Hey look at that! A Luol Deng sighting!
The Chicago Bulls finally got a legitimate second scoring option in their 88-84 win over the Indiana Pacers, as Deng contributed 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Derrick Rose FINALLY got some scoring help.
-He sure didn’t get any offense from Carlos Boozer, who scored a whopping four, on 2-10 shooting.
-We also saw tonight what happens in the playoffs when Rose has a terribly off night shooting; he was only 3-17 before making the game winning drive. The Bulls still won, despite Rose not being Rose. And the MVP-to-be still wanted the ball in crunch time to make the big play.
-Winning a game or two like this at home could be considered “stealing a win,” but all three, including one at their building- this is just the trend. You can’t really call it winning ugly any more. But you can say “breakout the brooms” on Saturday.
By Paul M. Banks
-The ’97 Championship Bulls team had a series exactly like this. Again, it was first round #1 vs. #8 the New Jersey Nets, led by current Bulls tv analyst Kendall Gill. Every game in the series was very tight, but the ended up sweeping them 3-0.
-You knew Darren Collison would play tonight, even though he didn’t practice and was listed as doubtful. Look at the difference his absence made in game 2. Given the magnitude of the situation, anybody who can walk will play.
-GIMME THE HOT SAUCE! Kyle Korver went 5-6 and contributed 12 points. He’s having a hell of a series and really out-playing his three point specialist counterpart in Indianapolis. Brandon Rush has not been a factor for the Pacers.
-Quit bitching about the Pacers’ hard fouls. Have they been harsh? Yes, worse than the first two games? No!
-Both of these franchises had a nagging problem that was plaguing them for years. And both made aggressive strides to correct it. The major difference between the Bulls and Pacers is Chicago has a closer (Rose) and the Pacers do not have anyone close to that. That’s the margin between a #1 seed and #8 in a star driven NBA.
-A couple years ago, the Pacers were becoming “Jail Blazers” light. They had image issues, with Stephen Jackson shooting his gun off in a strip club parking lot and other “elements” on their team. Larry Bird kind of over-corrected the problem, by adding new players that were “wholesome;” appealing to the predominantly white central/southern Indiana populace comprising their fanbase. But now they have a team that plays unexciting basketball and lacks star power and sizzle.
-The Bulls incessant issue has been low post scoring. With the 9th pick in ’07 they took Joakim Noah and claimed there were no good low post scorers available. Fair enough, he did have a double double tonight, which was nice. Of course, the Bulls screwed up royal in going for Tyrus Thomas instead of LaMarcus Aldridge the year before. And what about Booze? His defense was atrocious all season, and he’s not a true #2 complement to Rose. It’s clear after tonight that Boozer will not become a legit star to comprise a truly dangerous inside-outside duo with #1.
-So there you go, the Bulls fixed their inside scoring issue by…Derrick burning past everyone, attacking the rim and making sweet ass lay-ups with three guys guarding him. That’s Chicago’s “points in the paint.”
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
He does a regular guest spot each week for Chicagoland Sports Radio.com You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank and Facebook