CHICAGO Bulls centre Luc Longley labours in the shadow of his larger than life teammates Michael Jordan and Dennis Rod man, but on Sunday it was the big Australian's turn to shine.
While Jordan stole the show with 36 points as the Bulls went up 3-0 over the Seattle SuperSonics, Longley turned in one of the best games of his five year career, pouring in 19 points, blocking two shots and helping to shut down Sonics forward Shawn Kemp in 28 minutes of play.
But even as Longley, who stands an impressive 7ft 2in, won the all important battle for points in the paint, he admitted that he sometimes felt like a fan on the court watching Jordan, who poured in 15 points in one electrifying three minute stretch.
"You run up and down the floor with a grin on your face like anyone in the stands," said Longley, who was traded to Chicago in 1994. "It's fun to watch at times and that's a danger not to stand around and marvel at the guy."
Longley, typically a low scoring bruiser under the boards who is not known for his offensive prowess, was coming off a miserable Game 2, in which he scored only two points and watched Kemp beat him under the basket to toss in 29 points.
"That was a motivation," Longley said. "I wanted to prove to myself I could come back and play with the same intensity.
Longley said that in previous play off games he had been tentative about taking shots.
"Tonight they gave me the ball and wanted me to shoot baskets," said Longley, who became the first Australian to play in the NBA when he launched his pro career in Minnesota.
Longley and the Bulls also changed their game plan to double team Kemp, who had only 14 points after scoring 61 the first two games.
"There are many hammers out there," said Sonics coach George Karl. "You have them playing with an intensity at the defensive end of the court that surprised us maybe."
When asked whether he had become more aggressive in the game, in which he racked up five fouls, the affable Longley responded "I didn't think it would be possible for me to get any meaner. I'm such a mean bloke to begin with."
