Bulls fans celebrate with an undertone of uncertainty: Is it the last time?

CHICAGO -- Some want the dynasty to remain intact another season. Others say the Chicago Bulls should quit while they're ahead.

But on Sunday night fans were united in their jubilation and relief as their heroes clinched a sixth NBA title.

After Michael Jordan sunk his winning jump shot in Utah, thousands of fans in Chicago poured onto the streets.

Honking horns echoed among the skyscrapers along Michigan Avenue, and revelers packed Rush Street, the heart of the city's biggest nightlife district. They danced, exchanged high-fives and chanted "We're No. 1" under the watchful eyes of mounted police.

"Terrific! Fantastic! They won!" Jiana Heard of Chicago cried as she bounded from a Rush Street bar into the middle of the street.

It was, after all, a nerve-wracking night for Bulls fans. Already they had chewed their nails through a seven-game conference final against the Indiana Pacers and saw plans for a title celebration dashed Friday night when the Jazz edged the Bulls and pushed the series to a sixth game.

On Sunday, they saw Jordan struggle and Scottie Pippen hobble before Jordan's shot in the closing seconds sealed the one-point victory.

"My heart is going so fast. I have to take it easy," said Jose Matos, a visitor from Puerto Rico, as he sat at the Cubby Bear Lounge on Chicago's North Side after the game.

For Arturo Galando, 26, of Chicago, even watching the game was too much to bear. He took in a movie instead.

"I wanted to get away because I didn't want to freak out if they lost," he said.

Light rain helped keep Sunday's celebration fairly sedate. The volume of calls to the city's 911 center Sunday night mirrored that of last year's championship clincher, said Chicago police spokesman Patrick Camden.

On Sunday night, there were confirmed reports of five people shot, one of them fatally, Camden said. But the killing was a gang shooting, he said, and it was not immediately known if the other shootings were related to the Bulls celebration.

A police sergeant was hit by a car on the city's West Side, and there were reports of scattered looting, bottles being thrown and cars being overturned, he said. But overall, police said the crowds were easy to keep in check.

"Our contingency plan is working the way we want it to work," Camden said. "It would be nice to report that there were no incidents, but that would be more of a fairy tale than reality."

Early today, Camden did not have citywide figures on arrests.

The celebration stood in sharp contrast to the mayhem that followed the Bulls' early championships. In 1991, more than 1,000 people were arrested and looters hit stores across the city after the Bulls won their first championship.

Such violence led to what became a well-rehearsed routine for Chicago police. About 8,000 police were on duty Sunday night at a cost of $1 million; extra space had been cleared at the Cook County Jail, and authorities closed major streets and expressway exit ramps to keep crowds under control.

TV stations aired a public service announcements from Jordan, coach Phil Jackson and Dennis Rodman, calling on fans to celebrate responsibly, and public school students were given a similar message in letters signed by Jordan.

This year's celebration was different for another reason -- the strong possibility that the Jordan-led Bulls will break up after this season.

Jordan, Pippen and Rodman will be free agents, and Pippen has feuded with Bulls' management, all but closing the door on a return next season. Jackson also has indicated he's ready to part ways with the Bulls, and Rodman's off-the-court antics have raised questions about his future as well.

The team's bickering and speculation about its future have become a kind of civic soap opera in Chicago, and fans Sunday night had no shortage of opinions on how the plot would unfold.

"It was nice to see Phil and Michael hug each other," said Elisa Brooks, 32, of Chicago. "It may be their last hug."

Mona Schane, 38, said she was saddened by the "end of an era."

"Chicago needs more teams that play well," the Chicago resident said. "The last five minutes of the game proved that it's still not ho-hum with the Bulls. "

Others disagreed.

"This is the hardest won, and it finishes of the dynasty," said Jamey DeVietro, 28, of Chicago. "I think they should break up and go out on top. I'm saddened by the breakup. But it's time.

"They had a tremendous run."

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