This is a really bizarre tidbit, buried in Thursday's column by My Man Sam(tm):
It[the Bulls foul trouble] all had Bulls coach Scott Skiles in a frenzy on the bench, the crowd noise even seeming to give Eric Piatkowski a chance in the game when it seemed uncertain if Skiles was yelling "Pike" or "Mike," the latter for Sweetney.
Weird.
I can't locate the play-by-play, but by looking at the gameflow, Sweetney had just come out, and Pike was coming in for Duhon. So I don't see how Sweetney could be coming in. It's likely Sam was just trying to give an example of how loud Madison Square Garden was at the time, I don't know.
Anyway, I thought nothing of it until reading about Pike's appearance in ESPN's 'Daily Dime' that same morning:
9:50 p.m. Eric Piatkowski checks in for the first time in the game, and on his first touch his pass is intercepted by Antonio Davis for a breakaway. Davis makes two foul shots to complete a 13-0 run to open the quarter.
9:52 p.m. Crawford is isolated on Piatkowski and loses him with a crossover.
9:53 p.m. Crawford is isolated on Piatkowski and loses him with a crossover.
9:55 p.m. Stephon is isolated on Piatkowski, dribbles inside and kicks out to Crawford for an open 3. Ballgame.
10:25 p.m. Piatkowski emerges from the back of the locker room and explains he doesn't usually defend speedy guards. He's good humored about it.
9:52 p.m. Crawford is isolated on Piatkowski and loses him with a crossover.
9:53 p.m. Crawford is isolated on Piatkowski and loses him with a crossover.
9:55 p.m. Stephon is isolated on Piatkowski, dribbles inside and kicks out to Crawford for an open 3. Ballgame.
10:25 p.m. Piatkowski emerges from the back of the locker room and explains he doesn't usually defend speedy guards. He's good humored about it.
heh.