Malone’s routine goes off without a hitch. Dribble. Twirl. Catch. Twirl. Catch. Bounce. “This is for Kay and the baby.” So far in the 1997 playoffs, Malone has made 78% of his free throws. And for his career, he turns out to be a 77% free throw shooter on Sundays — highest of any day of the week. But after digesting Pippen’s line, all the kinetic smoothness seems to drain from Malone’s motion. With a locked elbow, he jerks the ball off his fingertips and it clanks badly off the back right side of the rim, bouncing halfway down the left baseline. Pippen immediately steps in front of Malone in the paint, apparently to remind him of what just happened. The Mailman scoffs back, “Yeah, yeah,” before walking away, hands on hips, toward half court to compose himself.