O'Neal (27 points, 13 rebounds) and Dennis Scott (21 points and four 3-pointers) comprised the rest of Magic's Big Three tonight. Anfernee Hardaway added 21 points and 6 assists but scored only 2 points in the second half.

Scottie Pippen led the Bulls with 26 points, and Jordan finished with 24.

While the Magic headed for home, the Bulls took inventory. Pippen sounded as if he thought he would be traded in the off season. Jordan said he planned to come back but insisted that having Pippen on the team was one of the larger motivations behind that decision.

"If I could say right now, I'd say I won't be back," Pippen said. "I want to stay, but I don't know."

Jordan said: "I'm not giving any ultimatums, but I'd like to see him back. It's important to me."

The Bulls appeared in control with 6:27 left after Jordan intercepted a pass by Horace Grant to Hardaway on the right wing. He galloped ahead of the field and nearly struck a pose above the rim as he scored.

B. J. Armstrong's 3-pointer from the right baseline with 3:27 remaining further incited the crowd and capped an 11-3 run that forged the Bulls ahead by 102-94.

Sometime before the reservations for Game 7 in Orlando were made, however, the Bulls fell apart. They failed to score again. On consecutive possessions in the final 30 seconds, Jordan tried to find Longley, the center, under the basket, and twice his play-making skills were rebuffed.

With the Bulls trailing by 103-102, Longley went up gingerly as Anthony Bowie and Hardaway appeared to get a piece of his arm. He missed the layup, and Scott hit 1 of 2 free throws with 28.7 seconds left.