Eastern Conference Semis: Bulls vs Hawks

[manchild24]

Empire is slipping so I'll put it up. Hope I didnt jinx my Bulls
This series concerns me. We've had big leads go out the shitter vs them twice this year.

 

[red33]

atl is horrible orlando i mean chicago is going to sweep.

 

[Senser81]

Hawks sweep. Boozer sucks.

 

[manchild24]

WTF Bulls. We win this we are escaping with our lives

 

[NAHSTE]

WE GON SHOCK THE WORLD

 

[G-men]

hey Chicago, you jelly?

edit: Rose just came up limping :rolling:

 

[Point Blank]

Joe Johnson!

 

[1ke]

Was it just me, or did it seem like EVERYTHING Atl threw up went in.... Ionno, maybe its just me.

 

[NAHSTE]

Was it just me, or did it seem like EVERYTHING Atl threw up went in.... Ionno, maybe its just me.

Definitely an unsustainable shooting pct. But that has been Atlanta all year. Great when the shots fall ... when they don't, look out (see, game 5 of the Orlando series or any of the many 30+ pt. losses suffered in the regular season).

But it was still a very encouraging performance to keep the Bulls at arm's length like that for the entire 4th quarter.

 

[Senser81]

The Bulls have looked bad on defense the entire postseason. Boozer needs to take a seat.

 

[manchild24]

Definitely an unsustainable shooting pct. But that has been Atlanta all year. Great when the shots fall ... when they don't, look out (see, game 5 of the Orlando series or any of the many 30+ pt. losses suffered in the regular season).

But it was still a very encouraging performance to keep the Bulls at arm's length like that for the entire 4th quarter.

It was just like D-Wade vs the Celtics. they wont keep that pace up. Hats off to the Hawks, they came into Chicago and took it to them. the fact they made everything and the Bulls missed everything is part of the game.

Hey the Bulls came back and were up 6 at one point in the third.

The Bulls have looked bad on defense the entire postseason. Boozer needs to take a seat.

Boozer in my opinion has been a let down more and more as the season went on. Is the injury he suffered in the final two weeks of the regular season or is it, "fuck I got paid" attitude now. His ass better pick it up.

 

[Senser81]

The advantage the Bulls had in facing the Hawks instead of Orlando was that the Hawks had no one who could matchup with Boozer's inside muscle. With Boozer taking another powder this series, that advantage disappears and now the Bulls are at the disadvantage with trying to have Deng cover Joe Johnson.

 

[ralaw]

The Bulls also have no one that can handle Crawford. When the Hawks are on their game the Hawks are a matchup nightmare for Chicago....too big, too athletic and too skilled.

 

[manchild24]

The Bulls also have no one that can handle Crawford. When the Hawks are on their game the Hawks are a matchup nightmare for Chicago....too big, too athletic and too skilled.

I guess if you think about it Deng and Rose are the only real athletes on teh court. Noah - who I HATED when they drafted him, Ive grown to love with his style of play. I really appreciate his rebounding and scrappy play.

I thought when he got T'd last night and then came down and dunked over someone, the place went nuts and I thougth it was the beginning of the end for the Hawks but that never happened.

 

[Rush]

Hawks played great in game 1, if Joe Johnson/Crawford stay hot, they can take the series. Hopefully that isn't the case and the Bulls fucking show up for the playoffs finally. Playing down to the Pacers skill level all round 1 took them off their game. They've yet to play like the Bulls from the regular season.

BTW if anybody is unaware, Bulls fans hate Carlos Boozer for his lack of any sort of defense.

 

[NAHSTE]

The advantage the Bulls had in facing the Hawks instead of Orlando was that the Hawks had no one who could matchup with Boozer's inside muscle. With Boozer taking another powder this series, that advantage disappears and now the Bulls are at the disadvantage with trying to have Deng cover Joe Johnson.

Disagree. I think going into the series, the biggest match up advantage (and it was glaring) Chicago had was at the PG position. Atlanta's best/favorite offensive lineup pairs Crawford and Johnson together in the back court. Crawford is a bad defender and Jeff Teague is only marginally better while also unproven. The Hinrich injury was thought by Hawks fans to be a catastrophic loss because he is the only competent defensive guard on the roster. Meanwhile the Hawks have two of the better defensive front court players in the league playing side by side plus a few warm bodies they can throw in to slop things up/commit fouls inside. I don't think Boozer was ever thought to be a major match up problem by Atlanta.

The bigger surprise is that Jeff Teague played well offensively and that collectively the Hawks guards were able to force Rose to use 27 shots to score 24 points, not that Carlos Boozer was relatively ineffective against the Hawks' defensive strength.

Either way, Atlanta is such a jump shot dependent team that we could see another upset in game 2, or a 20 point win for Chicago.

 

[zack54attack]

Game 2 feels like a must win for Chicago.

No way we go into ATL and win 2 in a row.

 

[manchild24]

unfortunately tonight is do or die and after a Bulls win you'll hear how Rose played like the MVP that he is.

 

[NAHSTE]

Ah, pretty much how I figured it'd go. A lot of settling, and not a whole lot of rebounding. Chicago played a physical brand of basketball and we kind of wilted. We were begging on whistles while the Bulls were just pushing us around. We need to start playing playoff basketball and get more physical going forward. Just straight got bullied tonight.

The effort was there throughout (if not the concentration) and the team didn't get blown out but other than that it was a pretty tough one to watch. Glad we kept it close, I guess?

 

[Rush]

If Rose gets into a groove, it's over. However he's been playing a lot more timid then the last round, he's not getting to the FT line at all.