SB Nation Chicago - Bulls 88, Pacers 84: Deng, Korver and A Crunchtime Possession Send Chicago To A 3-0 Series Leadhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2011-04-22T10:27:59-05:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18883442011-04-22T10:27:59-05:002011-04-22T10:27:59-05:00Bulls Vs. Pacers: Chicago Takes 3-0 Lead Despite Offensive Struggles
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<p>Well, we've been wondering for a little while what the Bulls would look like if their star Derrick Rose wasn't on his game. We got the answer last night and it may not have been pretty, but it still resulted in a Bulls win. Rose shot just 4-18 from the field (he did finish with 23 points with the help of 13 free throws however) but his late game heroics still gave the Bulls an 88-84 win in game three of their first round series against the Indiana Pacers.</p>
<p>Even though his shot wasn't falling, Rose never got discouraged, <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/4956918-579/strong-finish-by-bulls-derrick-rose-leaves-pacers-frustrated.html">according to Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times</a>.</p>
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<p class="body.text">‘‘No. Never,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s just the way I am. I have confidence at the end of the game — during the game, too — to keep fighting through it. I’m happy to have the teammates I have. Because they’re fighting through everything with me.’’</p>
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<p class="body.text">With under 30 seconds left and the game tied at 84, Rose got the ball at the top of the key, drove left around Dahntay Jones and finished with his left hand over three Pacer defenders. The Pacers had a shot to tie the game, but they went for the win instead, and a desperation three-point attempt from Danny Granger went begging. A couple free-throws on the other end of the floor iced it.</p>
<p class="body.text">The Bulls might not have looked as dominant in this series as people were expecting, but that hasn't really bothered Joakim Noah. He's opting to look on the bright side of things.</p>
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<p class="body.text">‘‘It feels amazing,’’ forward Joakim Noah said. ‘‘A lot of people say, ‘You should be winning by a lot bigger margin. I promise, we’re trying as hard as we can. That’s the beauty of it. To be in a 3-0 position — and know we can play a lot better. That’s exciting stuff. It’s gotta be a positive.’’</p>
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<p class="body.text">Our Bulls blog Blog A Bull isn't worried about the way the series is playing out either, <a href="http://www.blogabull.com/2011/4/22/2126140/slightly-different-story-but-same-ending-defense-physical-play-and">they just want it to be over</a>. The series now stands at 3-0, and the Bulls will have a chance to finish off the sweep on Saturday.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bulls/2011/4/22/2126833/bulls-vs-pacers-chicago-series-3-0-derrick-roseJordan Ruby2011-04-21T22:11:59-05:002011-04-21T22:11:59-05:00Bulls 88, Pacers 84: Deng, Korver and A Crunchtime Possession Send Chicago To A 3-0 Series Lead
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<p>The headlines will point to <span>Derrick Rose</span>'s drive and layup with the game tied at 84 and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. They will espouse his leadership, his grittiness, his ability to make the big play with the game on the line.</p>
<p>But save for that hoop, which was ultimately the game-winner, the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bulls</a> likely won Game 3 in Indiana in spite of the presumptive MVP. They were in fact his only two points in the second half.</p>
<p>Rose and <span>Carlos Boozer</span> combined for 6-28 shooting in a grind-it-out battle at Conseco Fieldhouse, which on most nights means the Bulls would walk away with the rare L. Boozer once again came up short when his team needed him most, missing two easy lay-ins in the first quarter before getting two fouls and sitting until late in the second quarter. Indeed it seems that Boozer's reputation for coming up small in the playoffs is well-earned, but it is no less infuriating to see a team play better once its 15 million dollar a year player is seated firmly on the bench.</p>
<p>But team leader <span>Luol Deng</span> and crunchtime sharpshooter <span>Kyle Korver</span> lifted the Bulls when they needed it most. Deng finished with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, including 14 first-half points when no other Bull cracked double figures. Korver had 12 points on 5-6 shooting in only 19 minutes of floor time, including two huge three-pointers. He is now 7-8 from distance in the playoffs and has elevated his game at precisely the right time.</p>
<p>The series in now 3-0 in Chicago's favor, but could just as easily by 0-3. The main difference between the two teams is that Indiana lacks a late-game scoring option, as evidenced by <span>Danny Granger</span>'s prayer three-pointer on the game's final possession, and the Bulls' combination of Closer Rose and lock-down defense in the game's final minutes.</p>
<p>If the Bulls manage to keep a game close, there is a sense that the late-game combination of Rose and D (D-Rose, get it? Okay I'm ashamed.) will always pull out the victory. For all the team's struggles in this series, and there have been many, when it has gotten to crunchtime, Chicago has shown its superiority.</p>
<p>It bears mentioning that against better competition, the Bulls will need to play their best for more than five minutes per contest. But take nothing away from these <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pacers</a>, who played their hearts out for the third straight game, only to have them broken for the third straight time. While Granger failed to hit his final shot, he was stellar throughout the contest, finishing with 21 points and four big fourth quarter buckets. The Pacers destroyed the Bulls on the interior, outscoring Chicago 38-16., and received their fair share of home cooking from the referees (which, to be fair, the Bulls benefited from at the United Center).</p>
<p><span>Joakim Noah</span> keyed the Bulls' defensive effort with a signature double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go with four blocks. Chicago held the Pacers to 38% shooting and only 11 assists on 84 points. The Bulls did struggle on the glass in the second half, a first for this series, as they were out-rebounded 27-20, but overall coach Thibodeau had to be pleased with his team's defensive performance.</p>
<p>It has been a new struggle in every game of this series, first with poor defensive rotations in Game 1, then turnovers in Game 2, and surprisingly, rebounding tonight. And make no mistake, the Bulls offense has a serious case of the hiccups that must be ironed out if they are to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.</p>
<p>But Chicago has something that the rest of the league fears, that makes the Bulls contenders when similar teams wouldn't be: There isn't a team in the league with a better finishing kick than this one. When Derrick Rose has the ball in his hands, Deng and Korver on the wings, and Noah working the offensive glass, the Bulls can get points when they need them late. And good luck to the team that tries to break through Thibs' defensive five of Rose, Brewer, Noah, Taj and Deng. The Pacers had a shot to win or tie tonight and they barely got the ball to the three-point line.</p>
<p>No matter the manner in which it was done, the Bulls have a commanding 3-0 lead in their first round series and a chance to earn some much-needed healing and practice time if they can close out the Pacers on the road Saturday. Ugly or not, Chicago is winning games as it is supposed to and growing up along the way. Hard to ask for much more from a young team just beginning to understand what it might take to be a champion.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bulls/2011/4/21/2126019/bulls-88-pacers-84-deng-korver-and-a-crunchtime-posession-sendZachary Lee2011-04-21T17:29:50-05:002011-04-21T17:29:50-05:00Injured Pacers Point Guard Darren Collison Will Start Game 3
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<p>ESPNChicago.com’s Nick Friedell and Mark Montieth report that <span>Darren Collison</span> will start Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a>.</p>
<p>Collison was injured in the second quarter of Game 2 when he tripped over a cameraman underneath the basket after a missed layup.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a> desperately need Collison to play, as they are +6.9 points per 100 possessions in the series with him on the floor. Without him, that number plummets to -16.7.<br>
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Statistics courtesy of <span class="caps">NBA</span> Statcube </em></p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bulls/2011/4/21/2125680/injured-pacers-point-guard-darren-collison-will-start-game-3Zachary Lee2011-04-21T07:28:07-05:002011-04-21T07:28:07-05:002011 NBA Playoffs: Chicago Bulls Vs. Indiana Pacers, Game 3
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<p>Just as we were beginning to wrap our collective heads around this new <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Bulls</a> team that "struggles" to win games, Chicago takes its show on the road to Conseco Fieldhouse.</p>
<p>As discussed in the <a target="_blank" href="http://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bulls/2011/4/18/2117359/2011-nba-playoffs-chicago-bulls-vs-indiana-pacers-game-2">recap for Game 2</a>, these next two games should be fascinating for multiple reasons:</p>
<p><b>The Development Of This Team</b></p>
<p>The transition to the playoffs for these Bulls has been not unlike a high schooler moving on to college. Big man on campus during the regular season, Chicago has not performed up to the lofty expectations of themselves, not to mention media and fans so far in the second season. Theories abound as to why, such as: Rose is over-dominating the ball and thus hindering the offense (ludicrous), <span>Carlos Boozer</span> is terrible (some evidence to support this), flukey bad play, with poor shooting in Game 1 and an inordinate number of turnovers in Game 2 (hmmm), and finally, that the Bulls are still adjusting to playing with a shortened rotation (bingo).</p>
<p><b>Bench Mob No More</b></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogabull.com/2011/4/20/2123480/2011-playoffs-the-bench-mob-is-dead-long-live-the-bench-mob">Covered at length by your friendly BullsBlogger</a>, the Bulls rotation has changed drastically from the one we had come to know in the regular season. While it is generally a given that coaches shorten their rotations in the playoffs, nobody ever thought to consider that the Bulls would struggle to make the adjustment. However because Chicago was one of the league's deepest teams, and moreover because Thibodeau had so clearly defined everyone's roles, the Bulls have had to change more than almost any other team.</p>
<p>When the punditry said that the Bulls hadn't been to the playoffs before, I, and many like me, scoffed at the notion. After all, <span>Derrick Rose</span> has been through two brutal first round series, <span>Luol Deng</span> saw the 2nd round in 2006, Boozer, <span>Kyle Korver</span> and <span>Ronnie Brewer</span> had all been as far as the Western Conference Finals with Utah and lest we forget the ageless <span>Kurt Thomas</span>, who has seen and heard all the playoffs have to offer.</p>
<p>But this <i>team</i> had never been to the dance together. Players come and go, coaches get hired and fired like I change television channels, but it seldom happens all at once. After adding seven free agents and a brand new coaching staff, the Bulls didn't just roar out of the gate. They started 9-8, at which point roles were set, the team jelled, and they took off to a 53-12 finish.</p>
<p>What we're watching now is the mini-version of that, as the Bulls transition from two clearly-defined lineups to more of a plug-and-play rotation based on matchups. The truth is, the Bulls are lucky to have won both of these games against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a>. But I wouldn't worry, because every game further they go in the postseason is another chance to get comfortable in their playoff roles. And if and when they do figure it out together, we will be back to seeing the kind of play that defined a top-seeded team's season.</p>
<p><b>Injuries And Adjustments</b></p>
<p><span>Darren Collison</span> tweeted himself that his sprained left ankle, suffered after tripping over a Timberland-wearing cameraman underneath the basket at the United Center, is feeling much better. The official report is that Collison is "day-to-day", and Pacers coach <span>Frank Vogel</span> is optimistic he'll be able to play. If he doesn't, the Pacers are in big trouble. With Collison on the floor, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/statscube/team-vs-player.html#Bulls-vs-Darren-Collison%7C1610612741,201954;season=p">the Pacers are +6.9 points per 100 possessions</a>. Without him on the floor, Indiana is -16.7. Ouch.</p>
<p>For the Bulls, Ronnie Brewer seems the most injured of any Bulls player, with a left thumb injury that he visibly favored multiple times in games 1 and 2. While he's not much of a shooter anyway, it does seem like the injury has taken away some of his aggressiveness, which is one of the best parts of his game.</p>
<p>Noah has shown great energy in the playoffs, and really the only thing that even reminds you that he recently sprained his ankle is Thibs' insistence to play him less than 30 minutes a game. As he has been one of the best Bulls' not named Derrick Rose so far, let's hope his role increases.</p>
<p><b>Road Warriors</b></p>
<p>The Bulls finished the season 26-15 on the road including a 1-1 split at Conseco Fieldhouse, although it is fair to point out that the win was over coach Jim O'Brien and the loss occurred against Frank Vogel. Vogel has been an impressive coach to watch, and he has his players busting their butts to compete against Chicago. For both how the Pacers perform with the expectations of a home crowd and how the Bulls respond to the us-against-the-world mentality, Game 3 should have an entirely different feel right from the beginning.</p>
<p><b>Quick Thoughts</b></p>
<p>- Road Booze - The collective anxiety at the United Center every time Carlos Boozer misplayed the ball on Monday night was enough to make me sit on my hands at home. With the focus off of him at Conseco Fieldhouse, he needs to have another solid game to help open things up for the rest of his teammates. To his credit he has been the most entertaining personality on the floor, from yelling "AND ONE!" every time a foul is called for the Bulls, to his new "I made a good play" head bobble, to the absolutely hilarious "GIMME THAT S***!" that he yelled while going for a rebound in Game 2. I fell off my couch when that happened.</p>
<p>- Rose for 3 - Derrick Rose has not shot well from outside in the playoffs, going 2-14 from behind the arc. ESPN writer John Hollinger noted that Rose's shot looks flatter than normal and I would have to agree. The Bulls will need to hit threes to keep defenses honest, but better if Rose keeps his attempts to around three instead of the nine like in Game 1, especially with Korver seeing so many more minutes in the same lineup.</p>
<p>- Pacers Pride - Credit where credit is due, Indiana has played inspired basketball. <span>Paul George</span>'s late-game dive and scramble on Wednesday was a fantastic hustle play and indicative of the effort the Pacers have put forth all series. Were it not for a complete lack of end-of-game scoring options, things might look quite different right now.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Tip-off at Conseco Fieldhouse is at 6:00 CDT, with the broadcast on NBA TV nationally and CSN Chicago locally.</p>
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<p><i>For live updates, analysis and occasional snark, follow Zachary Lee on Twitter: <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/rightfieldsucks">@rightfieldsucks</a></i></p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2011/4/21/2333892/2011-nba-playoffs-chicago-bulls-vs-indiana-pacers-game-3Zachary Lee