to set up Magic's winning basket

He loses ball to set up Magic's winning basket

ORLANDO, Fla. - Even Superman gets the blues.

They were supposed to have a duel of the titans but one titan didn't show. In a surprise, it wasn't the kid, Shaquille O'Neal, but the living legend, Michael Jordan, who missed 14 of 22 shots and turned the ball over eight times, including the piece de resistance when he let Nick Anderson steal it from him with a one-point lead and the clock running out.

Anderson tipped the ball to Penny Hardaway, who passed it to Horace Grant, who dunked with 6.2 seconds left, putting the Magic ahead to stay in a 94-91 victory over the Bulls in Sunday's opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

"I feel personally responsible," Jordan said. "It's happened before Buy Nike Air Max Shoes Online. It's been a while."

Grinning, he added: "I was personally responsible for a lot of baseball losses but that doesn't count."

Suggesting the dimensions of his despair, Jordan said he has abandoned plans to play golf on the two off days in this land of 1,000 courses before Wednesday's Game 2. He must be very unhappy, indeed.

For the Bulls, who had stolen the home-court advantage in the opener of their first-round series at Charlotte, this game had "Take Me" written all over it.

They had an extra day of rest while the Celtics were putting the Magic through a wringer. The Magic players were so spent, Coach Brian Hill didn't hold a full practice Saturday, settling for a one-hour walk-through.

It was close down the stretch, which is supposed to belong to Jordan and certainly not to a bunch of youngsters who stumbled around so badly against the Celtics, the Orlando Sentinel described one fourth quarter, in a headline, as a "CHOKE CLASSIC."

With 18 seconds left, the Bulls got the ball, leading, 91-90, and gave it to Jordan to dribble upcourt and keep until the Magic had to foul him.

Jordan, an accomplished ball handler, brought it up, shielding it from Anderson, who lunged at it. Anderson, now behind Jordan, then caught up with him and tipped the ball away.

Of course, Jordan knew he was back there. Anderson was as surprised as anyone else when Jordan exposed the ball and let him get a hand on it.

"I was," Anderson said. "He put it right in front of me."

Jordan said: "I knew he was behind me but I didn't know which way. Then I was aware they were trying to foul me Buy Kobe 9 Online. I looked back over my right shoulder, and he came from the other side."

Anderson, a Chicago native, and Jordan are friends. Anderson wears Air Jordans and dreams of becoming a star too.

"I have my work cut out and I know it," Anderson said. "I'm going against a living legend. It's just another opportunity for Nick Anderson. Everybody talks about Jordan. I know about Jordan. . . . I shouldn't be scared of another man."

For good measure, Jordan threw away a last chance to pull this game out. The Bulls gave him the ball back, but with a good look at an 18-foot jumper, he went up, then tried to pass to Pippen on the baseline. Pippen, thinking Jordan would shoot, was going to the board and tipped the pass out of bounds with 1.5 seconds to play.

NBC broadcasters made a big thing out of Jordan's wrist band--he's been wearing it for years--and the right pinkie finger he jammed in the Hornet series, but Bull Coach Phil Jackson put the game in Jordan's hands knowing about them. Jordan pooh-poohed them Cheap Sale Kobe Shoe.

"I take the blame, just as I would take the credit," Jordan said. ". . . It's not a great feeling to know you could have changed the outcome of the game by taking care of the ball and making some free throws."