Imrem: Bulls use grit to win Game 2 against Bucks
The clout chart indicated that Milwaukee had only a puncher's chance to win a game from the Bulls in their NBA playoff series.
The Bucks looked like they took that assessment seriously Monday night in the United Center.
It didn't work, though. The Bulls stood their ground and maintained their composure for a 91-82 victory.
This was no knockout; the Bulls essentially held on to win on points.
The Bulls defended themselves and their turf to establish a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
If this was going to be a street fight, the Bulls were more than willing to participate.
“It's playoff basketball,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It's will and determination … how much you want it.”
Now the teams take the battle to Milwaukee for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon.
Who knows what the Bucks have planned in their home ring, uh, make that on their home court.
One thing seems certain: If the Bucks are going to go down in this series, they won't go down without a fight.
That's figuratively, we think, but might be literally.
To be fair, the Bucks didn't initiate all the contact. The Bulls weren't shy about mixing it up.
The good news is that the rough stuff never escalated into fisticuffs.
Nobody had to rummage around for a Marquis of Queensbury rule book.
But the Bucks are a defense-minded team, and teams like that generally like to let opponents know that they're in the building.
So when Bulls guard Aaron Brooks, all 5-feet-11 of him, committed a foul, Bucks forward John Henson, all 6-feet-11 of him …
Well, Henson took it upon himself to take three steps toward Brooks, who was on the floor, and threatening to step on his foot. Joakim Noah ran in to help Brooks. Jimmy Butler went face to face with Bucks guard O.J. Mayo.
The scrum was on but fizzled out without the riot police having to be called.
Mayweather-Pacquiao this wasn't.
Still, technical fouls were called on Butler, Mayo, Noah and Henson in an attempt to restore order.
Mission accomplished except for a brushfire in the fourth quarter when Bucks center Zaza Pachulia wacked Nikola Mirotic on the head and a little later the two pushed and shoved while rolling around on the floor.
“It's an emotional game,” Thibodeau said. “I want us to play with a lot of toughness, but I want us to play smart. Controlling yourself is important.”
Beginning shortly after the opening tip, hard fouls were committed and bodies hit the floor with pronounced thuds.
Thibodeau worked the game officials like a corner man works a boxing referee. If every foul was called, however, the game would have lasted until Christmas.
“It's just guys playing in the playoffs,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.
He noted after Game 1 that the Bulls were getting to the basket without resistance.
So the Bucks tightened up and held the Bulls to 11 points in the first quarter and Rose to none in the first half. “They're a great defensive team,” Thibodeau said.
The Bulls figured things out to score 60 points in the middle two quarters and Rose had 12 in the third.
So what happens now? Do the Bucks get more physical? Or do they go the other way and simply try to beat the Bulls at basic basketball?
For a one-sided series, this one is getting interesting.