Indiana Pacers Status Check: Record: 37-45
Division: 9-7
Conference: 28-24
Road Record: 13-28
Last 10 Games: 5-5
Streak: Lost 2
Last game: Lost 92-74 to Orlando
PPG: 99.8 (13th)
Opponents PPG: 100.9 (17th)
Offensive Rating: 104.8 (23rd)
Defensive Rating: 106.0 (12th)
Pace: 94.7 (6th)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: .486 (23rd)
Turnover Percentage: .141 (24th)
Defensive Rebound Percentage:
Offensive Rebound Percentage: .259 (17th)
Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt: .235 (9th)
Opp. eFG%: .487 (7th)
Opp. TO%: .126(22nd)
Opp. FT/FGA: .237 (22nd)
Leading scorer: Danny Granger (20.5)
Stats from Basketball-Reference.com.
Indiana Injury Report: None
Season Series: Chicago won 3-1
Game 1: Chicago won 92-73 (Boozer: 22 points, 18 rebounds)
Game 2: Chicago won 99-86 (Rose: 29 points, 10 rebounds)
Game 3: Chicago won 110-89 (Boozer: 24 points, 10 rebounds)
Game 4: Indiana won 115-108 in OT (Hansbrough: 29 points; Rose 42 points)
Overview: Everyone is tied when the playoffs start, as far as wins and losses; but this Bulls-Pacers match-up might be the most lopsided of the postseason. Indiana was the last team in, while the Bulls had the best record in the league. Chicago is coming into the playoffs hot, winning their last nine games (three of them against playoff teams) while Indiana backed in, losing their last two games (both to playoffs teams, at the Knicks and Magic).
But it’s not all bad news for the Pacers; Chicago’s lone division loss came at the hands of the Pacers. It was the most recent match-up that they won, topping Chicago 115-108 in overtime. In that game, Indy had a 117.6 offensive rating. It’s hard to believe the Bulls, and Thibodeau, will allow that to happen again. Especially since every Bulls player was given a phonebook-sized scouting report on the Pacers, according to Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.
The Bulls would only lose once more after that overtime loss to the Pacers (on 3/28 to Philly), and they would allow 100 or more points only once for the rest of the season (on 4/2 in a win against Toronto, who seemed to have the Bulls number somewhat).
Hopefully Carlos Boozer will read the scouting report, and perhaps learn to play some defense on Tyler Hansbrough. In the Pacers win over Chicago, Hansbrough scored 29 points on 12 of 19 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Boozer didn’t play that game (Kurt Thomas started for him) but someone is going to have to stop Psycho-T, who came on very strong at the end of the season. Joakim Noah can’t guard Roy Hibbert and Hansbrough.
Boozer should also be a big help on the offensive side of the ball. In Chicago’s loss, Rose scored 42, Deng scored 21 and Noah added 17. The other two starters scored three points combined (all by Kurt Thomas, so thanks for playing Mr. Bogans). In his three games against Indiana this season, Boozington averaged 20 points and 11.3 rebounds.
In his postseason career Boozer has averaged 20.3 points, 12.5 rebounds on 50.3 percent shooting. Rose has averaged 22.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists. But expect those numbers to jump, because all of Rose’s numbers have jumped this season.
Almost everyone has the Bulls already written into the next round in marker. But Chicago knows they have to take it one game at a time.
“It’s no different. For us, it’s no different,” said Rose. “We’re going to prepare the same way. We’re going to practice the same way. (Coach Tom Thibodeau) always said at the beginning of the season that we were practicing to prepare like it’s the end of the season.”
Now it really could be the end of the season at any time. It’s first to four from here on out, and this game one could be the start of something very fun. Possibly something that goes on for a long time, maybe until sometime in June, and that ends with a parade.
About the Author: Braedan Ritter was born and raised in Pennsylvania but was swayed by gifts from his aunt to follow the Chicago sports teams. It didn’t hurt that the Bulls had a guy named Michael Jordan playing for them, and the Sixers had…Derrick Coleman. Braedan has stuck with Chicago through thick and thin, and really thin (see: Chicago Cubs). And speaking of Coleman, Braedan is currently a student at Syracuse University.
I’ve read other playoff previews. I’ve sorted through stats. I’ve made an honest effort.
Still…I can’t find a single reason to fear the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana has the worst record (37-45) of any of this year’s playoff teams. I keep hearing that the Pacers made a strong run under coach Frank Vogel. And, sure, 20-18 is better than the 17-27 record they had under Jim O’Brien. But the Pacers are only 13-15 since the All-Star break.
Admittedly, that stretch includes a home win (in overtime) over the Bulls.
It also includes losses to the Kings, Pistons, Raptors and Timberwolves.
Now, the Pacers are facing a Bulls team that ranks first in Defensive Rating (100.3), first in Opponents Effective Field Goal Percentage (.463), third in Defensive Rebounding Percentage (.762) and fourth in Offensive Rebounding Percentage (.294). The Bulls flat out stop people from scoring and they control the boards.
That’s a solid formula for victory. Especially against lesser teams.
This is where I give the biggest of kudos to fellow TrueHoop Network blog Eight Points, Nine Seconds. Jared Wade and Tim Donahue have done a truly epic job of compiling charts and providing analysis in their multi-part series preview. Honestly, the effort they’ve put into their preview makes me feel like somebody who showed up to an AP calculus test naked. That’s not my way of tricking you into picturing me naked and/or doing math.
I’m saying you should probably get over there and read over what they have to say.
However, it’s meaningful that Wade and Donahue have crunched the numbers until there was nothing left to crunch and there’s nothing to support the notion that the Pacers are anything more than a man walking to the gallows. To beat the Bulls, Indy will have to buck every conceivable statistical trend and outplay Chicago in ways they haven’t played on a consistent basis all season.
If you want even more intelligent analysis from the TrueHoop Network, Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook has put together a series preview complete with offensive breakdowns, defensive breakdowns and a look at each team’s x-factor. Spoiler Alert: Luol Deng is Chicago’s x-factor. Mike Dunleavy Jr. is Indiana’s.
See why I’d make a lousy coach?
I wouldn’t know how to make the Bulls take the Pacers seriously.
And maybe that’s Indiana’s biggest advantage. Being the underdog can be pretty good motivation. Just as…the Bulls. They’ve been playing with a chip on their shoulder all season.
Then again, maybe Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau could use the following tidbit as motivation. Donahue writes: “Digging deeper shows that the Pacers Offensive improvement comes from focusing on two specific areas: offensive rebounding and getting to the line. Under Vogel, Indiana has moved from 25th in ORB% to 8th, and from 28th in FT/FGA to 3rd. They were rewarded with an increase in offensive efficiency of 3.5 points per 100 possessions.”
So, under Vogel, Indy has been crashing the offensive boards and earning foul shots.
We already know the Bulls dominate the glass at both ends. They also rank 8th in Opponents Free Throw Attempts (1898) and Opponents Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt (.222).
See what I mean? I can’t find a single clear-cut advantage for the Pacers.
And I’ve really been looking. So have a lot of other smart people.
I know the Pacers won their last game against the Bulls, back on March 18. But it’s worth noting that Chicago was playing the second of back-to-back road games (they had won the previous night in New Jersey). It was also the Bulls’ third game in four nights. The Pacers were coming off a day of rest.
There were mitigating factors. That’s all I’m saying.
All these things said, the Pacers are 24-17 at home. I think there’s a very real possibility that they could win a home game against a Bulls team that isn’t really playoff tested…
…I know. I know. I’m grasping at straws here.
Let’s bottom line this: The Bulls are better across the board. The Pacers did well to make the playoffs, but they are sorely over-matched. Unless something goes drastically wrong — and, hey, it could — Pacers-Bulls will be the least exciting of this year’s first round match-ups.
And homecourt advantage in every possible playoff series.
They did it by winning 21 of their last 23 games. That stretch began with back-to-back road wins in Orlando and Miami. It included wins over playoff teams like Atlanta (twice), New Orleans, New York and Memphis. It included a total of 11 road victories. It included a big-time statement game against the Celtics in Chicago.
And, finally, it included a regular season finale in which coach Tom Thibodeau finally pulled his foot off the accelerator a bit. It wasn’t a full stop. But Joakim Noah played only 23 minutes. Carlos Boozer played 25. Derrick Rose played 30. And, naturally, Luol Deng logged a team-high 31.
The Bench Mob came through by winning the fourth quarter 29-24 and closing the game out down the stretch. Chicago’s bench outscored their counterparts 50-26. Check the box scoreand pay close attention to the plus-minus stats. The second unit was the best unit last night. Of course, it didn’t seem like the starters were going full tilt, and it wouldn’t surprise me to find out Thibs told them to go out and play good basketball but not to do anything crazy (i.e., don’t get hurt). What I’m saying is: Boozer, Deng, Noah and Rose didn’t play with their usual edge.
The Bench Mob did, though, and you can tell this group takes real pride in their role.
And so the Bulls are the regular season win-loss champions.
It’s astounding.
I’ve mentioned this before: It was a blow to the organization and the fans when management whiffed on last summer’s biggest free agents. When LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to take their talents to South Beach and play alongside Dwyane Wade, it felt like years of cap management and planning had been flushed down a particularly filthy toilet.
Carlos Boozer? Undersized and injury prone. C.J. Watson, Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer? Castoffs and second-tier roleplayers. Omer Asik? A pencil-thin rookie who might be years from contributing at the NBA level. Kurt Thomas? More ancient than the Dead Sea Scrolls.
That’s what it felt like. I figured this team’s ceiling was finishing with 50-ish wins and winning the Central Division. And that was before Carlos Boozer tripped over his athletic bag.
Nobody ever could have realized that Rasual Butler would hit a go-ahead three in the final minute of the season’s final game to help the Bulls wrap up the league’s best record. Or that the final and most satisfying win would be secured by a blocked shot by Big Sexy.
Said Rose: ”I’m happy, I’m definitely happy. I wouldn’t like to be on a losing team, but what’s the point of celebrating now when you can get knocked out in the playoffs?”
I wouldn’t say Derrick is a wet blanket exactly. But his words are a reminder that one dream-like journey has come to an end and another one is going to begin on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers.
One last note: For the season, the Bulls finished first in both John Hollinger’s Defensive Efficiency (97.3) and Basketball-Reference’s Defensive Rating (100.3). The finished 12th in Hollinger’s Offensive Efficiency (105.5) and 11th in BBR’s Offensive Rating (108.3).
Their improvement on offense should be noted. The Bulls spent most of the season in the 15-20 range in those offensive categories. They made a huge jump once both Boozer and Noah were playing.
What’s more, if you check out Hollinger’s Team Statistics page, you’ll notice the Orlando Magic finished 10th in Offensive Efficiency at 105.7. So the Bulls were two-tenths of a point from finishing in the top 10. I’m just saying: Many pundits keep citing an ”average” offense as a reason why the Bulls will likely fail in the playoffs. Well, go back to 2007-2008, when the Celtics finished first in Defensive Efficiency and 12th in Offensive Efficiency…and won the NBA title.
I’m not trying to make any wild predictions just yet. All I’m saying is that rumors of Chicago’s average to below-average offense has been greatly overstated. There’s every reason to believe that the Bulls would have been in the top 10 in Offensive Efficiency and Offensive Rating had Boozer and Noah remained healthy.
New Jersey Nets Status Check:
Record: 24-57
Division: 3-13
Conference: 13-38
Road Record: 5-35
Last 10 Games: 1-9
Streak: Lost 4
Last game: Lost 105-103 to Charlotte
PPG: 94.2 (28th)
Opponents PPG: 100.5 (15th)
Offensive Rating: 103.0 (27th)
Defensive Rating: 109.9 (21st)
Pace: 89.9 (24th)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: .474 (27th)
Turnover Percentage: .134 (15th)
Defensive Rebound Percentage: .743 (13th)
Offensive Rebound Percentage: .262 (15th)
Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt: .215 (24th)
Opp. eFG%: .504 (19th)
Opp. TO%: .116 (30th)
Opp. FT/FGA: .240 (23rd)
Leading scorer: Brook Lopez (20.4)
Stats from Basketball-Reference.com.
New Jersey Injury Report:
Sundiata Gaines: fractured right hip (out for the season)
Kris Humphries: sprained right ankle/bruised heel (out for the season)
Damion James: sore right foot (out indefinitely)
Anthony Morrow: left knee tendinitis (out for the season)
Mario West: separated left shoulder (out for the season)
Deron Williams: right wrist surgery (out for the season)
Overview:
It’s hard to believe the season has only one night left, and the Bulls play their last game of the regular season tonight. It seems like just yesterday that the Bulls were a new team trying to mesh, Carlos Boozer was tripping over a gym bag, and fans were hoping Keith Bogans could hit open threes.
Boozington has healed since then, and then gotten injured, and then healed again. And Bogans has hit some shots…not many, but some.
Boozer’s injuries may not be too surprising, but the season the Bulls have put together is surprising. Chicago is in first place in the East, tied with San Antonio for the best record in the NBA, has an MVP candidate and a coach of the year candidate. If both the Spurs and the Bulls win, or both lose, home court advantage between them will be decided by random drawing (shouldn’t it be decided by rocks-paper-scissors? Wouldn’t that be a lot more exciting). It’s been a great year either way, and it’s almost playoff time.
But first the Bulls look to close out the season with their ninth straight win. New Jersey hasn’t had a great season, and they are probably happy to see it end. They have as many players injured as the Toon Squad near the end of Space Jam. I mean look at that injury list, it’s as long as Eddy Curry’s grocery list.
Chicago has taken two of three against the Nets this season. The Bulls defense has been stout, allowing just 83.3 points per game in the three match-ups. And while the Bulls are hot, the Nets are slumping with their injured roster. New Jersey has lost 14 of their last 16 games and has dropped four straight. They lost their last game to the Bobcats on a D.J. Augustin jumper with just a second left. Brook Lopez scored well in the game though, dropping 31 points of 12-23 shooting. In his last five games, Lopez has averaged 32.4 points and seven rebounds.
But he still doesn’t rebound well, grabbing only three in the game against Charlotte. Who were the other New Jersey players who grabbed that many boards, you ask? Well, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Travis Outlaw and this guy, I believe.
In three games against Chicago this season, Lopez has averaged 18.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting and 6.3 rebounds. This season he’s averaging 20.4 points on 49.2 percent shooting.
The big decision for the Bulls, and Coach Thibodeau, is how long to play the starters. Last night, Joakim Noah seemed to reinjure his ankle and Boozington can go down any second. The hard part is; Chicago’s bench is so important as well (although it will become less important as the starters will get more minutes in the playoffs), and Ronnie Brewer already went down with an injury on a great hustle play.
Andrew Bynum went down for the Lakers in a similar decision to play their starters. Phil Jackson said Bynum could miss a few games. The Bulls are used to playing shorthanded, but no one wants to go into the playoffs with injuries.
Some numbers from Stats LLC:
The Nets, who are allowing an average of 108.1 points on 51.8 percent shooting during a 1-10 stretch, have been outscored by an average of 10.7 points during a six-game road losing streak. New Jersey has also been outscored by 13.6 points per game during its last seven trips to Chicago, losing six. Chicago is looking for its first nine game win streak since 2005.
Playoff Game 1:
The Bulls will play at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday in the opening game of the playoffs. Their first round opponent is the Indiana Pacers.
About the Author:Braedan Ritter was born and raised in Pennsylvania but was swayed by gifts from his aunt to follow the Chicago sports teams. It didn’t hurt that the Bulls had a guy named Michael Jordan playing for them, and the Sixers had…Derrick Coleman. Braedan has stuck with Chicago through thick and thin, and really thin (see: Chicago Cubs). And speaking of Coleman, Braedan is currently a student at Syracuse University.
Thanks to some strong second half defense — which allowed only 35 points — the Bulls beat the Amar’e Stoudemire-less Knicks. As they should have.
In doing so, they tied the San Antonio Spurs (who lost to the Lakers last night) for the best record in the league. The Bulls have a home game against the Nets tonight. The Spurs play in Phoenix. A Bulls win and a Spurs loss would give Chicago the regular season win-loss title and homecourt advantage in every possible playoff series.
If both teams win (or lose) and finish with the same record, things get a little hinky. The Bulls and Spurs split the season series and (in the case of an identical record) would have the same conference records. With the tiebreakers are all even, a random drawing would be held to determine which team would have homecourt in the case of a Bulls-Spurs Finals.
Now stop and think about that for a second.
The Spurs began the season on an historic run. The best start in their franchise’s history. They ran out so far ahead of the pack nobody was supposed to be able to catch them. Meanwhile, the Bulls lost Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah for a combined 60 games and were supposed to finish behind the Celtics, Heat and Magic in the East. Maybe even the Hawks. Heck, some people picked Milwaukee to win the Central Division.
Yet the Bulls might finish the season with the league’s best record.
Unbelievable.
Everybody deserves praise. Derrick Rose. Tom Thibodeau. Boozer and Noah. Luol Deng. The bench. Even Keith Bogans. This group brings it every night. They’re dedicated to winning and to each other. Forget about MVP debates or thoughts about the NBA Finals. Something really special happened in Chicago this season. No matter how this story ends, Bulls fans have been blessed with a really special team that hasn’t taken a night off this season.
But…should they have?
It’s question people are going to be asking. Ronnie Brewer (wrist) and Noah (ankle) both left the game with minor injuries and didn’t return. Luol Deng logged another 40+ minutes (44 to be exact). Rose and Boozer came close to 40 minutes as well (38 and 37, respectively). Boston coach Doc Rivers opted to start resting his team on Monday night. Last night, Gregg Popovich sent the “San Antonio Scrubs” out against the Lakers.
Meanwhile, the Bulls and Lakers both went for seeding and may pay for it. I already mentioned Chicago’s woes. L.A.’s Andrew Bynum re-injured his surgically repaired knee. Yikes.
Said Thibs: “Bumps and bruises. I didn’t see any of them. This is NBA, come on.”
Annoyance aside, Thibodeau understands the situation, and believes he’s making the best decision for his team: “I do think you have to strike that balance. It comes down to two things. You want to be playing as well as possible and you want to be as healthy as possible. The decision becomes, do you have an older team? Do you have some guys who are nicked up? And if you do, you’ve got to rest those guys. If they’re injured, you sit them. If you’re an older team and you’re not playing for anything, I think the wise thing to do is sit them in that situation. But if you’re playing for something and guys are healthy, then I think you take the rhythm of playing your best going into the playoffs and you want to be as healthy as possible.”
I understand where he’s coming from. Thibs and the players keep saying the team is a work in progress. That there’s more to be done. That they want to become a 48-minute ballclub. Last night’s win was nice, but the Knicks were without their best or second-best player (depending on where you stand on Stoudemire versus Carmelo Anthony). Chicago gave up 55 points in the second half and let a 21-point lead within to single digits before closing things out. And the Bulls gave up 35 points to New York’s bench.
There are very few perfect games. And this group is striving for perfection.
Seems like that should help them in the playoffs. Could hurt them, too, I suppose. If guys are hurt or worn out. But in all honesty, Kurt Thomas notwithstanding, this Bulls team is pretty young. They’re going to get a few days off before the first round of the playoffs opens. If they finish the Pacers off in relatively short order, they could earn some more time off, depending on the outcome of the Hawks-Magic series.
And anyway, there are no back-to-back games in the playoffs.
Live by the sword, die by the sword, right? This Bulls team succeeds because it has a ravenous nature to win every game every night. That’s not something that can be turned on an off. Not at this point. Older, more experienced teams that have played together longer — the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs, for instance — can flip the switch. I’m not sure the Bulls are there yet. That’s what they’re trying to build to. What they’re trying to become.
Some random thoughts about the game:
I really enjoyed seeing Luol Deng (23 points, 9-for-16, 2-for-4 on threes, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) outplay ‘Melo (21 points, 8-for-19, 1-for-6 on threes, 5 rebounds, 2 assists). Whether you call him “Do-All” or “Glue-All,” Deng has been redeemed this season. Remember how badly people wanted to include him in a trade package for Anthony? I bet he does.
Carlos Boozer didn’t shoot well (5-for-19), but the man did work, pulling down 22 rebounds. He was a huge part of why the Bulls outrebounded the Knicks 51-33. Yeah, Boozington got injured in that stupid “falling over his own sports bag” incident, but the man has worked hard and been a consummate professional all season. Hey, Boozer got his payday this summer, and some players tend to coast a bit after that happens. It’s human nature.
But Carlos hasn’t.
Whether that’s management, coaching, leadership from Rose and others, or just a team that can police itself, the bottom line is that of all the things you can question about Boozer — his injury history, his flat feet on defense, etc. — you can’t question his effort and dedication to winning.
Noah’s lingering ankle issue is really starting to worry me. Does he need rest so it can heal? Yes. Does he need to play for his conditioning and timing? Yes. It’s the official “between a rock and a hard place” scenario.
Derrick Rose had an efficient scoring night (26 points on 10-for-19 from the field) but finished with more turnovers (4) than assists (3). That wasn’t entirely his fault. He was a willing passer, guys just weren’t hitting shots, and the Knicks were surprisingly energetic on defense. That’s not to say their defense was great or anything. But they tried. Which is funny, because I heard they didn’t do that.
Ah well. Rose had a game-high plus-minus score of +17. He also had a few amazing dunks and even heard some “M-V-P!” chants. In Madison Square Garden of all places.
The Bench Mob had kind of an off night. By their standards. They got outscored 35-19 by New Yorks’s reserves. Kyle Korver went 0-for-6 (although the team was still +8 when he was on the floor). Taj Gibson was 1-for-4. Omer Asik didn’t do much with his 10 minutes of PT. Ronnie Brewer played only nine minutes because of his wrist injury and Kurt Thomas didn’t play at all. C.J. Watson had a nice 14-minute stint (9 points, 4-for-6, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals).
At any rate, it was nice to get another win, and to pull so close to the league’s best record.
Bonus Dunkage:
TrueHoop Network:
The KnickerBlogger game thread features a lot of Knicks fans who were genuinely upset the Bulls tried to win this game. Last time I checked, that was the point of professional sports, right?
One commenter said: “It’s so cute seeing the Bulls come out after half-time with Game 7 like intensity. They are going to be in for a surprise come playoff team when their effort and hustle is not greater than the other team’s.”
They might want to turn that skeptical gaze back at their own team.
New York Knicks Status Check: Record: 42-38
Division: 10-5
Conference: 28-22
Home Record: 23-17
Last 10 Games: 7-3
Streak: Won 7
Last game: Won 110-109 over Indiana
PPG: 106.8 (2nd)
Opponents PPG: 105.7 (27th)
Offensive Rating: 111.1 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 110.0 (22nd)
Pace: 95.6 (3rd)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: .514 (8th)
Turnover Percentage: .126 (6th)
Defensive Rebound Percentage: .718 (26th)
Offensive Rebound Percentage: .244 (24th)
Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt: .247 (4th)
Opp. eFG%: .510 (22nd)
Opp. TO%: .140 (9th)
Opp. FT/FGA: .241 (24th)
Leading scorer: Carmelo Anthony (26.5)
Stats from Basketball-Reference.com.
New York Injury Report: Andy Rautins: knee surgery (will miss remainder of the season)
Amare Stoudemire: sprained left ankle (questionable for tonight’s game)
Overview: In tonight’s game the Bulls face their kryptonite. Chicago has beaten every team in the NBA except the New York Knicks.
It won’t be easy. The Knicks have been streaking lately. They have won seven straight games, possibly finally meshing after their mid-season trade. The Bulls have won seven straight as well, while locking up the East.
Before this win streak, though the Knicks had lost six straight and nine of ten, so you never know which Knicks team will show. But their winning streak is quite the opposite of what their opponent in the playoffs, the Boston Celtics, has been doing lately.
And the two teams will be seeing different faces when they line up for tipoff. Chicago hasn’t faced New York at full strength yet, with Carlos Boozer missing one game and Joakim Noah missing the other. The Knicks haven’t faced the Bulls since the Melo trade. And Amare Stoudemire might not be able to go for the third straight game with a sprained ankle.
Neither team really has much to play for. Both are locked into their first round match-ups. The Bulls can still claim the best record in the league if they keep winning, but it may not be worth it.
Derrick Rose went down numerous times in the Orlando game with grimaces on his face. Every time he gets fouled hard or hits the ground the wrong way, Bulls fans hold their breath. If Rose gets hurt, even if it just makes him a little less effective, Chicago’s title hopes go way down.
So are one or two wins worth the possibility of an injury to an important player? Should Scalabrine play 48 minutes? I don’t know the answers to these questions and that’s why I’m glad I’m not a coach (but if I was I would definitely run the “seven seconds or less” offense and I would find a seven-foot point guard to run it).
But Thibodeau wants the starters to play. And that’s fine; he has coached well all season, and knows what he can get out of his players. So why start questioning him now. It’s not Vinny del Negro still sitting on the bench.
The perfect scenario would be for the starters to get some minutes early, get a lead and then get out of the game and turn into five Brian Scalabrines.
Tweet from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: “DRose has bad head cold. He’s playing. Thibs reaction: ‘Oh, he’s got the sniffles? If he’s practicing, he’s playing.’”
Well, I’m glad we cleared that up.
About the Author: Braedan Ritter was born and raised in Pennsylvania but was swayed by gifts from his aunt to follow the Chicago sports teams. It didn’t hurt that the Bulls had a guy named Michael Jordan playing for them, and the Sixers had…Derrick Coleman. Braedan has stuck with Chicago through thick and thin, and really thin (see: Chicago Cubs). And speaking of Coleman, Braedan is currently a student at Syracuse University.
Danny Granger: “Boston’s a different monster. They don’t have the best record in the East, but they won championships. They know how to do it. They have four, five guys you have to worry about, from (Paul) Pierce, (Rajon) Rondo, (Kevin) Garnett and (Ray) Allen. Chicago, they go as Derrick Rose goes. If you make a concerted effort to stop Derrick Rose, you have a better chance to beat them.”
It’s certainly not the worst thing Granger could have said…but the Bulls are a strong team. Somehow, I don’t think the non-Rose players will appreciate the (mild) insult. I guess the Pacers-Bulls series has officially started.
To continue what has become a common refrain this season, the Bulls had yet another “first time since the Michael Jordan era” moment yesterday when they reached the always-special 60-win plateau.
In fact, the only other times the Bulls have ever won at least 60 games was in the MJ era. Jordan’s teams did it in 1990-91 (61-21), 1991-92 (67-15), 1995-96 (72-10), 1996-97 (69-13) and 1997-98 (62-20).
In theory, win number 60 should have been a little easier than it was. After all, the Magic were minus Dwight Howard (not to mention J.J Redick and Quentin Richardson). Meanwhile, the Bulls were on fire: They hit 10 of their first 11 shots and finished the game shooting 60 percent from the field and 7-for-13 from downtown. They hit 22 of their 26 free throw attempts, won the rebounding battle 37-33 and registered 25 assists on their 36 field goals. Plus, Derrick Rose was unstoppable (39 points, 13-for-17 from the field, 3-for-5 from downtown, 10-for-10 from the line).
What the Bulls did not expect was such a spirited performance from an understaffed Magic team. Ryan Anderson tried to do his best Dwight Howard impersonation by scoring a career-high 28 points (9-for-18 from the f ield, 4-for-8 from downtown, 6-for-6 from the line) to go with 10 rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot. Jason Richardson was locked in (24 points on 10-for-14 shooting including 4-for-5 from downtown) and Jameer Nelson was ready to play (17 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals).
I’m sure Howard’s teammates all support his bid for MVP. But they sure don’t seem to agree with what has become the primary argument in Howard’s favor: That they’re basically a bunch of bums who would totally fall apart without him. They didn’t. Although their defense sure left something to be desired.
Of course, that D helped force the Bulls into 21 turnovers, which led to 23 points going the other way. That was the reason the Magic didn’t get blown out. That Orlando actually took a three-point lead in the fourth was a little stunning. But weird things happen when you give the basketball away.
Said Magic coach Stan Van Grumpy, er, Gundy: ”It is hard to believe you’re even in the game. Their 21 turnovers were they only thing that kept us in the game. … We didn’t defend them well enough to win. They were breaking us down every time.”
Added Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau: ”They played extremely well. It wasn’t a good game for us. Our defense wasn’t very good, our rebounding was below average and we didn’t take care of the ball. We were fortunate (to) win.”
Sorry, Stan. Thibs will not be outdone in the “not happy with my team’s performance” department.
Rose was his usual clutch self, scoring 11 points in the fourth, including eight points in the final 4:26. The final flurry started with an eight-foot jumper to put the Bulls up 91-89. With 2:40 left, after the Magic had gone up 94-91, Rose drew a foul on Anderson and went 2-for-2 from the line. Luol Deng had the ball stolen by Richardson on Chicago’s next possession, then Taj Gibson stole Richardson’s pss and fed it to Rose for a dunk that put the Bulls up 95-94. Rose also went 2-for-2 from the line with nine seconds left to put Chicago up 100-96.
Still, there was added drama when Richardson drilled a three with two seconds left. Carlos Boozer was fouled and connected on both freebies to put the Bulls up 102-99. Nelson very neary tied the game with a triple at the buzzer, but video review showed he shot it a little too late.
Bulls win.
Make it seven wins in a row and 19 in their last 20.
Still, the Bulls really should have won this game more handily, and they know it.
Said Rose: ”We had them. We should have easily put them away. But we continue to let teams come back. It’s going to hurt us if we continue to do this. But we’re definitely happy with this win. We’ve got to learn how to put teams away.”
That’s what a leader should say. Leaders can’t be satisified. Rose never is. And it underscores the point made by ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell: That Rose is and has been a better leader this season than Howard. The main arguments against Rose-for-MVP revolve around stats. But it’s worth noting that leadership is an important component in that whole “Valuable” thing.
I know this makes members of the advanced stats community fidgety because you can’t really quantify leadership or its affect on teammates — some people will say it comes out in plus-minus, but leadership is much broader in scope — but Derrick leads better than Dwight. Even Howard’s coach seems to know that.
Said Van Gundy: “I think where the understanding’s got to be is, when you want to be a leader, how you project yourself is not just about what you think is best for you. It’s how it affects your teammates and everyone else. That’s sort of a fine line with Dwight. Dwight can be loose and a little goofy at times and it is hard to say it’s affecting his play because you just look at what he’s done this year, but it affects his teammates. It affects their preparation and it affects their play. I think he’s got to be able to weigh those two things.”
Anyway, not much more to say on that subject, and, anyway, you should read Friedell’s article. Hey, Rose is more concerned with titles than MVPs, and we probably should be, too.
This season has been full of “first time since the Michael Jordan era” moments, and last night was no exception, as the Bulls locked up the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1997-98.
I’m not sure what to say about the game. The Bulls controlled the action without going all out the way they did against at home against Boston on Thursday night. Derrick Rose, in particular, seemed content to play within the flow of the game and defer to his teammates throughout. He never asserted himself — finishing with 11 points, 8 assists and a rebound — but he never had to. The Bulls shot better than the Cavs (48.8 percent to 43.9), won the rebounding battle (41-39), built a 17-point lead and just sort of held on for the victory.
One guy who did assert himself was Carlos Boozer, who dispelled the notion that he can’t have a big game when Joakim Noah plays. Boozington finished with a game-high 24 points (12-for-18) to go along with 11 rebounds. One of those boards was a huge offensive rebound-and-putback with 1:58 left after Cleveland had cut the lead to nine. Booz also scored Chicago’s final points (of an assist from Rose) with 22 seconds left.
By the way, Noah had 11 points (4-for-7), 8 rebounds, 6 blocked shots [!!] and 2 assists in only 24 minutes despite some lingering ankle woes. So, yeah, I think he and Boozer can play together.
The team played unselfish basketball — 30 assists on 39 made field goals — and the Bench Mob was strong as always: 34 points (15-for-31), 12 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals. Ronnie Brewer (12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) had a game-best plus-minus score of +12.
Now, no matter what happens over the next three games, the Bulls will have homecourt advantage in every playoff series unless the Spurs hang on to their one-game lead and the two teams meet in the NBA Finals.
Wow.
Said Noah: ”Last year we qualified on the last day and now we are the No. 1 seed. That feels pretty good.”
It should.
Everything fell together this season. Rose took his game to an MVP level. Tom Thibodeau proved he should have been a head coach years and years ago. Management — after enduring years of questions about their decision makng and conservative fiscal stance — put together a fantastic ensemble cast around their superstar. Not just in terms of talent. Indeed, there are areas in which the Bulls could definitely improve (specifically, upgrading the starting shooting guard position and bringing in more shooters). But everybody knows their role, works hard, and, most importantly, is dedicated to winning.
Said Boozer: ”The good thing about our team is that we have all good guys. We don’t have any jerks on the team, and in the NBA that’s rare.”
Cleveland Cavaliers Status Check: Record: 17-61
Division: 2-11
Conference: 13-35
Home Record: 11-28
Last 10 Games: 4-6
Streak: Won 2
Last game: Won 104-96 over Toronto
PPG: 95.3 (25th)
Opponents PPG: 104.8 (24th)
Offensive Rating: 101.9 (29th)
Defensive Rating: 112.0 (29th)
Pace: 93.1 (11th)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: .472 (28th)
Turnover Percentage: .134 (17th)
Defensive Rebound Percentage: .733 (19th)
Offensive Rebound Percentage: .242 (25th)
Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt: .232 (11th)
Opp. eFG%: .524 (28th)
Opp. TO%: .126 (24th)
Opp. FT/FGA: .213 (6th)
Leading scorer: Antawn Jamison (18.0)
Stats from Basketball-Reference.com.
Cleveland Injury Report: Semih Erden: strained right adductor/groin/shoulder (out indefinitely)
Antawn Jamison: left pinky surgery (out for the season)
Anderson Varejao: right ankle surgery (out for the season)
Samardo Samuels: strained left groin (doubtful for tonight’s game)
Overview: So, what do the Bulls get for beating the Celtics? A back-to-back against the Cavs! After topping Boston, Chicago’s magic number for the top seed in the East is one. The Bulls can clinch the top seed with a win or a Celtic’s loss. And while the Bulls are fighting for that top seed still, the Cavs are fighting for…ping-pong balls.
Chicago held the Celtics to 38.4 percent from the field and 20 percent from behind the arc. Ray Allen was 0-3 from downtown, while Derrick Rose was 2-5. I’m just sayin’ (sarcasm!). Only two Celtics starters scored in double figures (Jeff Green came off the bench for 10 as well).
The Cavaliers are bad, everyone knows that. They have won two in a row, but that only gets them to the 17 win mark; a mark the Bulls reached in their last 19 games. That two game win streak is Cleveland’s first such streak since early November. Chicago should win this game handily. Hopefully they get out ahead early, so the starters can rest (if Thibs will ever allow them to rest a little).
But will it be that easy? About the time you would expect the Cavs to give up, when they are way, way out of playoff contention (OK that happened in December) and the end of the season is nearing; Cleveland has won four of its last ten. It’s nice to see a team not tanking in the end of the season, trying to get a better lottery number (or maybe the Cavs are just bad at tanking too?).
The Bulls can sweep Cleveland tonight, and close out a one-loss divisional record. Chicago won the first three match-ups with Cleveland by an average of nine points per game—not exactly the most convincing wins over the second worst team in the NBA. Two of the previous games were the second night of back-to-backs.
That is once again the case. Chicago is an impressive 16-5 on no rest. Noah didn’t play big minutes partly because his ankle was still clearly bothering him (26), and Bogans never plays big minutes (17). But Boozer (36) and Rose (40) both were in for a lot of time, and they were still playing in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. Deng logged 97 minutes. Just kidding, Luol actually got a light night for facing a good team, playing 37 minutes. Tired legs really shouldn’t be a problem. The Bulls starters shouldn’t have to play long to get a nice lead, and then take the bench to rest and heal (Noah).
If Rose dominated Rondo and one of the league’s best defenses, what is he going to do against Ramon Sessions and Baron Davis? He has averaged 27 points and 9 assists in the previous games against Cleveland this season.
One win to rule the East.
Bulls on the road: Chicago has won eight of nine on the road and four straight by an average of 15.7 points while shooting 51.6 percent, according to Stats LLC.
About the Author: Braedan Ritter was born and raised in Pennsylvania but was swayed by gifts from his aunt to follow the Chicago sports teams. It didn’t hurt that the Bulls had a guy named Michael Jordan playing for them, and the Sixers had…Derrick Coleman. Braedan has stuck with Chicago through thick and thin, and really thin (see: Chicago Cubs). And speaking of Coleman, Braedan is currently a student at Syracuse University.