Bumbling defensive chemistry glaring in Game 3 meltdown
MILWAUKEE - There was a moment during the Bulls' Game 3 victory at Milwaukee that provided a perfect snapshot of their frustrating inconsistency.
Late in the second quarter, the Bulls got lost on a screen - one man switched and the other didn't - allowing Bucks forward Jared Dudley to get loose for an open layup. Joakim Noah was visibly upset after the play, even though he may have been at fault, and exchanged words with teammate Pau Gasol after the basket.
On one hand, it was another example of the Bulls' bumbling defensive chemistry. On the other hand, Dudley's basket was Milwaukee's only points during an 18-2 run that turned the game around. The Bulls eventually won 113-106 in double overtime.
"That was a just a mistake, breakdown and Jo thought one thing and it was not what he thought," Gasol said Friday at the team hotel in Milwaukee. "So it's just a mistake and Dudley had a layup, not a dunk. Mistakes will happen, confusion will happen. It's an emotional game. It's the playoffs. We talked about it today and that was it."
The brief argument between Noah and Gasol doesn't have any serious meaning. Those things happen all the time. The real problem is defensive lapses still occur frequently and as the stakes get higher, the Bulls' margin for error will shrink.
Another dichotomy from Thursday's game was how it ended. The Bulls defense dominated the second overtime, getting 4 steals and scoring 12 straight points.
But the defense nearly lost the game in the fourth quarter, when the Bulls couldn't secure a 10-point lead with 2:50 remaining. Milwaukee's Khris Middleton canned two wide-open 3-pointers, then hit a 14-foot jumper that gave the Bucks a 95-94 lead with 10.8 seconds remaining. The Bulls were fortunate to even get to overtime.
Eventually, they took care of business and now hold a 3-0 series lead with a chance to finish a sweep on Saturday at the Bradley Center. Whether they end it or not, the Bulls still need to find a way to stop the hot and cold extremes.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau addressed the topic after a film session Friday.
"There's a lot of plays in a game," Thibodeau said. "If you're defending 50 pick-and-rolls and a high percentage are done well, they're not all going to be defended perfectly. There's great players on the other team, also. So you look at it in totality and see where are you rebounding-wise, where are you field-goal percentage-wise, where are you 3-point field-goal percentage-wise. You want to evaluate where you are overall, then you try to identify the things you can do even better."
When things are going well for the Bulls, they resemble a true Finals contender, especially with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler at the top of their games. Rose cored 34 points and Butler 24 in Game 3.
"We always say, we're going to score baskets," Butler said. "I don't think that's ever been a problem all year. But when it comes to guarding, I think if you want to win in the playoffs. You've got to be able to guard."
Added Gasol, "Breakdowns are usually covered with better communication and intensity and hustle. That's what we need to continue to do - cover for each other and hustle. Mistakes will happen, hopefully not too many."
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