ECF Preview (or, Rambling Bulls' Love and Heat Hate)

Well, since the Bulls finished off the Hawks Thursday (and maybe even since we won game 5), I've been thinking about this Bulls/Heat series. I hadn't been nervous or anxious for either of the first two rounds. Even when we faced a critical game 5 against the Hawks, I wasn't worried. I just felt/knew that we would win, and we did. But since then, a familiar feeling has returned ... anxiousness that can only come from an NBA playoff series against a team that you HATE.

I knew this feeling recently back in April and May of 2009, when the Bulls went 7 games against the modern-NBA's first "Big 3", the Boston Celtics. The archives here at BBS prove how much I hated that team (and how much the series meant to me) as it was the busiest 2 months ever (118 posts over a two-month stretch).

I wrote a few coherent thoughts and mostly spewed hate-filled venom for the same reasons I am compelled to write this preview despite how little I have been writing in this space lately. I am compelled to write because I love the Bulls and, perhaps just as much, because I HATE the Heat. Sports hate is a wonderful thing, as it gives us an "enemy" - our own creation that we can build up and then hopefully destroy in a great triumph. And that's what these Miami Heat represent, this team that we hate and want nothing more than for our Bulls to knock out of the playoffs and "prove" that what they did (and how they did it) was wrong.

But can the Bulls actually knock off the Heat in a 7-game series?! I honestly don't know, but here are some rambling thoughts (hopes?) on why we might be able to pull it off.

When I started thinking about this series, my basketball brain said "Heat in 6", while my heart desperately hoped for Bulls in 7. First, here's why I think the Heat could win in 6:

I'm not sure I can say this enough: I HATE the Heat ... hate hate HATE! But if we try to remove all bias and hate, this is an NBA team with Dwyane Wade AND Lebron James. That's a pretty great tandem by any measure. (Any measure outside of Chicago, where they don't really stack up against MJ and Pip - but that's another issue for another time). In reality, these are 2 of the best players in the A, and they are playing on the same team! Regardless of any of the other players, that is already a formidable opponent.

Now imagine Chris Bosh made 3/4 of his current salary. He's no longer a max-contract guy, but instead makes about $10.8 million this season (or about $.5 million less than Deng). If that were the case (and if he weren't on the Heat), we'd all be saying that he's the best 3rd banana in the league! He put up 18ppg and 8rpg as the 3rd wheel this season ... so what really sucks about him is his contract/salary, not what he does on the court.


OK, enough of that why-the-Heat-are-actually-good nonsense, allow me to rant quickly on why I hate the Heat ...

Early in his career, I respected (and even enjoyed) Lebron's game. But a discussion with 2 friends a few years back changed my opinion. Like many others, I had been ignoring the selfish and ego-maniacal acts off the court and focusing only on his game on the court. But thanks to that conversation about 4 years ago, I saw the light - I realized how much I hated Lebron. Talented, yes. Enjoyable, or even likable, NO. So I hated Lebron before the decision last summer, and it was even easier for me to hate him (and the Heat) after. I was even proud of Bulls organization when we "failed" to sign that punk.

In the present, everyone hates Lebron and the Heat for how they were assembled, which will make this series even more fun. On my end? I hate every little thing about Lebron ... the Heat just beat the Celtics and celebrated like they won a title. There is this ridiculous Lebron "overcame the obstacle" storyline, as though he FINALLY managed to overcome the Celtics the way MJ and Pip finally beat the Pistons. Two thoughts: (1) If i tried to climb a wall, but couldn't get to the top, and then walked around the wall to the other side ... you wouldnt say i overcame an obstacle - you'd say i took the easy way out. (2) Lebron says "As much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland" - which is basically like starting a sentence with the words "With all due respect", it means you're going to disrespect the person you're addressing. "I knew I couldn’t do it by myself against that team." So basically, those guys were so bad that Lebron was playing 1-against-5 last year. He didn't go to Miami just to get MORE help, he went to Miami to get ANY help at all because those players were nothing! He was playing alone! 1-against-5! ... But he started the sentence saying I LOVED my old teammates! What an egotistical fucking prick.




I've spent the last few days reading analysis and trying to breakdown each matchup and the teams as a whole. There are many bloggers and analysists much better suited for that task than I. Here are a few of the better takes I've seen:

(HoopsHype) Chicago Bulls (62-20) vs. Miami Heat (58-24): (Predicts Heat in 6)

(Pro Basketball Talk) Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Bulls vs. Heat: (Predicts Heat in 6)

(Bulls Confidential) How the Bulls can beat the Heat

(CBS - Eye on Basketball) Bulls-Heat Preview: Clash of the you-know-whats: (Predicts Heat in 7)

[This is a must-read breakdown, and not just because Zach Lowe picks the Bulls]
(SI - The Point Forward) Bulls vs. Heat Eastern finals: What to watch: (Predicts Bulls in 7)


Most ECF previews and predictions break down the matchups by position, so here are my rambling thoughts in that format:

Basically, we need our combo of Boozer and Taj to match Bosh. That matchup has to be a wash for most of the other stuff to matter. However, the thing to remember is that Bosh is the Heat's 3rd option! So if both teams get 18/10 from their respective PFs, we've only matched their 3rd option with the guy who was supposed to be our second option (Boozer), and his backup (because I assumed Taj will get significant minutes, and the Heat don't have a backup ... so it's Booz + Taj against Bosh!).

Next, we have Rose dominating the PG matchup. Not worth discussing.

Noah should dominate the C matchup in a similar manner, but he's not an offensive player that can take over and win a game. He needs to dominate on the glass and by being available for help D (taking up space in the lane and altering shots). This is where Asik comes in, and where I once again use the buddy system (Noah + Asik) to point out the Bulls' advantage over the Heat's craptastic group of Cs. Again, the key aspect being dominating the paint (or as Simmons' calls it: the 6-feet in front of the rim), we have two guys capable of controlling that space ... do the Heat have anyone? (Should that be "has" or "have" - I hate singular team names, another strike against the Heat.)

Then we get to the Heat's advantages: Wade and Lebron. These 2 are unstoppable, and it's still somewhat shocking that they play on the same NBA team. But the Bulls' have wing players to make things ... interesting? difficult? Bogans and Brewer are great defenders at the 2, and anything we get offensively is pure bonus. Deng has quietly (or perhaps not quietly) been the Bulls' non-Rose-MVP. He's been spactacular: hitting 3s, slashing, rebounding, and most importantly on D. His footwork has improved exponentially and he really gets Thibs' system. He was a really good defender before, and he is GREAT now ... so he can certainly challenge Lebron. But clearly, both matchups heavily favor the Heat.

So in the 5 major matchups ... we have: 1 tie, Bulls favored in 2, and Heat favored in 2.

I keep coming back to our 2 advantages (Rose and Noah), versus their 2 advantages (Wade and Lebron). Rose and Noah should both be HUGE advantages for the Bulls, while Wade and Lebron(hopefully) aren't quite as big of advantages for the Heat, given our D players at those spots and Thibs' system. Obviously Wade and Lebron can't won't be stopped, but we can make them work for everything with our defensive personnel and Thibs' system, which funnels and helps with perimeter stars.

Beyond positional match-ups and our-system-versus-their-players analysis, I think that Rose or Wade or Lebron will be the best player on the floor any given night. And often, the team with the best player during a playoff game can win that game. Clearly, with Wade AND Lebron, the Heat have the advanatage of having a better chance at having the best player on any given night. I'm thinking that one of Wade or Lebron should be the best player in 4-5 games during this series, with Rose being the best player 2 or possibly (hopefully?) 3 times out of 7 games. This means the Heat will likely have the best player on the floor for 4 (or 5) games out of 7, with Rose taking that role 2 (or hopefully 3) times ... and the Bulls will need a team effort to overcome that disadvantage.

We can only expect Rose to carry the offense so far. We need Noah to get O-rebs and putbacks, we need Korver to knock down shots, we need Taj and CJ to provide a spark off the bench ... we need what we've gotten all season. If we are going to beat the Heat, we are going to ride on Rose's back, but he'll need some help ... it'll be our hometown superstar leading a Bulls' TEAM past Miami's two and a half men. We need other guys to step up and overcome one big night from Wade or Lebron and maybe swing one game when Rose isn't the best player. Can that be done by Luol? or the Booz/Taj combo? or the Bulls' BenchMob - possibly Korver or CJ?

The Bulls have home-court advantage + everyone is HOPING they win, but almost everyone predicting the Heat will win, so the Bulls are somehow the underdogs with home-court advantage. They can ride the energy of the crowd (and entire country outside of Miami) cheering for them, while still having an "us against the world" mindset. So after all that ... I think it's a pretty even series. Maybe the Heat steal game 1, they can shock and overwhelm the shock Bulls as they adjust from playing the Hawks. The Bulls bench is much more talented, and won't be facing such a tough environment in Miami, so they will help the Bull to re-set homecourt by winning game 4.

So I end up where I started - brain (Heat in 6) versus heart (Bulls in 7). And either way, I'm proud to be a life-long Bulls fan as we head into this series. We've all waited 12 long years to get back to this point, playing in (and having a real chance to win) the Eastern Conference Finals, and it really was worth the wait. Maybe the Heat will beat the Bulls and win the title this year, and their "fans" can celebrate at their second "championship rally" less than 12-months after that team became relevant ...

But Bulls' fans don't need a "super team" or 2.5 superstars to support our team. We stuck around for a pretty rough decade after "The Last Dance", whether they were winning or losing, true Bulls' fans have stayed with this team. We've waited 12 years for the Bulls to get back here, and whether it's in two months or next year or five years from now, the wait will be worth it when this Bulls team brings the old summer tradition back to Chicago. Summer starts with a rally in Grant Park, I'll be at the next one no matter how long I have to wait.






But for the record, I've got the Bulls over the Heat in 7, and I'll see you all at the rally in June.

Playoff Excitement: D-Rose Video Collection

In case you missed it yesterday: Exclusive Re-enactment of the Paxson/VDN Fight + Playoff Predictions

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Exclusive Re-enactment of the Paxson/VDN Fight + Playoff Predictions

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• PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Round 1
Lakers over Thunder (4-3)
Nuggets over Jazz (4-2)
Suns over Blazers (4-1)
Mavs over Spurs (4-2)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ROUND 1
Cavs over Bulls (4-2)
Heat over Celtics (4-1)
Hawks over Bucks (4-1)
Magic over Bobcats (4-2)


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WESTERN CONFERENCE

Round 2
Lakers over Nuggets (4-2)
Suns over Mavs (4-3)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ROUND 2
Cavs over Heat (4-2)
Hawks over Magic (4-3)


__________________________


CONFERENCE FINALS

Cavs over Hawks (4-2)
Lakers over Suns (4-2)

_______________________

FINALS

Lakers over Cavs (4-3)

More links and D-Rose scandal?!

But first, a mini-rant ...

Reggie Miller is by far the worst NBA announcer on the planet. I hate when he is assigned to playoff games (I realize he was a sub for Doug Collins last night, but they could find someone else). Reggie is terrible, even worse than the woman who did the back-end of some double-headers on ESPN during the regular season.

He offers no analysis or insight. Yesterday he said: Mo Williams is the first Cav other than LeBron to score 20 points this series, and that's the first time Mo has reached 20 points this series. Really Reggie?! Idiot. Did Reggie also start asking himself simple questions and answering them? Yes.

I could watch Marv Albert announce chess and it would be exciting, but Reggie ruins Marv's excellence and makes me want to mute the games.

I hate Reggie Miller (almost) as much as I ... HATE. THE. CELTICS.




And another mini-rant ...

I know it's been said/written before, but the plays teams run at the end of quarters are absolutely stupid. Those are generally big plays because they can get a home crowd fired up for the second unit at the start of the 2nd and 4th quarters (or take a crowd out of it if the road team scores) ...

And teams continuously do the stupid "player X dribbles the clock down then takes a long step-back jumper" play. It's boring, and it's obviously not the best offensive play the team has - otherwise they would do it all game right?

Some teams are excluded from this criticism (Suns and Magic run a pick-and-roll, but the Magic usually end up with a Hedo step-back J anyway). But think about most teams: Cavs with LeBron, Lakers with Kobe, Bulls with BG ... it's always the same. Couldn't they run that player off some screens and get him the ball in the post, or run the normal offense and make sure it ends up in that players hands?!







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Now some links ...

Why look at another PG? -

Jonny Flynn and his agent, Leon Rose, mapped out a predraft workout schedule for the potential lottery pick based on teams that need a point guard.

Then the Bulls called.

"I couldn't understand why they would bring me in either," Flynn said at the NBA predraft camp at Attack Athletics, confirming the Tribune's report of his Sunday workout. "But they said there are times they wish to move Derrick [Rose] off the ball. When they said that to me, it fell into place."

Whether Flynn is on the board when the Bulls use the first of their two first-round picks in the June 25 NBA draft is impossible to predict. At No. 16 and No. 26, the Bulls have numerous options.

Rose had a grade changed at Simeon -

A year ago, Derrick Rose became the No.1 overall pick in the NBA draft, selected by his hometown Bulls and eventually dazzling enough onlookers to be rated the top rookie in his class.

His ability and promise remain an immutable truth for the present and future. It's Rose's past, though, that is becoming a bit more clouded.

First came news Wednesday out of Memphis that the NCAA is investigating an allegedly fraudulent SAT score of a Memphis basketball player from the 2007-08 Final Four team, reportedly Rose.

Then a Chicago Public Schools source said Thursday that a grade on Rose's high school transcript was changed from a D to a C by someone at Simeon Career Academy in the final semester of his senior year.

Issue with Rose's SAT score also -

A Chicago Public Schools source said Thursday that a grade on Rose's high school transcript was changed from a D to a C by someone at Simeon Career Academy in the final semester of his senior year.

On Wednesday reports surfaced in Memphis that the NCAA is investigating an allegedly fraudulent SAT score of a Memphis basketball player from the 2007-08 Final Four team, reportedly Rose.


"Mr. Rose is aware of the allegations reported in the press," Daniel E. Reidy, Rose's attorney, said in a statement. "Mr. Rose cooperated fully with the University of Memphis' athletic and legal departments' investigation of this issue when he was a student, and that investigation uncovered no wrongdoing on his part.

"At this time, Mr. Rose sees no reason to engage in further discussion regarding this matter and will instead focus on his career as a professional basketball player."

Ripple effect of the allegations -

Let's say you're of the cynical, entertain-me-now school of fandom.

You don't care a wit that young Bulls star Derrick Rose has been implicated as the beneficiary of some serious academic cheating at both his alma maters -- Simeon High School and the University of Memphis.

According to NCAA allegations first reported by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal and Chicago high school sources informing the Sun-Times, some person other than Rose allegedly took his college-entrance SAT, and someone with access to Rose's Simeon transcripts changed one of his grades from a D to a C just as Rose was applying to colleges.

So what, you say. He's a pro now. He was always gonna be a baller. Go, Bulls!

That's fine.

Live in your world of beer-can-on-the-belly sports relativism.

But just ponder the ripple effect and the hypocrisy revealed by the academic fraud before you lumber to the fridge for another cold one.

***** UPDATE *****

Memphis denies allegations -

Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said the Tigers have no reason to believe a former player -- identified by sources as Derrick Rose -- took a fraudulent standardized test prior to enrolling at the university.

"If we thought that we wouldn't have played him," Johnson told ESPN.com Thursday.

Johnson wouldn't confirm that Chicago Bulls rookie Rose is at the center of the investigation. But he denied any knowledge of someone else taking a standardized test for a Memphis player.

Forde: Kentucky sees, hears no evil

There are still plenty of questions to be answered, but don't tell that to Kentucky or its fans. The NCAA allegations at Memphis? No need to dig up the past -- that doesn't involve next year's dream season. Forde

In a letter to the school the NCAA says an unknown person took the SAT for a player, with his knowledge, and then the player used that test to get into Memphis. The NCAA said the athlete in question played for the Tigers in the 2007-08 season and the 2008 NCAA tournament. The only person who played just that season was Rose.

"Whatever Stern says, happens"

I have to admit, I was sucked into the "Kobe v. LeBron" hype. And it's pretty clear that David Stern has called in the fix to set up that matchup ... at least based on current advertisements. The 2 do play for the best 2 teams in the league, so it wouldbe a good match-up, but ...

But shouldn't we all be hoping for Bron v. Melo?! Same draft class, totally different career arcs ... but meeting in the NBA Finals could bring the "arch-rival" aspect back into play. Kobe is in the back-end of his career, but LeBron and Melo are both young and hitting their primes. It's arguable that Bron and Melo are the two best players from the best draft class in recent history. (Obviously you could argue D-Wade over Melo, but Melo is so underrated - matchup nightmare, can score whenever and wherever he wants).

All that being said, I think the Rockets series woke the Lakers up and they will beat the Nuggets, but we'll see. So if I could pick right now - I'm going Lakers in 6, Cavs in 5. Not too far off what I said at the start of the playoffs.


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Big Phil showed me this great video yesterday, look how long Stacey King keeps it up ... he can't get enough ...

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Ridiculous.

Playoff predictions Review (Round 2) and Links

Here's my original Playoff Preview, and [Updates and new thoughts are in bold and brackets]

WEST - ROUND 2:
LAKERS v ROCKETS
Again, Battier and Artest can bother Kobe ... but the Lakers are DEEP. Pau has been great this year. Bynum is great on D. Lamar is great coming off the bench (and getting minutes with the first unit). Plus, remember what happened last time Artest tried to get in Kobe's head? Lakers in 5. [Actual: Lakers over Rockets in 7. Rockets without Yao and T-Mac look pretty good, plus it seems like a good idea to go small against the Lakers - who would have thought?! This was tougher than I thought, but Kobe and the Lakers got it done.]


NUGGETS v MAVS
At this point, I cannot imagine why I picked the Mavs to be the Nuggets. For all the talk about how good the West is, this is the 2nd round match-up?? Nuggets in 6. [Actual: Nuggets over Mavs in 5. Everything is coming together for the Nuggets at the right time: they have a deep/talented front-line, great bench (Birdman for energy, JR for scoring), a big homecourt advantage, a good veteran PG, and a crunch-time scorer.]


EAST - ROUND 2:
CAVS v HAWKS
LeBron is too much. Cavs in 5. [Actual: Cavs over Hawks in 4. Cavs are 8-0 in the playoffs, possibly sweeping their way to the finals?!]

BULLS v MAGIC
The dream ends here. We need Hedo and Shard to stay hurt, and need to get D-Howard in foul trouble. If we steal an early game, we can make it a series ... but let's be happy with a first-round win over the defending Champs. Magic in 6. [Actual: Magic over Celtics in 7. I was wrong with the Bulls beating the Celtics, but got this winner right anyway. Magic looked good in Game7, I don't think it matters tho, no one is beating the LeBrons.]






Here are my picks from the conference finals from my original Playoff Preview -

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:
LAKERS v NUGGETS
Do I really have the Nuggets this far? Gross. Lakers in 4.


EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:
CAVS v MAGIC
LeBron v Dwight. Not even close. Cavs in 5.

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If you like GirlTalk, you should check out E-603. Download the album here.



Fixing the Bulls -

Where To Go From Here

The immediate issue for Chicago is figuring out what to do with Ben Gordon. Considering he's led the team in scoring for the last four seasons and is very much capable of hitting big-time shots, there are plenty of reasons to keep him around. But with the emergence of John Salmons as a legitimate replacement for Gordon (remember that Deng will start at three when he's healthy next year), it might be wiser for the Bulls to let BG walk and save their money for the Free Agency Class of 2010.

Because eventually, let's face it, the Bulls need to land a dominant big guy if they ever hope to be competitive. When Chicago gets hot, they can hit jumpshots all night, but when those shots stop falling they lose the ability to do any work from the post. What's the better investment, Gordon or the possibility of Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, or maybe even Yao Ming? The Bulls certainly feel loyal to BG, but when one considers the business end of this argument, taking on $10 million a year for a one-dimensional streaky shooter might not be the smartest move.

Next season is going to be about developing Rose and Noah and figuring out which pieces on the team are going to work well with those two. It also will hopefully be about remaining fiscally responsible so they can be a player in the following summer's free agency. Despite all the odds, Chicago is still in a great spot to be a player for big free agents or a big trade. If they don't screw it up, they'll be in the Eastern Conference Finals within three years.

Reaction to the JoaNoah pics from a few days ago -

What'd you expect Joakim Noah to be doing after the Bulls were eliminated? Watching the Celtics-Magic series?

TMZ.com has gotten some photos from the paparazzi (who knew Noah had risen to the level of paparazzi?) that show the young Bull romping on the beach in St. Bart's with a young lady, reported to be his girlfriend.

The images leave little to the imagination -- at least of his lady friend -- but hey, Noah had a good playoffs and has earned some rest and relaxation.

Anything else going on in the photos? We'll leave that for you to decide.

Those famous pics linked here.



Tons of D-Rose photos.







Bulls mailbag -

Do you think the Bulls will re-sign Ben Gordon? --John Martin, Edwardsville, Ill.



I’m to sports predictions what Milli Vanilli is to music--a fraud. I get most everything I predict wrong. So take this for what it’s worth, but I say no. I think too much has to happen--Gordon has to want to come back, the Bulls either have to make another move or enter luxury-tax territory--and I think there is some lingering animosity from not being able to strike a deal the last two summers. If Ben leaves, beyond what the Bulls will miss on the basketball court, the media who cover the team regularly will miss one of the most professional, stand-up players we’ve covered. He’s a go-to guy in the locker room.

Should the Bulls re-sign BG? Let us know in the comments here.

Predictions Review

[A look back at my Playoff Predictions. I’ve listed the actual outcomes in bold and [brackets] after each matchup.]

WEST - ROUND 1:

LAKERS v JAZZ
Lakers in 5. [Actual: Lakers in 5. Perfect thru 1]

NUGGETS v HORNETS
Nuggets in 6. [Actual: Nuggets in 5. Gave the Hornets too much credit, they quit on Byron Scott and looked terrible in that 58-point loss ... on their HOME FLOOR!]

SPURS v MAVS
Mavs in 6. [Actual Mavs in 5. End of an era? That’s OK I’ve always hated the Spurs because of my extreme hatred for Bruce Bowen – why? I have all kinds of reasons.]





BLAZERS v ROCKETS
Rockets in 5. [Actual: Rockets in 6. Not sure why everyone thought this was a good matchup for the Blazers?!]





EAST - ROUND 1:

CAVS v PISTONS
LeBrons in 4. [Actual: LeBrons in 4. Did we really have to play this series? It was unwatchable at best.]


CELTICS v BULLS
Bulls in 6!! Bulls in 6!! (This is actually a legitimate choice now that KG is out for the playoffs!). BULLS IN 6!!! [Actual: Whiny bithes in 7. Classic series, unfortunate final result. At least the Bulls are a bunch of young, likable players that can grow together instead of 1 purchased title, nothing to build on, and a bunch of whiny bitches.

HATE. THE. CELTICS.]

MAGIC v SIXERS
Magic in 4. [Actual: Magic in 6. Whoops! Thought this would be easier for the Magic.]

HAWKS v HEAT
Hawks in 6. [Actual: Hawkss in 7. D-Wade was good for 1 more win than I thought.]





[Not bad, only forst round series I got wrong was an instant classic that the whining, bitching bunch of whiny bitches from Boston and the refs stole from our beloved Bulls.]

Game 7

Game 7 can be summed up in the words of my mom after opening a Christmas present from my little sister: "That's not the one I wanted!"

It was a rough loss, but I am happy to have not only watched that series, but be emotionally invested in it as a Bulls fan. It was a great joy to watch, and great experience for our young players. (With a real coach, I think we close it out in 5).

My (quick and not very-well-thought-out) takeaways from the series:
- HATE. THE. CELTICS. I don't understand how anyone actually likes that unlikeable, whining, bitching bunch of whiny bitches. I have not disliked a team this much since the late-90s Knicks (Oakley, Starks, Mason, etc.)
- Good riddance BG. I've supported and cheered, but the selfish play is too much. I've had enough, and seen him shoot the Bulls out of too many games. There are scorers that have much less baggage and who are much less streaky (read: John Salmons).
- VdN is a terrible coach, and is stunting the growth of our young players. Every time he does something right (playing Salmons at the 4 to create a mismatch was clever for a minute), he does 10 things wrong (not playing TT in the second half, every inbounds play we ran, every play we ran out of a timeout, etc.) He might be liekable, but he clearly doesn't get the Xs and Os, or the flow of the game (hence no timeout at the end of games). He doesn't coach/teach players, he jsut subs people in and out, that's it.
- LOVE. THE. BULLS. (YOUNG. CORE.) Rose, Salmons, Luol, TT and Noah will be a great team to watch next year and for years to come. TT needs to continue working his J, and look out for that pick-and-roll. Same with Rose, can you imagine if defenders have to step out on both of them?!? Noah will bulk up and maybe get a post move or 2 (read: baby hook ... Get it JoaNoah!) It's going to be fun for a while, and I'm excited with where we are headed!




I start finals tomorrow, so I'm too busy for links. But BlogaBull had a nice summary -

When I made the pact to just forget about the Bulls and enjoy this series, it's not fair to then dump on the same things that made the series exciting in the first place.

Playing 4 guards for most of the second half? Lindsey Hunter over Tyrus Thomas? Thomas getting 17 minutes overall? It's not a shock that the Bulls couldn't defend or get a rebound to get within arm's length of the Celtics all 2nd half. But that sort of play is partly what made this series so fun to watch, I guess.

What was uncharacteristic (except in game 3) was the Bulls 2nd quarter. Just an abysmal performance: 11 points, on 21% shooting and 8 turnovers, taking an early lead on the back of Rose and Gordon to a deficit they never recovered from.

And they couldn't recover because they don't run a real offense, and have a bad defense. Playing 4 guards and Brad Miller helps excacerbate that disadvantage. Sometimes it leads to great individual performances and thrilling comebacks. Other times it'll lead to losses. With no clear talent advantage on either side, the Bulls didn't lose this game due to lack of experience or savvy, but because they're an unpredictable poorly-coached team, and sometimes the usual tricks don't work. Even if it made for a fun couple of weeks.

And it was that. This series deserves a day or so to stand on its own. The Bulls and the Celtics put in a classic, and gave us a ton of memories.

Then this coming week we can move on to the challenge of figuring out and enhancing an entirely mediocre team on the brink of the luxury tax.

Game 7 Preview

Well what can you say about this series?! Should we expect another OT thriller? Why not, right?!

Should we expect repercussions against Rondo for his (a) trip of Kirk in Game 5, (b) punch of Brad Miller in Game 5, (c) throw of Kirk into the scorer's table, (d) throw of an elbow at Kirk?

Answer: (e) None of the above! Congrats Boston fans, you've cheated your way into a Game 7.

Oh, one of your players is hurt?! I hadn't heard about that. Good thing the Bulls are completely healthy instead of missing a starter (Deng), having 2 starters playing hurt (BG and Salmons) and our best 2 bench players dealing with stitches because of your dirty, scumbag little PG.





In actuality, it's tough to complain about this series. It's been an absolute pleasure to watch as a basketball fan, and an epic-thrilling-each-game-could-give-me-9-heart-attacks-roller-coaster-ride to watch as a Bulls fan.

My feelings for tonight's game (expressed by Bill Simmons) -

So yeah, that's why Celtics-Bulls meant something to me -- just like Warriors-Mavs meant something two years ago. My team won the title last year. I'm only one year into a five-year grace period. I thought I was playing with house money. I never imagined a Celtics series in 2009 would matter this much to me. I never imagined being that crestfallen after a Round 1 defeat. When Noah stole the ball from Pierce and dunked on him, I threw a tantrum like a little kid. I screamed out a slew of F-bombs. I ran outside my house and screamed some more. How could the 2008 Finals MVP commit such a dumb foul? He had five! Didn't he know he had five???? And what's worse than a Jo-No celebration at the expense of your own team? I screamed and screamed and screamed. That play ripped my heart out.

At the same time, I'm glad I still care. I'm glad it still matters. I will always appreciate this Bulls team because they did the impossible: They made a fan base that just won a title care even MORE about their own team. Last season barely matters right now. All that matters is winning the most incredible playoff series ever played. I don't even care what happens after Game 7; we can't beat the LeBrons anyway. This is our NBA Finals. Right here. The Celtics fans feel that way, and so do the Bulls fans. I can promise you.

He's right, winning tonight is like winning the NBA title. I know the players ultimate goal is to win the real title, but what happens tonight will determine how we remember the series. And after the joy it's brought me as a fan, I want to remember it as an upset win, against a team that was supposed to beat us, on their home floor, in a crazy thrilling game 7. So obviously, I'm taking Bulls in a thriller 103-101.



What got us to game 7?? Here's a recap:

GAME 1
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GAME 2
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GAME 3
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GAME 4
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GAME 5
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GAME 6
Halftime
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And here's some Game 7 links ...

Setting the stage -

Between the jaw-dropping individual displays, crisp team play and dramatic twists, it's only fitting that the thrilling first-round NBA series between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls comes to a seventh game.

And what a way to get there.

The Bulls prevailed 128-127 in triple overtime on Thursday to tie the series at three games and send it back to Boston for the finale tonight. The winner advances to play Orlando.

Now, the Celtics are trying to avoid elimination after watching an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter disappear and wasting a 51-point effort by Ray Allen that ranks among the greatest postseason displays in the storied franchise's history.

John Salmons scored 35 points and Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose came through with two big plays in the third OT to pace Chicago.

Plenty of drama -

The Chicago Bulls were pretty much like everybody else late Thursday night -- giddy and disbelieving, silly smiles on their faces, trying to make sense of it all.

Great things had occurred, and the demands for explanations and more drama followed -- specifically, how the heck can they defeat the Celtics at Boston in tonight's Game 7?

"I don't know," forward John Salmons said, before taking a long pause. "Get the last shot?"

Too much fun -

Sit down. Take a load off. Then think about this.

John Salmo ns is averaging 45 minutes 6 seconds of playing time through six games. Derrick Rose is at 45 minutes. Ben Gordon, sore hamstring and all, is playing 43:01.

Four Celtics, including Rajon Rondo with a series-high 46:33, are averaging more than 40 minutes per game.

And still, high-quality plays are being made late in marathon games. Think Joakim Noah's steal, near-full-court dribble and dunk while being fouled. Or Ray Allen's late three-pointers. Or Rose's stunning block on Rondo to secure the Bulls' Game 6 victory.

"It's mind-boggling some of the stuff happening out there," Gordon said. "Guys hit amazing shots, and then somebody else comes along and makes an even bigger play. It's almost surreal."

Apparently it's not exhausting, though.

"I'm having too much fun to be tired," Salmons said.

Reality of game 7 -

What if someone had told Muhammad Ali after the Thrilla in Manila that he'd have to go another 15 with Joe Frazier … in two days?

What if someone said to Rafael Nadal after last year's epic Wimbledon final that he and Roger Federer would have to go five more sets … in two days?

What if someone whispered in Kellen Winslow's ear as he was on the verge of heat exhaustion in that 1982 AFC divisional playoff game in Miami that he had to play another 15 minutes of overtime … immediately?

This is where we are. Game 7 in the Bulls-Celtics series will be more like Game 8. With the total time played in the seven overtime periods, they've almost completed an extra game. The six games have featured 106 lead changes. Take out Game 3 and you have five games decided by more than three points. All games decided in the final possession.

And that's more than likely what we'll get in Game 7 on Saturday (7 p.m. CT, ESPN Radio 1000): The team that has the ball last will be the team that advances.

If we were honest with ourselves, we'd say we've seen nothing like this before. We always talk about how great Game 7s are in sports, but there has never been a lead-up to any Game 7 quite like this. And with that said, if you're a Bulls fan, don't be sad if it ends here.

It has to end there for someone.

Where will amazing happen?

Sports Guy is worth reading (even if he is the most homer of all Boston homers) -

At this point, I honestly expected Rufus to say something. Everything was in play, even talking dogs. We are watching a first-round series in which five of the first six games have come down to the final play. Four of those games went into overtime. One went into double OT. One went into triple OT. It's the wildest first-round series ever played. Whatever happens in Game 7, we will remember it as one of the most incredible matchup in NBA playoff history.

Derrick Rose took the superstar training wheels off. Rajon Rondo turned into Isiah Thomas, The Sequel: Just as talented, just as hated, just as nasty. Ben Gordon and Kendrick Perkins turned into Andrew Toney and Robert Parish. The great Ray Allen became a minus-130 favorite in the "Reggie Miller versus Ray Allen" argument and might have to change his name to "The Great Ray Allen." Paul Pierce added to his legacy and sullied it a little at the same time. Brad Miller made the Faces Hall of Fame and the Dorkiest White Guy Celebrations Hall of Fame. John Salmons and Glen Davis put themselves on the map as bona-fide NBA players. Kirk Hinrich redeemed his career. Stephon Marbury destroyed what was left of his career. Doc Rivers and Vinny Del Negro inspired their players and undermined them at the same time.

There were so many great plays and shots and moments that they have all blurred together. I've watched every second of this series and cannot remember how many clutch shots Ray Allen nailed over the past five games. The number might be nine. The number might be 15. The number might be 23. I couldn't tell you. They have all morphed into one super-duper clutch Ray Allen shot: The man flying off a screen, lulling his defender to sleep, then springing for his shot with perfect form. He is the greatest pure shooter I have ever seen. Ever. Not since Bird has anyone given me the feeling, "We might be down three, but we are absolutely tying this game."

I watched every moment of this series and can't remember how many times Derrick Rose wheeled into the lane, spun one way or the other and either scooped in a layup or a floating one-hander. He does it again and again and again. He does it whenever he wants. Thank God, Vinny hasn't noticed. I have never seen a better athlete play point guard. It wasn't that he blocked Rajon Rondo's game-winning shot in Game 6 as much as how beautiful the play itself was: Rose sniffing out the move, mirroring everything Rondo did, then jumping like a frog and swatting the shot as cleanly as you can swat a shot. A perfect basketball play. That's what it was.

There are many great things about sports, but here's one of the best: You never know when two teams will click. I used a boxing analogy in my column after Game 2, and it still stands. Styles make fights and styles make playoff series. Has to be a constant tug between young and old, unstoppable and stoppable, physical and finesse, experience and inexperience, fast and slow, big and small, stupid and smart. You need guys continually rising to the occasion and pushing themselves to a level they didn't know they had. You need two teams (or fighters) hugging each other afterward and thinking to themselves, "Thank you. You brought out the best of me. Thank you."

We love sports for the simple reason that we never know when this will happen. It rarely does. We watch a lot of crummy games. We watch sporting events that had potential to be great and weren't. We watch sporting events that almost made it, but one dumb thing happened to screw it up: A foul at the wrong time, a penalty, a two-base error, whatever. We keep watching. We keep hoping. And when everything clicks, it's blissful. I am hearing from people who haven't e-mailed me in years. Readers are sending me 700-word e-mails. The thing that keeps jumping out: Even fans without rooting interests have gotten swept up in this series. How can you not?

Think of all the crap we deal with as fans. "Bulls-Celtics 2009" explains why we put up with every story about Clemens and Bonds and Michael Vick and Terrell Owens and everyone else who conspires to make sports less fun. On the same day of Game 6, a story broke that Alex Rodriguez allegedly seen with human growth hormone. The story was digested and consumed in the same predictably brief cycle: Mainstream Web sites and blogs and message boards and sports radio first, then "PTI" and "Around the Horn," then "SportsCenter," then newspapers and magazines. You can either throw yourself into that cycle or look the other way. I am getting older. I just want to watch sports. I have trained myself to look the other way. This stuff clutters my brain, and not in a good way. I just want to watch sports. I just want to watch sports.

Where will amazing happen?

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Game 6 Reactions

Double-dip: Halftime (angry rant) and post-game (game recap in text message form) blog posts at BBS.

As I began this post, I receive this g-chat from Kmart: dude... love being a bulls fan
LOVE JOAKIM NOAH!!!!!!
they gave him the mic at the end of the game to which he just screamed "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"


For the record:
- Vinny sucks at inbound plays.
- The refs suck at reffing.
- Rondo should have been tossed.
- BG was more of a black hole than usual.
- Salmons and Rose played great.
- The refs suck at reffing (needs to be said twice).
- Rondo goal-tended Kirk's layup. (Prove me wrong Celtics fans)
- KG sticks his chin out like he's taking a shot in the face (you know what I'm talking about), but only when the Celtics are up. As Stacey King said: "He's a front-runner"
- JoaNoah to Paul Pierce (again quoting Stacey): "POSTER!"
- This series is epic.
- HATE. THE. CELTICS.


Now for some links ...

Net Reaction. (Click this, it's a flurry of links about the game from around the internets).


TrueHoop reaction/tribute -

When people play like Joakim Noah -- with constant energy, but not all that much polish -- the idea is that the constant effort pays off. Boy did it ever. He works a thousand straight plays trying to create havoc however he can, and comes up with not just a huge steal, but then outraces Paul Pierce to the hoop (the Celtics need an athleticism injection) for a key basket and the ensuing foul, after fouling Paul Pierce out of the game. The free throw was no small feat, either -- that point ended up changing the whole close of the game, and Noah's sometimes a wobbly foul shooter.

Recap -

One more overtime thriller has the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics headed for a Game 7. Seems only fitting for this series.


Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series.

Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but it's back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night after another instant classic in a series that had already seen its share of drama.

Reaction to a classic -

I don't know how I'm supposed to go back to watching normal basketball after this.

I've been obsessing over this game for years. I've been poring over every minute of playoff action my entire life. I've made a point to keep up on everything that happened before my time. I've seen fire, and I've seen rain. I have never seen a series like this, and we still have a game to go.

Apologies for burying the lede, but the Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics in a triple overtime classic that has left me trading text messages with shaky hands, and needing to take a shower after I finish this post. I mean that. The game was all you could ask for from the very beginning, with dozens of phenomenal plays and soul-killing mistakes on either end. This was an absolute dogfight between two teams that appear to want nothing more than to line up for a jump ball to start yet another overtime.

And then another overtime, after that.

Noah Way! -

The United Center is not breathing any easier, not even after Brad Miller hits two free throws to make it 118-115 with 16.9 seconds left. And I think you know why.

Allen is unbelievable. You have no idea when he's going to release his shot. The Bulls certainly don't. His three-pointer from the left side over a switching Kirk Hinrich touches nothing but net with 7.6 seconds left, the game tied 118-118. The Bulls bungle away the last ticks of the clock.

Triple overtime -- now there's something new.

With less than two minutes left in the third extra period, Allen hits a jumper to tie it 123-123. He has 51 points. If the Bulls are going to go out like this, what else do you do other than nod and say you witnessed greatness?

But then out of nowhere comes Joakim Noah, all 6 feet 11 inches of him, stretching out a long arm and knocking the ball loose on the defensive end, taking it all the way, dunking over Pierce for a three-point play and a 126-123 lead with 35.5 seconds left. You nod and say the kid, for all his past goofiness, deserves his props.

JoaNoah deserves it! Hopefully Bulls fans will see him for what he is now, a legit NBA Center. He has his offensive problems, but do we need that from him?! He is an energy player, who should be appreciated for his hustle and rebounds and blocked shots. It will never be pretty, but he's our kind of player, and hopefully Bulls fans will appreciate his antics for the next decade!



Wow! -

This Eastern Conference quarterfinal series has changed time zones and blood pressures, featured stunning individual performances and selfless team play and traveled through six indescribable games to lead to one fitting conclusion:

Game 7.

Win or go home. Put up or shut up. Any cliché fits for a series that has been anything but.

The Bulls forced this scintillating scenario with -- and this is not a typo -- a triple-overtime thriller, a 128-127, adjective-exhausting victory over the Celtics before an eardrum-affecting crowd of 23,430 at the United Center.

Too much -

When this thing went into overtime -- again -- we passed right through the realm of entertainment into the arena of classic.

When Game 6 at the crazed United Center between the Bulls and Celtics went into double overtime, we reached the world of mental and physical exhaustion.

And I'm talking about simply watching!

Six overtimes, and counting, in six games? With overtime No. 3 on its way? Making seven total overtimes? Series tied, heading to Boston for the Saturday finale?

If the NBA could produce more drama on a wooden floor, it would have to use gasoline and gunpowder. 'Whatever overtime it was,' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said afterward. He was trying to describe some key play, some key shot, but it was all a blur.

Recap -

Leading by eight after an 18-point run in the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics looked like they were finally ready to move past the Chicago Bulls.

Instead, a classic first-round series took its most dramatic turn and is headed for a Game 7 that seems so fitting. The way things have been going, overtime seems almost a certainty.

Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series.

Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but it's back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night after another classic in a series that had already seen its share.

"We're starting to see a pattern with these two clubs and it's crazy," Boston's Paul Pierce
said. "It's good for the fans. It's good for the viewers. But we certainly don't like it."

Of course the whiny bitches from Boston don't like it, but our Bulls our LOVING it and enjoying it. Just ask JoaNoah -

''It's emotional -- at the same time, I understand we haven't accomplished anything yet,'' Noah said. ''I'm really excited we're still alive. We were really close to death today. ... It's such a roller coaster, but I'm having so much fun out there.''

INCREDI-BULL!!

A triple-overtime thriller. What a roller-coaster of emotions. I hated the refs. Hated Rondo. Loved Kirk. Hated ray Allen. Loved Salmons. Loved Rose. Hated the refs. Hated Ray Allen. Hated the refs. Hated Vinny. Hated the refs. Hated Vinny. LOVED Joa-Noah. Hated Kirk. Loved Rose.

Right now: hating the Celtics and HATING the refs, but LOVING the WIN!!!

I'm too happy/tired/headache/exhausted/excited/sweating to analyze this game, so the best way to do it is witha recap of texts (and some facebook updates) from throughout, [point in the game in brackets] ...

[Early in the game]
Coe (via facebook) - "the NBA should be ashamed of themselves. Not only did they blow the call during Game 5, they blew it upon review cause it was a game deciding play, and now they are calling anything and everything except not ejecting Rondo for a hook and slam. It's not even fun to watch pre-decided bullshit, I'd rather watch WWE."
Me (via facebook) - "the refs continue to ruin this game. all basketball fans are being cheated as we are forced to watch refs instead of basketball."

[After Rajon threw Kirk into the scorer's table and threw an elbow at him]
Me - "Eff you Rajon. Kirk owns your bitch-ass"
Goat (via facebook) - "that's why Kirk is my favorite NBA player"

HALFTIME - Summed things up here.

[End of regulation, after BG missed a shot in isoloation]
DC - "That's the last thing I wanted on that play ... This is the most nerve racking experience of my life"
Me - "And it's round 1 of D-Rose's Rookie year ... I've aged 38 years in 6 games"
Dru - "Why not give that to Rose and let him drive?"

[End of OT 1, Boston miss]
Me - "Wouldn't Vinny have a play ready? Why waste a timeout?"
DC - "I wasn't going to drink tonight and I'm 5 deep"

[Heading into OT 2]
DC - "Jesus effing Christ this series is bananas"
PMac - "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight"

[After Vinny's inbound "play" at the end of OT 2]
DC - "Worst coach on earth ... How do you not have a play for that?"
Me- "if we lose it's on Vinny"
DC - "And BG, he had the worst game I've ever seen him play"
Me - "But Vinny with his switching on every play"
Dr Bill - "Del negro should be embarrassed about that play call"
Me (via facebook) - "Vinny is the worst coach on earth, probably in the universe. My 4th grade coach could draw up an inbound play ... try the "line" or the "box" vinny you dumb stupid asshole. Vinny is to coaching what NBA refs are to reffing. THE WORST.
HATE. THE. CELTICS."

[Pierce jumped into crowd to save the ball]
Me - "I would stab Paul Pierce if he jumped into me"
DC - "PK yelled 'Stab him!'"

[JoaNoah's steal, fast-break and slam]
PMac - "I take back everything bad I ever said about Noah"
Dru - "Love Noah, absolutely unreal"
Rohde - "P-O-S-T-E-R"
Butts (via facebook) - Uploaded ...


[Kirk missed layup to seal the win]
All Bulls fans - "Are you kidding me?"
PMac - "I feel like I just got kicked in the nuts"


[Post game]
DC - "All that and we have to win another one"
Kmart - "I couldn;t be more drained, that took 10 years off my life"
Dr Bill - "One of the better games ever"
Goat (via facebook) - "words can't do that game justice.... but this is one of the greatest playoff series ever and that was one of the greatest NBA games ever played."
Poose - "You alive?"

Halftime Quick Hits

Slow start because the refs were calling every little thing. Salmons looking good. BG getting to the paint.

Things got heated pretty quickly when Rondo threw Kirk into the scorers table. Kirk stood up like a MAN (unlike that whiny little punk bitch Rondo). Kirk shoved him, and Rondo cocked back to punch or threw an elbow (it's hard to tell what a little bitch like that is doing because clearly he punches like a girl). Of course it was only a flagrant 1 on Rondo (I guess we're lucky it was any type of flagrant because apparently that whiny little bitch can do whatever he wants).


How do you throw someone into a scorer's table and throw an elbow - and stay in the game?? Especially only 1 game after you clothesline someone in the head and get them 7 stitches in the mouth??

Rose is hitting some jumpers.

The refs are ruining this basketball game. It's not even fun to watch with the way they are calling it. Brad Miller, T'd up for looking at a ref. There is no rhythm because the refs think people paid to see them blow their whistles.

Ray Allen is on fire. Everything is going the Celtics way and they are right back in it.



SUMMARY: The Celtics are bitches. Rondo should have been tossed. Kirk is a man. The refs are calling EVERYTHING for the Celtics. Allen has 29 for the whiny-bitches. Salmons has 18 after a quick start. Rose has 20!!



Note: Apparently Rondo did throw an elbow -

Already embroiled in controversy, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo threw an elbow at the Chicago Bulls' Kirk Hinrich late in the first quarter Thursday but was not ejected from the first-round playoff game.

An elbow got Howard suspended in the Magic-76ers series. Will the league right it's wrong from game 5 and suspend Rondo for Game 7 (for a clothesline and throwing an elbow?!) (Hint: No, apparently Rondo can do whatever he wants, ask Brad Miller's lip.)

Stupid Rondo

From the MOST homer-iffic of Boston fans, Bill Simmons -

Q: Should Dwight Howard be suspended for Game 6 for whistling a malicious elbow at Sam Dalembert's head?

A: Yes. Unequivocally. If the 2006-07 Suns can lose their best player for a game because he reacted to the sight of his best teammate getting thrown against the scorer's table like a rag doll and ran 15 feet without doing anything, then Orlando can lose its best player for a game because he nearly ruined Sam's face. Actually, he should have been tossed from Game 5, but the refs didn't have the testicular fortitude to do it. So this is the next best thing.

Q: Should Rajon Rondo be suspending for Game 6 for raking Miller across the face?

A: Yes. Because he admitted afterward that it was kinda, sorta intentional. But here's why the league WON'T suspend him: The NBA would be admitting the officials blew that call. So, they'll fine Rondo and admonish him in a statement, and that will be that. Gotta keep the illusion going that NBA referees don't suck! Hold on, I'm not done.

But of course, the Bulls get screwed and Rondo's "non"-flagrant stands as called -

Rajon Rondo did not commit a flagrant foul against Brad Miller.

Says who? The NBA, that's who.

The league office ruled Wednesday that the referees acted properly when they did not assess a flagrant foul against the Boston guard after he whacked Chicago's Miller in the mouth with two seconds remaining in Game 5 of the Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls series Tuesday night.
...
"We felt Rondo was making a basketball play and going for the ball after a blown defensive assignment by the Celtics team," Jackson said.

Really?! Even after he said this -

"He's probably 290, maybe more," Rondo said. "I'm a little guy, so I had to go for the foul hard. I wasn't trying to go for his head, but I think he went up with his right hand and I tried to make sure he couldn't finish or get an and-one."

And considering this -

Check out this photo. TrueHoop reader Markel points out that Rondo's hand is closed, which makes it tough to conceive as a play on the ball.

Game 5 Reactions

Dan has already covered the angry/bitter post (and he's right, the refs did a poor job last night - but the Bulls lost that game), so I'll try to take a different spin ...

This isn't meant to read as a "we're down in the playoffs, so let's just quit" post, because I legitimately believe the Bulls can win game 6 at home, then have a coin-flip chance at game 7 in Boston. Looking back to the pre-season, if you'd have told me that we would be at this point without Luol Deng, I'd be pleasantly surprised (read: shocked!).

That being said, we've already "won" in these playoffs. The NBA, more than any other sport, has a playoff system that "requires" learning (read: losing first). Many of the great teams had to lose (multiple times) in the playoffs before getting over the hump (much in the way the 1990s Bulls had to overcome the Bad Boy Pistons).

I say we've already "won" because this series has been a great learning experience for the young guys (possibly excluding TT because VdN loves that 4 Gs and a Center line-up, or playing Brad Miller the entire 2nd half of games). D-Rose has played great (game 1) and not-so-great (game 5). But remember, he's 20 years old!! He would not even be allowed to watch these games with us in a bar if he weren't playing. Noah has made a name for himself, and established that we have a legit center.

That means we have the 2 toughest positions locked up with 2 good, young players (Rose and Noah). We have a decent (albeit overpaid) SF that can shoot (Luol), an athletic 4 who's only getting better (TT), and a scoring/slashing 2 guard (Salmons), with BG as the possible 6th man?? - that's a GREAT team going forward!

Plus, we're "learning the playoffs" as we speak. The NBA playoffs are a different animal than the NBA season, and this is a great experience for our young guys (read: Rose). We blew a 10 point lead with 6 minutes to play last night ... 3 years from now that won't happen because we will have done this all before. This has been an emotional, exciting, possibly-greatest-first-round-series-of-all-time ... no matter how this thing turns out, we fans are all lucky to watch such fun basketball, and the inexperienced Bulls are getting the experience needed for the future.


(Note: I'm still picking the Bulls in 7)




Links ...

I thought Doc Rivers said the Celtics aren't allowed to complain? But he can complain and get fined? -

Celtics coach Doc Rivers was surprised the league fined him $25,000 for comments he made Monday about the officiating in this series.

''Yeah, because the question came from you [media] guys about what the Bulls were doing,'' Rivers said. ''What can you do? I'm the personal stimulus package right now. You guys ought to take up a collection. Actually, I think it is tax-deductible, but I don't need any more deductions.''

Rivers was fined for saying referees are looking to call moving screens on Celtics center Kendrick Perkins.

I can't stress enough how much I hate this whining, bitching bunch of whiny bitches. HATE. THE. CELTICS.





And Dan was right, it was a flagrant (the Bulls are sending in the tapes -

His upper lip was swollen and cut, the blood gushing out of the corner of Brad Miller’s mouth and the Chicago Bulls’ trainer reached inside and furiously sewed those stitches. Discombobulated, dizzy, his eyes rolling back, Miller was fighting to keep his mind on the magnitude of the moment.

“I shut my eyes,” Miller said, “and waited until he told me he was done.”

Two seconds left in overtime, two free throws, after the Boston Celtics met Miller with mayhem and malice at the rim. Rajon Rondo never bothered to swing for the ball with Miller on the move, just a forearm to the face that crumpled him to the floor. Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro screamed for a flagrant foul, and Miller looked like a lost soul, wandering in a fog between the bench and the free-throw line, between consciousness and confusion.

“It was just another one of the many shots to the head that haven’t been called this whole series,” Miller grumbled.

Out of nowhere, these Bulls and Celtics are playing a playoff series for the ages and, now, groggy and glassy-eyed, Miller had a chance to push the defending champions to a second OT on Tuesday night at the Garden. The Celtics wouldn’t let Ben Gordon catch an inbounds pass to beat them with a jumper, so the ball found its way to Miller at the free-throw line extended. He faked once, lost his man and had a clear path to the basket for a dunk.

Rondo hit him at the rim with two seconds left, with Kendrick Perkins closing fast. “No layups,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, and that “won the game for us.”

Miller is a career 80 percent free-throw shooter, but he never had a chance. Rondo has done everything for the Celtics, including the clocking of a 7-foot, 270-pound tractor out of Purdue.

“I don’t even know if they cleaned up all the blood around the basket,” Miller said.

Maybe it was a flagrant foul, Miller mused, but how could he tell. “I missed it,” he said. “I was getting a forearm shiver to the face.”

...

“There were arms coming from everywhere, and I knew they weren’t going for the ball,” Miller said. “I was just trying to get [the shot] up before they called some crap like ‘on the ground.’ ”

The Bulls aren’t done. Not even close. They’ve sent film to the league office on the Celtics’ physicality, Miller said, but those never go anywhere. That’s all right. This is good for the Bulls, good for the game. Another night, another epic. Pity poor Brad Miller. He had two free throws, two rims and two seconds left on Tuesday night when little Rajon Rondo had a free shot and pounded him upside that woozy head.

When it was over, Miller was drinking a bottle of water at his locker. He tipped the bottle to one side of his mouth, where there were no stitches, no blood. His knees were wrapped with ice. His eyes were glassy. There was no second overtime on Tuesday night at the Garden, but there’s still a chance for the Bulls to come back to Boston for Game 7, to take the champ’s best shot.

“We’ve got another game to play on Thursday,” Miller said. “Let’s strap it on and see what happens.”

'Painful' loss -

Brad Miller spoke slowly with stitches that had just been sewn into the inside of his lip. He made it clear, though, that he disagreed with the call that followed a swat across his face.

It was "absolutely" a flagrant foul, the backup center said after the Bulls' 106-104 overtime loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night. That would have given Chicago the ball after he took two free throws. Instead, he missed both and a chance to tie the game with 2 seconds left.

Boston, which overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series going into Thursday night's sixth game in Chicago.

Observations from Game 5 -

The Bulls had this one.

They had it … then they let it slip right through their fingertips. They had an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter; they had Ray Allen fouled out; Ben Gordon had a 17-footer to win the game. All the pieces were in place for an upset, for a 3-2 lead and then -- poof! -- they vanished faster than Vinny Del Negro's timeouts. The Bulls have played great throughout this series (minus Game 3, of course), but mentally, they aren't ready to take the next step that great teams have to take. The team is too young and hasn't figured out how to close out games yet. Here are a few other postgame observations from Game 5 …

Beaten and bloodied -

From Ben Gordon's strained hamstring to Kirk Hinrich's cut forehead and Brad Miller's lacerated mouth, the blood-pressure-challenging 53 minutes at the TD Banknorth Garden on Tuesday turned out to be the anatomy of heartbreak for the Bulls in a 106-104 overtime loss to the defending-champion Boston Celtics.

The game made the Bulls-Celtics series the first in NBA playoff history to have three overtime games.

Refs (and Bulls) blew it -

I’m here for the fun . . .

Brad Miller got fouled flagrantly. It was an obvious play. It was an obvious choke by the officials.

The Bulls should’ve had Miller go to the free-throw line, his team down two with two seconds left in overtime in Game 5 on Tuesday. Miller should’ve gotten his shots and the Bulls should’ve gotten the ball out of bounds after Rajon Rondo raked Miller’s face and gave him a fat lip.

But no. It was simply a two-shot personal foul. It probably would’ve been called a flagrant foul if this game was in Chicago, or if the Bulls were the defending champions.

It wasn’t, they aren’t, and Miller missed the first shot. Now he had to miss the second. He did. He missed everything, which is an automatic change of possession. Ballgame.

But forget about that.

Remember instead that the Bulls blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Game 5 Preview & Links

Quick turnaround (and travel to Boston) after an epic Game 4, that's got to favor a younger Bulls team. Pierce has been carrying them for months, and must be tired. Rondo cannot possibly keep this up, can he? (The basketball fan in me wants to say yes, but the Bulls fan hopes NO!)

I think D-Rose and our young bigs should be able to run their bigs out of the gym (tire them out, get them some cheap fouls, etc.) Just as I said in my Game 4 Preview: "Maybe we can actually get Rose going to the hoop to get their limited bigs in foul trouble ... but is Vinny smart enough to try an actual strategy?? I'm pretty sure it will be in spite of whatever Vinny does, but I believe in D-Rose coming up big, so I've got the Bulls in a close one."

Again, they have 4 bigs available tonight, and two of them are Brian Scalabrini and Mikki Moore ... Vinny, can you please take advantage?!



Links ...


ESPN Game Preview -

Last year Boston was tied 2-2 in its series with Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit, going on to beat the Hawks and Cavaliers in seven games and the Pistons in six. They won the NBA title in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers.

But that team had Kevin Garnett, Leon Powe, James Posey and P.J. Brown as part of a defensively intimidating frontcourt. In these playoffs Garnett and Powe are sidelined with knee injuries, Posey is with the New Orleans Hornets and Brown is retired.

"We're short-handed and we're trying to work our way through that," Boston coach Doc Rivers said.

The problem was compounded Sunday when starting center Kendrick Perkins and reserve forward Brian Scalabrine fouled out.

Rivers said he won't allow his players to complain about fouls. Then he did that himself while dropping a hint for Tuesday night's officials.

Read that last part again: "Rivers said he won't allow his players to complain about fouls." Now try not to laugh when you watch these whiny, bitching Celtics complain all night tonight!!





Kmart beat me to linking to this great article.





Is BG playing??





And in case you forgot what Game 4 was like ...

D-Rose

Missed this earlier ...
A series to remember -

This is the series where everything happens. Overtimes. Ben Gordon and Ray Allen. Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo. Goose bumps. And now, a best two-out-of-three scenario, thanks to the Bulls' 121-118 double-overtime win at the United Center on Sunday afternoon.

This series is tighter than spandex on Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Three of the first four games have been decided by a combined eight points. Two of the games have already wandered into overtime. If this thing gets any more exciting, the league will have to issue defibrillators to ticket holders.

"In the playoffs you've got to learn how to forget quick,'' said the Celtics' Paul Pierce.

Speak for yourself. We want to remember every delicious detail of this series, especially Sunday's Game 4, which gets the instant classic limo treatment Monday on the mothership network (ESPN Classic, 5 p.m. ET).

And if there's such a thing as an opening-round classic, then the Bulls-Celtics qualifies. It's the series that keeps giving, thanks to the Bulls' rookie point guard Rose, the Celtics' third-year point guard Rondo, the veteran guards -- the Bulls' ridiculously fearless Gordon, the Celtics' shaved-headed assassin Allen. It's the series you don't want to see end -- and it might not for another three games.

"Maybe we like Chicago a lot,'' said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who was born and raised here. "Maybe we want to come back. The pizza's frickin' good.''

Might be subtle, almost unnoticed mistakes, but VdN keeps making them -

Check out these situations:

With 1:06 left and the game tied at 91, Boston's Ray Allen is shooting a free throw, while Del Negro stands poised to call timeout afterward (we can presume this because he ended up calling timeout seven seconds later when the Bulls finally got the ball).

In other words, the only play that could possibly happen between the free throw and the timeout is a defensive rebound situation. But instead of subbing in Brad Miller or Tyrus Thomas, Del Negro left John Salmons as the "big man" on the block. Rajon Rondo went around him to grab the offensive rebound, and only a tripping foul seconds later on Kendrick Perkins averted disaster.

Amazingly, this happened again. With 18 seconds left in overtime, Boston up by two and Paul Pierce at the line, Del Negro again left his best rebounders on the bench right before a timeout. This time, however, his team grabbed the carom

With a three-point lead and 16 seconds remaining in regulation, Del Negro came out of a timeout with his key defender, Kirk Hinrich, on Paul Pierce, even though Boston's best shooter, Ray Allen, was the main threat in that situation. With a two-point deficit and 39 seconds remaining in the first overtime, he had Hinrich on Allen and Salmons on Pierce, despite the high likelihood of an isolation play for Pierce. Thus his best defender was out of the play on two of the biggest possessions of the game.

At least Hinrich was on the court, which is more than can be said for Lindsey Hunter. At every key moment, Del Negro left his worst perimeter defender, Rose, on the court, while the veteran Hunter -- who is in the league only for his defense -- stayed on the bench. Hunter played one possession at the end of the first half, and that was it.

Even in situations such as the two referenced above, in which the only outcome was a defensive possession followed by a timeout or a foul, Del Negro didn't put Hunter in; instead, we got to see Rose get hung up on a screen for the 183rd time in four games as Allen knocked in a game-tying 3 to send it to overtime. And of course, on that final play in the second overtime, Hunter could have been brought in to pressure the ball and give a foul.

Cannot find the words ...

That game was incredible. First, sorry to anyone who actually tried to read the Live Blog, there was nothing in there worth reading. Second, did D-Rose have the quietest 23-9-11 of a rookie in the playoffs ever?! He and Rondo are playing out of their minds. It is an absolute pleasure to watch. BG and ray Allen, 2 words for you: pure and clutch. I feel lucky to watch these games as a basketball fan. Being emotionally tied in as a Bulls fan makes it even more fun.

My one complaint: the coaching "match-up." This is like watching John Wooden coach against the guy who hosts 'What Not to Wear.' The Celtics had an inbounds play late in the game and ran a double screen going away from the ball that freed up Allen for an open three (after Rondo threw a pretty inbounds pass the width of the court). We had an inbounds play that had two guys standing still in the backcourt, almost got a 5-seconds call and ended with Kirk forcing in a hand-off to Salmons who (luckily) got fouled.

Doc Rivers is making VdN look even worse than he has all season, and it's legitimately embarrassing. The Bulls are staying close (and winning) these games desite their coach, which is even more of a credit to the rookie PG leading the way.






Reaction from HoopsWorld -

Holy wowzers, what a game! Plenty of big shots and big drama, and now we've got a brand new series heading out to Boston for Game 5.

If you take Game 3 out of the equation, this series has been arguably the most competitive in the entire 2009 NBA Playoffs, and as if either team needed any more reason to make things more competitive, Boston's Glen Davis and Chicago's Brad Miller involved themselves in a little scuffle early in the fourth quarter that really jumpstarted this Windy City crowd. Unlike Thursday night, the paying customers got their money's worth this afternoon.

The rumble looked pretty serious at first, but after several replays what originally looked like a Brad Miller punch to Big Baby's face ended up just being a push with the forearm and an incredible acting job by Davis. He seriously grimaced like he'd just been shot. Watch in slow-motion on tonight's replays. You'll get a good giggle out of it.

Ray Allen nailed another heart-breaking three towards the end of regulation to send this game into overtime, and then Ben Gordon countered with a three of his own at the end of the first overtime. The Bulls won, and their elated locker room afterwards showed how happy they were about that. But Boston took this loss very hard, especially Ray Allen, who took an extremely long time showering and dressing before giving his post-game interview. In it, his responses were very short and his face was stoic. He's not happy, nor is Paul Pierce, meaning Game 5 should be a doozy.

That's it for me this afternoon (though it's almost evening at this point), but I'll be back here for Game 6 on Thursday night. Until then, enjoy the Playoffs. I certainly did today.

BlogaBull didn't watch live -

I actually knew the result of this game (and some of the key plays) before sitting down to watch it. If I hadn't know the Bulls had won, I likely would've been way too intense over missed FTs and poor defense in clutch situations. Or too pumped after some unbelievable shots by the Bulls guards (with Derrick Rose being simply amazing in the 4th quarter). But forget the calm, I wish I could've seen it live, as despite some more sloppy play, it was another classic from these two teams.

My almost-had-7-heart-attacks-during-the-4th-and-OTs is a bit jealous.




As a heads up, Tuesday is another early (6pm) start in Boston. Butch Maguire's anyone?



Another reaction -

When the last elbow had landed and the last floor burn had cooled, the Bulls somehow escaped with a 121-118 double overtime victory, knotting these Eastern Conference quarterfinals at 2-2 with Game 5 on Tuesday night in Boston.

The Bulls overcame costly missed free throws and turnovers and a five-point deficit with 2 minutes left in the first overtime to win with heart and hustle, qualities that defined Van Lier.

A ridiculous three-pointer by Ben Gordon that forced the second overtime didn't hurt either, which is why Gordon answered quickly when asked where this game ranked in his five-year career.

"This is No. 1, easy," Gordon said. "This is the biggest game of our careers. This says we never give up. We have a lot of fight on our side."

A lot of heroes, too.

Gordon played through a strained left hamstring to score 22 points, including his three-pointer over Paul Pierce with 4.5 seconds left in the first overtime and a 17-foot jumper on the first possession of the second as the Bulls never trailed in the final five minutes.

Derrick Rose flirted with a quadruple double, tallying 23 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and, ahem, seven turnovers in another classic battle with Rajon Rondo, who did have a triple double.

Great observations (click and read the full article) -

They missed free throws in game-tying and game-winning situations. They committed some head-scratching defensive lapses. Their Rookie of the Year ace ballhandler turned the ball over seven times.

And somehow the Bulls survived, beating the Boston Celtics 121-118 Sunday in a wildly entertaining matinee playoff game that required two overtimes before it was settled, much to the delight of 23,067 thoroughly drained fans at the United Center.

Some observations on a madcap first-round series that's in a surprising 2-2 deadlock headed to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday:

On point: The battle of young point guards remains the series' most intriguing sub-plot.

This is troubling (but BG's comment is funny) -

Bulls guard Ben Gordon needed an anti-inflammatory shot at halftime Sunday to make it through the pain of a strained left hamstring. He will undergo an MRI exam today, which will help determine if he can play in Game 5 on Tuesday in Boston. "I was driving and I heard something pop," said Gordon, who incurred the injury while shooting in the second quarter. "It's sore; hopefully itï's not too serious. I'm going to do what I need to do [to play]." Gordon rode a stationary bike near the Bulls' bench during the third quarter to keep the hamstring loose. "It started affecting me right away," he said. "I couldn't do some of the things I wanted to do. But a game like that, you've got to play through it."

Gordon's celebratory gesture after drilling the tying three-pointer at the end of the first overtime likely will draw a fine from the league. "If Mr. [David] Stern asks, it was my groin [bothering him]," Gordon joked.

Just another reaction -

Ben Gordon was joking when he said he couldn't remember how the play developed that led to his tying three-pointer at the end of the first overtime Sunday.

But the 23,067 screaming fans at the United Center won't soon forget the Bulls' 121-118 double-overtime victory -- with its 28 lead changes and 12 ties and countless big plays -- that evened the best-of-seven first-round series, which heads back to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.

''We were so close to death so many times,'' Bulls center Joakim Noah said. ''BG hit that huge shot. It just gave us so much energy and so much belief we could do it.''