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Check out our preview of tonight's Bulls-Celtics matchup at the United Center. And, for more on the Bulls, please visit Blog-A-Bull
Even two weeks ago, Thursday's matchup against Boston was dripping with anticipation. Not only were the Bulls neck-and-neck with the Celtics in the standings, but the defending Eastern Conference Champions represented everything Chicago was striving to become.
Cut to present day. With only five games to play, the Bulls sit in the catbird seat in the East with a three-game lead over a scuffling Boston squad that is just 11-8 since March 1st, after going 43-15 up to that point. After winning of 16 of their last 18 games, if the Bulls can find a way to beat the Celtics on Thursday the race for the No. 1 seed will be all but over.
That said, the Celtics, along with the Heat, still represent the Bulls' greatest challenge on the road to the NBA finals. Boston has experience on its side; Chicago, youth and momentum. Thus, the Bulls can use the game not only to seize the Eastern crown, but to gauge the state of the team as they enter the playoffs.
Coach Tom Thibodeau, who was the top assistant and the defensive architect for the Boston Celtics for the last three years, understands how hard it will be to dispatch the Celtics both tomorrow and in the playoffs.
"They're a very talented team, they're well-coached," Thibodeau said. "There's not anything that we're doing that they don't know, and there's not anything that they're doing that we don't know. It'll come down to how well we can execute and how well they can execute. They're the defending Eastern Conference champions. Until someone knocks them off, you've got to be ready to compete with them."
Thibodeau, who with the Bulls' 57th win broke Phil Jackson's club record for most wins by a first-year head coach, knows every Celtics player's tendencies down to the most minute detail. However that advantage won't mean a thing if the Bulls don't play the way they are capable, and his players know it.
"We're just focused on progress and learning from our mistakes," said Joakim Noah. "We've made a lot of mistakes (recently), we haven't been playing our best basketball and that's what we're trying to get to before the playoffs begin."
The Bulls still lead the league in rebounding differential, but have been out-rebounded in three of their last five games. Much of that has to do with leading rebounder Joakim Noah still recovering from an ankle injury, but after peaking last month Chicago has had to overcome its own mistakes time and again as they finish the grind of the regular season.
Celtics To Watch For
There are no secrets with the Celtics. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce represent the big three while Rajon Rondo is the engine that makes everything go. Pierce has been especially hot of late, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists over his last five games. Rondo, who is a notoriously poor shooter, has increased his scoring average and is finally playing with the aggression that the Celtics need him to. Shaquille O'Neal is out once again after straining a calf muscle in his first game back after missing two months with a heel injury. Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Jeff Green will keep the Bulls' bench mob busy all night.
Bulls To Watch For
At the risk of sounding like a cliche and copout, the entire Bulls team needs to elevate its play for this game. Rose had an off-night against Phoenix and the hounding defense of the ageless Grant Hill, Luol Deng's offensive play and rebounding have tailed off over the last few weeks, Joakim Noah is still trying to get healthy and regain his offensive touch and Carlos Boozer, while much improved of late, still struggles at times within the Bulls' offense. Keith Bogans sat out Wednesday's practice with a sore knee, although all signs point to him playing against Boston. Ronnie Brewer has played especially well of late, averaging 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in only 19 minutes per game after averaging 6.2, 3.3, and 1.7 on the year.
The United Center should be absolutely rocking, and the Bulls need to come out of the gates fast to use the crowd to their advantage. Standings aside, records aside, if the Bulls want to be champions, this is likely the team they will have to knock off the mountaintop. True, this isn't Chicago's final exam, but for confidence and to set the tone for the playoffs, it couldn't be more important.
Tip-off is at 7:00 CDT; the game will be nationally broadcast on TNT.
Bulls Crush Celtics 97-81 To Reduce Magic Number To One
That friends, was a party.
Derrick Rose scored 30 points in yet another star performance at home, Luol Deng added 23 while showing some grown-man toughness, and Carlos Boozer added 14 points and 12 rebounds asThe Bulls crushed the Boston Celtics, 97-81.
"We got our ass kicked tonight. I haven't recalled that in a while," said Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett after the game.
In the team's most anticipated matchup in more than a month, Chicago avoided the lapses that had surfaced over the last two weeks, playing a near-complete 48 minutes. It's quite possible the Bulls recent mini-struggles were due more to regular season boredom than anything else.
Derrick Rose seems to play his best in the biggest games, which is, well, ideal for the Bulls. First it was the 42 he dropped on the Spurs at home in March, then the gritty one-point win in Miami that included Rose's sick 1-on-2 against Lebron and Wade, and tonight's sharp 30-8-5 including 10-10 from the free throw line. It seems like ages ago that Rose wasn't getting to the line enough, to say nothing of his unreal improvement in free throw shooting since the new year.
On the night when Scottie Pippen had a bronze bust unveiled in his honor, Deng played the role of number 33 to a T as a second option and the team's best defender. He also showed a lot of toughness on the court, taking an accidental kick to the head from Taj Gibson late in the game:
If Deng ever did carry the soft label, he has certainly outgrown it this year. It's clear that Thibs identified him early on as one of the Bulls' best players and a leader, and the coach's belief has given Deng a lot of confidence.
Whether perception or reality, it's hard to deny that Tom Thibodeau is seen as one of the best current basketball minds in the league. Just think of the crib notes that the likely NBA coach of the year gave his team before they took the floor against his former team. And then his correctly-motivated players, to their credit, went out and executed that game plan. The results were fierce. The Bulls out-rebounded the Celtics 44-35. Kevin Garnett went 3-9 from the field; Ray Allen, 3-11; Rajon Rondo, 3-10, and Glen Davis 1-8. Paul Pierce and Delonte West shot a decent percentage but combined for seven turnovers.
When I watch the Bulls, my comfort level is always based on the quarter-to-quarter score. Even though the score was close at times tonight, I never really felt concerned because when a Bulls' opponent is on pace for somewhere around 80-85 points, it is curtains. The Bulls' defense was humming, Boston missed Kendrick Perkins (or at least Shaq), and saying Jeff Green and the corpse of Jermaine O'Neal weren't up to the task is being kind. Honestly, do you even remember when Jermaine O'Neal was good? This is the same guy who averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 2007. He's been so bad (and perpetually injured) the last few years it's easy to forget what a stud he once was.
One cannot separate the good news from the fact that this game was only a practice exam, that some might argue it didn't matter entirely to either team. But ask Thibodeau, who re-inserted his starters with a 16-point lead and three minutes left if the game was important. Not only does Chicago gain whatever intangible psychological edge may come with the win, but the Bulls magic number to clinch the east now drops to one, virtually clinching the Eastern Conference crown. Now Thibodeau can rest some of his players (COUGHDengCOUGH) and begin preparing his team physically for the playoffs. The Bulls play the second of a back-to-back against the honorary NBDL Cleveland Cavaliers tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I love Thibs. But if he plays Deng 40 minutes I might have to shank him.
With four games remaining it seems likely the Bulls will reach the 60 win plateau, an absurd suggestion at the beginning of the season. Not only do they play the Cavaliers tomorrow night with a chance to clinch the east, but also to tie the all-time NBA mark for division record at 15-1.
Yes, it's just one win, and a medium stakes regular season one at that. But the Bulls' NBA ascendance shows no signs of slowing down with the playoff proving grounds right around the corner.
Apr 08 2:59a by Right_Field_Sucks