Can Bulls fix sinking ship?
By Mike McGraw
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com
PHILADELPHIA - We might as well start with the obvious - the situation is beginning to look hopeless for the Bulls.
Already missing Derrick Rose for the rest of the playoffs, the Bulls will most likely have to play without Joakim Noah in Sunday's Game 4 against the 76ers.
Noah sprained his left ankle during the third quarter of Friday's brutal 79-74 loss at Philadelphia. Noah left a video session at the team hotel on crutches, with the ankle heavily taped.
"He'll most likely be out (Sunday)," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It's doubtful. We'll see tomorrow, though."
Now missing two starters and trailing this first-round series 2-1, Luol Deng stepped up and offered some words of encouragement. Of course, Deng has been playing most of the season with a torn ligament in his left wrist.
"Even if we've got one guy left, we're going to keep playing," Deng said. "We're fine. It's a series. They've got the momentum right now. There's still a lot of basketball left to play."
Well, at least two games, anyway.
The Bulls seemed to take care of business pretty well Friday. But with Rose and Noah out, an unfamiliar lineup collapsed under late-game playoff pressure.
After Noah's jumper put the Bulls ahead 69-56 with 9:35 remaining - he left the game for good a few seconds later - the visitors hit 2 of 19 shots the rest of the way and were outscored 23-5.
For good measure, the Bulls also missed 4 free throws down the stretch. Their only scores were a layup by Carlos Boozer after an offensive rebound and a 3-pointer from John Lucas that made it 75-74 with 43.8 seconds left.
"There were a lot of good things in that game," Thibodeau said. "We were up 14 in the fourth. We're up 7 with four minutes to go. We didn't close it out the way we would have liked. We have to come back with more determination tomorrow."
There's no doubt Noah would have helped. He was the Bulls' top scorer with 21 points in Game 2 and had 12 points Friday. Maybe it would have helped to use Taj Gibson (6 points, 7 rebounds) down the stretch in Game 3, rather than Omer Asik (4 points, 4 rebounds).
Heading into Sunday afternoon's Game 4, the list of concerns is a long one:
ŸOver the past two years, backup point guard C.J. Watson had some great games while filling in as the starter for Rose. He didn't have it on Friday, though, going scoreless and missing the rim on most of his 4 shot attempts.
After the game, Thibodeau said Watson is playing through some injuries and insisted he'll be fine. But it's probably time to give Mike James a chance.
With the Sixers playing an aggressive, trapping defense, the Bulls need someone who can get into the lane and make plays. For whatever reason, Watson didn't seem confident handling the ball in traffic.
Lucas (12 points) had a little more success. But James, 36, is a veteran who might be better suited to make plays against aggressive defenders.
If nothing else, it's time to give him a chance. Either that or sign Chinese league champion Stephon Marbury.
That's mostly a joke, but desperate measures may become necessary.
ŸSince Rose's injury, Deng has been quiet offensively. In the past two contests, he's hit 5 of 19 shots and averaged 6.5 points. In Game 1, he scored 17.
Deng and Andre Iguodala, who is said to be nursing a sore Achilles tendon, canceled each other out with 5 points each in Game 3. But Iguodala's team isn't missing two starters, so he can get away with that.
ŸBoozer (18 points) and Richard Hamilton (17) were on their way to having good games Friday. Once again, though, Boozer had a hot hand early - 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting a minute into the second quarter - and couldn't keep it up. He was 3 of 10 for 6 points the rest of the way.
Hamilton played 42 minutes and the Bulls seemed ready to ride his playoff experience, but he ultimately hit just 4 of 15 shots.
"I had great looks, great looks," Hamilton said after the game. "I got anywhere I wanted to go, the shots just didn't go down. I missed some free throws I don't usually miss."
It wasn't like the Bulls were smothered defensively down the stretch. They got some good shots. Kyle Korver had one of those open 3-pointers where the crowd groans as soon as he catches the ball, but it didn't fall. In the final three minutes, Lucas had a driving bank shot rim out, while Boozer was unguarded and missed a 14-footer.
So the Bulls could have a chance to win Game 4 if they play the same defense, get better performances from Watson, Korver and Deng, then just hit some open shots down the stretch.
"We're fine," Deng said. "We've got guys who have been through a lot. You just fight your way out of it."
That's not exactly abundant optimism, but at this point, it takes just 1 win to even the series.
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com
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