Another slow start spoils Bulls' chances, series tied 2-2
The Bulls' second-straight home loss to the Boston Celtics had a familiar start, along with the same disappointing finish.
They did follow a very different path throughout most of Game 4, though, and then Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg tacked on a surprising outburst during the postgame news conference.
The reality is this, the first-round series is tied 2-2 after the Bulls lost 104-95 on Sunday at the United Center. Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston.
Bulls all-star Jimmy Butler, after producing no assists and turnovers in Game 3, responded with 33 points in this one. He attempted 23 free throws and added 9 assists. Forgotten point guard Isaiah Canaan stepped forward to score 13 points and tried to help slow down Celtics start Isaiah Thomas.
But the Bulls got off to another slow start. They trailed by 20 points for the second straight game. This time, they rallied to take the lead late in the third quarter, but Boston responded with a 12-0 run that featured 10 points and an assist from Thomas.
When the game ended, Hoiberg took aim at a perceived advantage the 5-foot-9 Thomas used to score 33 points on Sunday.
"Let me say this: Isaiah Thomas is a heck of a player, an unbelievable competitor," Hoiberg said. "He's a warrior, everything he's going through right now. He had a heck of a game tonight. But when you're allowed to discontinue your dribble on every possession, he is impossible to guard. He's impossible to guard.
"When you're able to put your hand underneath the ball and take two or three steps and put it back down, it's impossible o guard him in those situations."
Hoiberg thinks Thomas is putting his hand under the ball, essentially carrying it and stopping his dribble, then continuing to drive. Hoiberg could be seen several times in this series making the officiating signal for a carrying violation toward the referees.
It was unusual to see Hoiberg get angry and he'll surely be fined for the comments. Whether they have any effect on the Bulls, Thomas or referees remains to be seen.
"It's great. All players want coaches to have their back," Dwyane Wade said when told of Hoiberg's comments. "Whenever a coach does that, it makes guys want to do a little bit more for him, what to give him a little bit more. So it's always great when a coach has your back."
Thomas hadn't said much to the media during the series, having lost his younger sister Chyna in a car accident a day before Game 1 On Sunday, he brought his kids to the podium and appeared to be in a good mood when asked about Hoiberg's claim.
"That's not the reason I'm an impossible cover," Thomas said. "It is what it is. I guess he is just going to continue to say it. I've been dribbling that way my whole life. I don't know what to say to that. I don't think I've been called for it one time this year so I don't think that will change."
Butler, who played 46 minutes in Sunday's game, didn't have much to say about the dribbling controversy.
"I'm not paying attention to if he's carrying the ball or not," he said. "It's not my job to watch that and call it."
Butler did have an entertaining answer when asked a question about the Bulls struggling to slow down Thomas.
"I don't know. I guess if nothing has worked, what's the point of even talking about it," Butler said. "Obviously, you think he's unguardable. Nothing works."
Besides the slow start, the Bulls continued to struggle with their outside shooting. They went 5 for 24 from 3-point range.
The Bulls came all the way back to take 65-63 lead on a Robin Lopez hook shot with 4:35 left in the third quarter. They had some rough moments in the fourth quarter. Wade missed a fast-break layup, then threw an alley-oop toward Butler on the break that no chance of success. The Celtics came back down and scored both times.
Trailing by 8, the Bulls had one last chance to get back in it, but a Canaan corner 3-pointer rolled around the rim and out, then Nikola Mirotic missed a post up shot against the much-smaller Avery Bradley.
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