83% of game 5 winners in a NBA Playoff series, when the series was tied 2-2 heading in, have gone on to win the series. Great news for the Chicago Bulls, bad news for the Atlanta Hawks.
-Was there a Taj.O web redemption in game 5? Maybe?
Taj Gibson had 11 points – all in the fourth quarter. Derrick Rose also scored 11 in the fourth to close it out, as the Bulls dominated the Hawks 26-15 in the final stanza. But Gibson had a whopping 2 rebounds (that’s 2 more than a dead guy) to go with his 0 (that’s the same amount as a dead guy) in game four.
-So when you start your “Rise of Taj” jokes/headlines remember this 1.) that reference is cliche and unfunny, you sound like a douche. 2.) He’s not ready to supplant Carlos Boozer yet. He’s just a good bench contributor.
By Paul M. Banks
-Speaking of Booze (I’ll have a Cape Codder- hey hey!), he had another double but went just 4-11 from the floor. Coach Thibs said Boozer might have had a turning point after game 5.
‘‘I think he’s getting healthier, and we need his low-post scoring and his rebounding,” Thibodeau said. ”As he’s feeling better, I think he’ll play better.”
Uhm, not so much. But we do hope he turns the corner sometimes.
-Rose showed why he is the league’s youngest MVP, going 11-24, 33 points and nine assists. Most importantly, he consistently attacked the basket or “ATTACKING THE TIN!!!!!” as Bill Raftery would say, and got to the foul line, where he converted 10-13. It was a big improvement over Game 4 when he needed 32 shots to score 34 points.
-Watching the MVP play, I need to make an Atlanta pop culture reference because “I love the way you move. Do de do. I love the way you move do de do. I love the way. I love the way”
-I’ll let Al Horford take that top-of-the-key shot all night. So what if he hit it a couple times, that’s not his game, and eventually sagging into complacency at that spot will benefit the Chi.
–Josh Smith was “Southernplayalistic” in game four. His “Playa’s Ball” of a performance made Hawks fans forget how much they truly despise him, for a little bit. Here’s some tweets from my buddy at GamblingIQ.com, it’s a glimpse to how people in the ATL regard the local product- unrealized potential. They can’t STAND IT when Smith settles for jumpers instead of taking it inside.
GamblingIQ GamblingIQ (Dirty) WTF is Smith doing
GamblingIQ GamblingIQ (Dirty) that is a bad sign…. Josh Smith hits an outside shot #Hawks
GamblingIQ GamblingIQ (Dirty)That is Smith’s problem: million dollar talent and .02 head
-Funny stuff! Dirty South! Atlanta’s Jeff Teague filling in for the injured Kirk Hinrich was one of the lead stories when this series began. It was supposed to be a huge detriment to Atlanta. He delivered his third 21-point game of the series last night, and has been deemed the NBA version of the Cousy Award winner in the past week.
-You ATLiens talking trash to me online, I’m warning you now: I have the same birthday as General Sherman, and I will make “march to the sea” references if you test me. I’ve dated more than my share of G.R.I.T.S (girls raised in the south) and when the inevitable arguing occurs, I will break out the “oh yeah, well we kicked your ass at Gettysburg” retort.
-This works oh so well, across many nationalities of women. Unless of course I happen to date a female Viet Cong; that would be a problem.
-The Bulls led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter but were trailing 70-69 early in the fourth when they went on a 9-0 run to end the game, and start the preparation for the Miami Heat. I know that series isn’t technically over, but c’mon, we know.
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
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank and Facebook