Repeat after me, It's just one game, it's just one game.
But after the Bulls first playoff game victory in five years and three days, the Bulls no longer are winless against the Eastern Conference's elite teams, they broke the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks consecutive wins run against them, and now the only team in that first round series in the last nine years that can boast three current or former All-Star players is the team with home court advantage for the series, the Bulls.
Though it's just one game, it's just one game.
"I think overall our experience of DeMar (DeRozan) playing in so many big series," Nikola Vucecic was saying late after the Game 2 Bulls win in Milwaukee that evened the series at 1-1. "I've played in big series as well. Playing all these years, the experience helps.
"We know Milwaukee has been playing together for a while now and they are still a great team," reminded Vucevic. "So I don't know about evening the playing field for now. We still have to go out and play very well. They are a team that is not going to beat themselves. They defend very well. You have to make big plays to have a chance against them. So regardless of how well we know them or play against them, we still have to go out there and play really well to have a chance. I thought we did that, so we just have to continue."
Caution, especially among players, is an admirable trait. A well earned sense of fear helps. Desperation is a valuable playoff resource.
But for the most part the Bulls have looked like the better team in both games. The Bucks haven't looked much like a confident champion. And that was even before their third primary star, Khris Middleton, was lost for the rest of the series with a knee sprain early in the fourth quarter of Game 2.
That's because the Bucks with a little help from the Bulls did look like they were beating themselves. The Bucks committed a staggering 21 turnovers in Game 1, fortunate thanks to poor Bulls shooting that it only led to 15 Bulls points. But the talking point after Game 1 was that the Bulls lost a golden opportunity to steal home court advantage after holding the Bucks to 22 points below their season scoring average.
So then the Bucks began Game 2 with three consecutive turnovers and, as promised, the Bulls didn't shoot as poorly. And despite being a little shaky at the end, it was the Bulls making the big plays on both ends, crucial steals and late offensive rebounds and clutch shots to square the series.
DeMar DeRozan scored a playoff career high 41 points in the Bulls Game 2 win.
And now Middleton is lost, backup point guard George Hill also is probably out for the series, and sub center Bobby Portis missed most of Game 2 with an eye injury. That's a big eye to get poked.
Suddenly, the sides don't look so mismatched.
Breathe. It's just one game, it's just one game.
But as inconsistent as the Bulls reserve corps has been, the Bucks now assuming Portis can return drag out an erratic bench crew with Grayson Allen, certain to still be under siege in the United Center, Pat Connaughton shooting two of 12 on t3-pointers at home where it's supposedly easier on reserves, and Jevon Carter whoever he is. With Portis out, they had to dig deep for late addition Serge Ibaka, who wasn't even supposed to be in the playoff rotation.
Presumably Allen moves into the starting lineup to replace Middleton, giving Chicago fans an opportunity to start booing in the introductions.
But now a starting Bucks lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, Allen and Brook Lopez doesn't seem so overwhelming compared to 2022 All-Stars DeRozan and Zach LaVine, and 2019 and 2021 All-Star Vucevic.
The only Bucks starter to make an NBA All-Star team since 2013 is Giannis.
Which isn't quite the time to say the Bulls are favorites.
It's just one game, it's just one game.
Antetokounmpo has been terrific, for the most part, averaging 30 points, 17 rebounds and six assists. But he's just 17 of 29 on free throws and had eight turnovers. The Bulls continue to gang up on him in the lane, making those shots that much more difficult. And the Bucks do him few favors often standing around and watching him try to slither through two or three defenders.
The Bulls have done an excellent job of keeping Giannis out of transition, where he gathers team momentum. He's had to work exceptionally hard for his points given the Bucks play calling.
It was understandable given the Bucks domination of the Bulls all season they'd be favorites. But on closer inspection, it's also a veteran Bulls group with DeRozan, who has played deep into the playoffs in Toronto. His comeback 41 points in Game 2 showed that, especially as the Bucks continued to rally.
DeRozan called upon a wealth of postseason knowledge to drop 41 points in the pivotal win.
"Vooch and DeMar and Zach, these veteran guys have played a lot of basketball and in the league they know there are going to be these swings and these guys were poised," said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. "Those three guys are professional, very detailed. They will put the work in and get ready to play. We came back and responded and shot the ball better, and it is a tribute to these guys and their understanding of who they are and what they have to do to get themselves ready to play. They are too good offensively and they work hard. I have a lot of confidence in these guys that when we get good shots good things are going to happen."
The series now moves to an every-other-day schedule. Donovan has relied primarily on his starters, DeRozan averaging almost 44 minutes in the two games, LaVine 40 and Vucevic about 38. Even Alex Caruso, who was supposedly being eased in after back issues, averaged 35 minutes per game. But who gets tired when you're on a roll?
It's just one game, just one game.
That could be the start of something big.