Scottie Pippen

I'm thinking of conducting an unusual experiment. I'd go to a new-car showroom, point at a vehicle and say: "How much is that buggy?" The salesman will probably show me the sticker on the side window, and I'll say, "OK, give me your rock-bottom price and we'll have a deal. " Then I'll sign all the papers, shake hands and drive away. I'll drive the car for a few days, then return and tell the salesman: "I don't think I like this car after all. How about if you take it back and give me a complete refund?"

All season, the Chicago Bulls have avoided the discussion on whether they are the NBA's greatest team. Even as the Bulls were setting a league record of 72 regular-season wins, they heard the talk that the NBA is now watered down and that the accomplishments of earlier teams were as great or greater. But now, poised one game from setting another historic benchmark, the Bulls are letting thoughts of their place in history seep slowly to the front of their minds. If the Bulls defeat the Seattle SuperSonics tomorrow, they will have run to their fourth championship with a 15-1 playoff record, giving them the all-time best playoff winning percentage of .938.

The NBA's young guns may or may not be ready to win titles yet, but as the Chicago Bulls found out last night, they don't give up easily, either. It was all that the veteran, ring-collecting Bulls could do last night to hang on for an 85-84 victory over the Charlotte Hornets here at the United Center and win their first-round NBA playoff series, three games to one. Chicago lost all of a 10-point halftime lead in a matter of minutes and needed a fourth-quarter comeback to avoid heading to Charlotte for a fifth game.

It was all supposed to come apart for the Chicago Bulls one year ago. They had won their championship and that was going to reduce their hunger. They were a team still fighting to overcome the perception that Michael Jordan and four busboys could win most NBA games. There was the book, The Jordan Rules, which exposed some of the simmering unhappiness on the team. Yeah, they were in big trouble. Well, after 67 wins and another championship, it's time for the drumbeats to begin again.

The thrill of the Chicago Bulls' resounding victory Saturday was very much alive in this city yesterday, but the New York Knicks remained undaunted. The Bulls were convincing in their 103-83 rout of the Knicks, and they did it with Michael Jordan shooting poorly and still pouting about the publicity he got from a gambling trek to Atlantic City last week. New York leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final two games to one, and it thoroughly handled the two-time defending champions at Madison Square Garden.

So much for passing the torch to the young warriors. The NBA's new generation of sneaker tycoons, backed by the league's neon marketing spaceship, was poised last night to give us all an explosive glimpse of 21st-century hoops. But a funny thing happened on the way to the future. Some veterans showed up to play the 44th annual NBA All-Star Game. John Stockton passed like a Hall of Famer. Patrick Ewing worked the post like one. Dominique Wilkins scored like one. And Hakeem Olajuwon did it all like one. And when it was over, the Eastern Conference stars had a rather timid 127-118 victory, breaking a two-year winning streak by the West.

Scottie Pippen's struggles as a Houston Rockets player spilled off the court when he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. "I was not intoxicated when arrested after the game [early yesterday morning] and I'm confident the evidence will support me in the end," Pippen said in a statement. Teammates supported Pippen during a brief practice before jetting to Los Angeles for a game with the Clippers today. Pippen didn't attend the workout, but is expected to accompany the team.

The question and the hype have dogged the Chicago Bulls all season. Could they become the first team in the NBA to win 70 games? The answer apparently is yes, and it could come tonight in Milwaukee. The Bulls can't wait. The 70-victory mark should be a virtual lock. Chicago already has beaten the Bucks three times this season. And of its other three remaining opponents - Detroit, Indiana and Washington - only the Pacers have beaten the Bulls. In other words, it will happen.

It remains to be seen how Michael Jordan's future with the Chicago Bulls affects teammate Scottie Pippen. But Pippen's agent, Jim Sexton, said Pippen could have a future in Chicago regardless of what Jordan does. Sexton said, contrary to a published report, the Bulls haven't contacted him with an offer to re-sign Pippen to a three-year contract at the maximum salary of $14 million a season. But Sexton said Pippen is interested in returning to the Bulls. "We've had discussions, but it's not that far along," Sexton said yesterday.

The next time the Phoenix Suns set out to squelch Scottie Pippen, they'll be wary of more than his ability to shoot a basketball. Pippen only scored eight points in the last three quarters of last night's game, but was as deadly as cobra venom to the Suns. After Chicago's forward extraordinaire singed Richard Dumas in the first quarter, the Suns threw Danny Ainge at him - with a smidgen of help from Dan Majerle - but Pippen simply passed them silly. Ainge, with the wisdom of a man who has been in many postseason campaigns, shadowed the stringy Bulls star fairly well, but Pippen ended with a sweet triple-double of 15 points, 12 boards and 12 assists, while teammates Michael Jordan and Horace Grant took the bows for their part in the Bulls' 111-108 victory.

Scottie Pippen's 17-year NBA career came to an end yesterday. He made his retirement announcement standing in front of the six championship trophies he helped the Chicago Bulls win. "I got all the basketball out of me I possibly could," the 39-year-old said. His career featured a pair of three-year championship runs - interrupted by Michael Jordan's foray into baseball - and a 72-10 regular season that may never be surpassed. "As I stand here and as I look back, I don't think Michael had any championship trophies without me," he said.

Scottie Pippen, who teamed with Michael Jordan to form a tandem that drove the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s, is expected to retire after 17 seasons, an NBA source said yesterday. The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Pippen is scheduled to make the announcement today on the Bulls' first day of training-camp practice. The team held its media day yesterday and Pippen was not present. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, did not immediately return a call for comment last night.

Scottie Pippen said yesterday he probably will retire following an injury-shortened season in his return to the Chicago Bulls. But Michael Jordan's old sidekick also hedged a bit, as he has all season. "This is probably it for me," Pippen said, the day after the Bulls completed a 23-59 season - the first time in his 17-year career he has missed the playoffs. "I'd rather not make a 100 percent commitment. But I'm quite sure that this is probably my last season. " Pippen was brought back to give a young Bulls team leadership and experience, but he had knee surgery in December and played in only 23 games.

Scottie Pippen says he not only will try to play again this season but also hasn't ruled out playing next season. "Next year I still have an opportunity, so it's not like I'm going out yet," the Chicago small forward said yesterday. "I still have some hope if I rehab, do all that good stuff. " Pippen signed a guaranteed 2-year contract worth $10.3 million last summer but has been limited to 23 games because of sore knees. He recently has told friends he might want to play and collect the $5.4 million he is due next season.

Scottie Pippen probably never had to call his teammates out like this during the Chicago Bulls' dynasty days. Pippen chastised his younger teammates for their lack of effort yesterday, saying it's time the Baby Bulls start taking some pride in themselves, their games and the team. Much has been invested in them, and, so far, they're not showing much in return. "That's where it all comes down to: Have you gotten any better since you were drafted here? Are you showing that you're going to make this franchise better in the near future?

Norm Van Lier remembered Randy Ayers, a third-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio, from the Chicago Bulls' training camp of 1978. "Yeah, he would come in and shoot everything," Van Lier said with a hearty laugh last night prior to the game between the Bulls and the 76ers. "He didn't pass the ball once. " Ayers, now the Sixers' head coach, participated in two training camps with the Bulls, getting cut twice, in 1978 (on the last day of camp) and 1979 by two different head coaches, Larry Costello and Jerry Sloan.

George Karl is out as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, a team in turmoil. The Bucks wouldn't say whether they fired Karl or he resigned, but general manager Larry Harris made it clear yesterday the team didn't want the coach back. "It was pretty clear on both sides that this was the way to go," Harris said. "We felt we needed to get someone in there this year and for years to come. " The move is the latest in a series completely revamping a club that reached the Eastern Conference finals just 2 years ago. The Bucks finished 42-40 this year, losing to conference champion New Jersey in the first round of the playoffs.

Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson wants Scottie Pippen to finish his NBA career where it started. Paxson said yesterday he intends to contact Pippen in the next few days to see whether the former All-Star has any interest in returning to Chicago, where he won six NBA championships. "I think he deserves to end his career here," said Paxson, a teammate to Pippen during their run in the 1990s. "I do think there is a place for him here if he wants to come. " Pippen, 37, is an unrestricted free agent the Bulls covet both as a defensive-minded small forward, and mentor to their crop of talented young players such as Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.

MINNEAPOLIS - Kevin Garnett had 35 points and 20 rebounds last night as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 119-91, to even their first-round series at one game each. Troy Hudson added 37 points for Minnesota, which was eliminated in the first round in the last six seasons. Game 3 is tomorrow night in Los Angeles. A somber Shaquille O'Neal, who spent a day and a half in South Carolina for his grandfather's funeral, showed up about 90 minutes before tip-off and wasn't much of a factor, despite getting 27 points and 14 rebounds.

The Los Angeles Lakers used to have a bitter rivalry with Portland. Now the only intrigue is watching how many points the Lakers can spot the Trail Blazers before coming back to torment them. Robert Horry took a pass from Kobe Bryant and made a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to cap a furious, last-minute comeback, and the Lakers completed their second straight three-game sweep of the Blazers with a 92-91 victory last night. "Did I want the ball? No, I was kind of scared," said Horry, a veteran of four NBA championship teams with Los Angeles and Houston.