76ers-Bulls Preview

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Posted May 07 2012 7:12PM

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) It seemed almost unthinkable that the Chicago Bulls could be in this spot.

Yet here they are, trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 3-1 in the first round and trying to avoid elimination as they return home for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

If the Bulls lose, they will be just the fifth No. 1 seed to fall to an eighth seed. It would also give Philadelphia its first series victory since 2003, a scenario few envisioned when the postseason started.

"It's been a crazy year from beginning to right now," guard Richard Hamilton said Monday. "We know that."

They also realize it'll take a wild comeback for them to advance, particularly given their injuries. They lost Derrick Rose for the remainder of the season to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late in the series opener, and center Joakim Noah will likely sit out his second straight game because of a sprained left ankle, leaving them without two of their leaders.

As they staggered back home following Sunday's 89-82 loss, they sure looked like a beaten team. History says they're just about finished, too. Only eight teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 series.

Hamilton wasn't conceding anything. He was with Detroit when the Pistons turned the trick in 2003, beating in the first round Orlando after falling behind 3-1 and advancing all the way to the conference finals.

"When we played Orlando, I remember Tracy (McGrady) made a comment saying that it feels good to be going to the second round, so we kind of took that personally," Hamilton said. "Right now, it's personal. It's not just about business. ... It's personal. This is it. You can win and continue playing, or you can go home, so you've got to make it personal."

The 76ers weren't making any bold statements after Game 4, even though they're on the verge of a rare feat. The only other eight seeds to knock off a No. 1 are Denver (1994), New York (1999), Golden State (2007) and Memphis last season, when it eliminated San Antonio, but while they put themselves in a good spot, they also got a few words of caution from associate head coach Michael Curry.

Like Hamilton, he played on that 2003 Pistons team.

"I think Michael Curry was great in the locker room yesterday when he talked about the Detroit-Orlando situation," coach Doug Collins said. "You can't go in with the idea we've got three games to win one. That would be very bad psychology. We've got to go in with the idea that we want to go to Chicago and we want to finish the series."

Andre Iguodala agreed.

"We're hungry and we still want it just as bad as if we were down 0-3," he said. "We've got to come in and play like this could be our last game."

For Chicago, it has simply been a brutal series.

Rose was looking more like an MVP after missing 27 games during the regular season because of injuries when he went down late in Game 1, and the Bulls haven't been the same without their superstar.

They got plowed over in the second half while dropping Game 2, and things only got worse in Game 3. As if watching their best player go down weren't enough, they lost one of their emotional leaders after Noah stepped on Iguodala's foot while driving the lane.

And in Game 4, they again came up short.

Jrue Holiday has been giving them fits, averaging 19.8 points in the series. He nailed two 3-pointers down the stretch on Sunday after struggling most of the game. Spencer Hawes has been a big headache, too, shooting over 57 percent and averaging 12.5 points in the series.

The Bulls, meanwhile, have gotten little from Luol Deng. Carlos Boozer has been inconsistent, and Hamilton can't even get on the court down the stretch, with coach Tom Thibodeau going with Kyle Korver instead. He sat out the entire final period in each of the first two games and was in for just 27 seconds in Game 4 after playing 9 minutes, 43 seconds in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

"You do (want to play in the fourth), but it is what it is," Hamilton said. "Whatever they need me to do, I'm going to do. My job is if I'm not on the court in the fourth quarter is to cheer for the next guy because I know the next guy would do the same thing for me."

The Bulls came in with big expectations, eyeing a possible rematch with Miami in the Eastern Conference finals after grabbing the No. 1 overall seed for the second straight year.

Now, they're in a spot few envisioned.

"That's where your mental toughness, your physical toughness come into play," Thibodeau said. "Hopefully, you've been building the right habits all season long to get through situations like this. Every team in the playoffs is going through the same thing. There's going to be ups and downs. You have to be resilient. You have to persevere. You have to get through things.

"But we have more than enough to win with," he continued. "We just have to finish it off."

Deng, Boozer lead Bulls past 76ers 77-69

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Posted May 09 2012 1:53AM

CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bulls aren't quite finished after all. They're still in a dire situation, though.

Luol Deng scored 24 points, Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Chicago beat the Philadelphia 76ers 77-69 on Tuesday night to avoid a first-round playoff exit.

The top-seeded Bulls finally won without point guard Derrick Rose, building a nine-point halftime lead and staying in control down the stretch to pull within 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday in Philadelphia, and the way Chicago sees it, maybe, just maybe, some of the pressure is now on the 76ers.

"Definitely," Deng said. "We're in a situation where we know if we lose we go home. After tonight's game, they're going to feel a little pressure and try to close it out."

It's been a brutal series for the Bulls.

Rose tore the ACL in his left knee late in the opening win, casting a huge cloud over a team that came in eyeing another big run after reaching the conference finals a year ago, and things only got worse from there.

In Game 2, there was a second-half collapse at home. In Game 3, there was center Joakim Noah spraining his left ankle, and in Game 4, the Bulls came up short again.

With Rose out for the rest of the season and Noah sitting out his second straight game, Chicago came in looking like a team that was ready to bow out.

Instead, the Bulls locked down the Sixers, holding them to season lows for points and shooting ( 32.1 percent). And with Boozer and Deng coming up big, Chicago kept its season going.

"You can't let one game all of a sudden get you spinning in the wrong direction," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We didn't expect to beat the Bulls four straight. This is a damn good team."

Deng played more like an All-Star after averaging just eight points in the previous three games, hitting 4 of 5 3-point attempts - three in the fourth quarter. He also grabbed eight rebounds. Boozer tied a career-playoff high with six assists, and the Bulls came out on top just when their season appeared to be unraveling.

They still have no room for error.

A loss Thursday would make them the fifth No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in the first round and the second in as many years, after San Antonio fell to Memphis last season. But if they continue to play like this, the Bulls just might have a shot.

"They're going to treat the game in Philly like it's Game 7," Chicago's Richard Hamilton said. "They don't want to come back here. We've got to figure out a way to do the same thing we did tonight, and hopefully, we'll get the win."

Jrue Holiday scored 16 points for Philadelphia but hit just 5 of 17 shots. Lou Williams scored 13 points and Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes both finished with 11 as the Sixers remained one win from their first series victory since 2003.

Hawes grabbed 14 rebounds, but it was a rough night for him after scoring 21 and 22 the previous two games. He wound up with a nasty scratch running from the side of his left eye to below the lip after going up for a shot during the fourth quarter.

Even Holiday said, "Wow, what's that?" as Hawes walked by on his way out of the locker room.

"It's a physical series," Hawes said. "If that's how it's going to go, we can play that brand of basketball."

There was some tension late in the second quarter after Boozer missed a jumper.

Taj Gibson and Elton Brand wound up on the court near the Bulls bench in a scramble for the loose ball, and they kept going at it as players from both sides joined the scrum.

Ronnie Brewer and Evan Turner appeared to exchange some heated words, but Gibson and Brand wound up getting technical fouls with 2:25 left.

"Got an elbow in the face," Brand said. "Can't allow that. But after the play was over, it's over."

The Bulls were on a 10-2 run to close the half that gave them a 35-26 lead. They were up 57-48 going into the fourth quarter after another injury scare late in the third.

This time, Gibson came up clutching his right ankle and hit the court after fouling Lavoy Allen underneath with just over 2 minutes left in the quarter. He came back early in the fourth to loud cheers, and the crowd was really roaring when Deng nailed a 3 to make it 67-52, giving the Bulls their biggest lead.

They had more to cheer when Gibson hit a jumper, pumping his fist, and two free throws to get the lead 71-58. And they were really screaming moments later when Brewer blocked Brand on a putback.

Question is: Will they be seeing the Bulls again this season?

"We feel like we can go to Philadelphia and get one great road win," Boozer said.

Notes: Gibson vowed to be ready for Game 6, saying, "I'll be fine. Knowing myself, I'm going to play. I'm not going to sit out." ... Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau again said a timetable for Rose's surgery has not been set. "They're still talking things over," he said. ... Fans gave Rose a loud ovation and he responded with a wave when he was shown seated in a suite during a second-quarter timeout. ... Brand had five points for Philadelphia, and Turner scored four.

Notebook: Bulls 77, Sixers 69

Posted Wednesday May 9, 2012 1:01AM

By Kent McDill, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Whether it was the result of a strong defensive effort by one team or a poor offensive showing by the other, the host Chicago Bulls recorded a 77-69 victory over Philadelphia Tuesday to stay alive in their first round playoff series. The 76ers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading back to Philadelphia Thursday for Game Six. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 24 points and Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with 16 points, while Spencer Hawes had 11 points and 14 rebounds.

THE FACTS II: The victory was the first for the Bulls since Derrick Rose went down with an ACL tear in Game 1 of the series. The Bulls took the lead for good midway through the second quarter. The 76ers had just 26 points at halftime, although the Bulls weren't much better with 35.

QUOTABLE I: "They were the No. 1 defensive and rebounding team in the regular season for a reason. We are getting good shots. We just didn't hit our open shots."
-- Philadelphia forward Elton Brand talking about the Bulls.

THE STAT: The 76ers shot just 32 percent (25 for 78) from the field, their third consecutive game shooting under 40 percent. The Bulls shot 41.5 percent (32 for 82).

THE STAT II: The Bulls made just four of 11 free throws, and the 76ers were 17 for 24 from the line.

THE STAT III: Each team had 11 blocked shots (three for Brand of Philadelphia, four for Taj Gibson of the Bulls). The Bulls averaged just under six blocks per game during the regular season, and the 76ers averaged just over five per game.

TURNING POINT: After a taffy pull of a first quarter, Deng hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Bulls an 18-17 lead at the end of the first. The Bulls then scored 10 of the final 12 points of the second quarter to open a 35-26 halftime advantage.

PLAYOFF INTENSITY: Gibson and Brand ended up on the floor battling for a rebound late in the second quarter, and suddenly all the players from both teams started pushing and shoving each other over the two sprawled players. Gibson and Brand each earned technical fouls

INJURY UPDATE: With 2:06 left in the third quarter, Gibson's right foot got bent under Philadelphia center Lavoy Allen and he left the game and went to the locker room. When Gibson hit the floor, the United Center crowd gasped loudly, as Bulls fans worried that a third key player (Rose, Noah) was about to have a severe injury. Gibson came back to play in the fourth quarter.

HOT: Although he was just three for seven from the field, Gibson had seven rebounds and four blocks to go with eight points and was the emotional leader of the game.

NOT: Holiday made just five of 17 shots from the field for his team-high 16 points.

QUOTABLE II: "His impact on the game was terrific.''
-- Philadelphia coach Doug Collins on the play of Gibson.

QUOTABLE III: "They are going to treat game in Philadelphia like Game Seven because they don't want to come back here. We have to figure out a way to do the same thing we did tonight and come out of there with a win."
-- Bulls guard Rip Hamilton.

ROOKIE WATCH: Allen, a rookie from Temple, was Philadelphia's leading scorer at halftime with just six points. He finished with nine points and six rebounds.

NOTABLE: The 26 points scored by Philadelphia in the first half was the lowest in franchise history. ... The game was stopped in the second quarter because there was chewing gum on the basketball. ... The Bulls made more 3-pointers (five) than they did free throws (four)...

UP NEXT: Game 6 of the series Thursday night at Philadelphia.

• 76ers: Silas
• Bulls: Rose

• 76ers: Brand
• Bulls: Gibson

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #40 Leon Wood, #55 Bill Kennedy
• Attendance: 22093
• Duration: 2:22