Does Hoiberg have valid argument in complaint against Boston's Thomas?
Anyone who has followed the Chicago Bulls all season probably appreciated coach Fred Hoiberg bringing a little fire to the news conference following the Game 4 loss at the United Center.
Hoiberg essentially invited the league to fine him by complaining about Boston guard Isaiah Thomas getting away with discontinuing his dribble.
After studying video from Game 4, the following conclusions were reached.
Was the complaint valid? Technically, yes. Was it a worthwhile stand to take? Well, that really depends on how the Bulls respond in Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston.
Thomas does often use a very long hesitation dribble that helps him get around people. He will pause, gets his hand underneath the ball and wait a beat to freeze the defender, then continue his drive toward the basket.
The box score helps illustrate the Bulls' problem.
Thomas went 1-for-9 from 3-point range in Sunday's game, hitting his first attempt and missing the next eight. He shot 9-for-12 from inside the 3-point line, and Thomas might be the best in the league at hitting runners and floaters, even over taller help defenders.
At the same time, Thomas hasn't revolutionized the game. NBA players have gotten away with carrying the ball for probably 50 years. It's about putting on a good show, and referees have been lenient about traveling and carrying for a long, long time.
Bulls guard Isaiah Canaan, who guarded Thomas on Sunday and probably will keep the job as long as Rajon Rondo is sidelined, weighed in on the controversy Monday at the Advocate Center.
"I'm so locked in I'm really not watching his dribble, but everybody behind me is saying he's carrying, so I'm going to go with my team," Canaan said. "I'm just out there to try and stop him as best as possible.
"They let a lot of players get away with things, and I try not to focus too much on that part of the game. I just go out and play."
When asked Sunday about Hoiberg's complaint, Thomas said he couldn't remember being called for a carry or discontinued dribble. According to basketball-reference.com, it happened three times during the regular season, all at Celtics home games, most recently on Jan. 11.
So will the refs blow the whistle on Thomas in Game 5? Probably not.
Will Thomas have Hoiberg's complaint on his mind and get thrown off his game? Unlikely.
Hoiberg probably was looking to light a fire under his players more than anything else. It worked for Memphis coach David Fizdale, whose team won two in a row after his memorable rant against the referees following Game 2 in San Antonio.
The Bulls came out sluggish at home in both Games 3 and 4, falling behind by 20 points in the first half both times. On Sunday, they seemed to find some needed anger after a staredown between Jimmy Butler and Boston's Marcus Smart midway through the second quarter.
The altercation resulted in technical fouls for both players and happened right after a Canaan steal and lay-in trimmed the Celtics' lead to 18.
Maybe Hoiberg should have left well enough alone on a night when Butler shot 23 free throws. Even so, an argument could be made that the Bulls should be shooting more free throws in this series, since the Celtics play aggressive, physical defense.
Hoiberg might have been just as frustrated by some of the touch fouls called against the Bulls in the last two games.
The best way for the Bulls to get back on track in Game 5 and have a chance of pulling out a third straight road victory is to avoid the horrible start and knock down some outside shots.
The Celtics started quickly in both Games 1 and 2. The difference was, the Bulls reeled them in quickly after Boston jumped to a 7-0 lead in Game 2. In fact, 7 points was the Celtics' largest lead in either of the first two contests.
The Bulls have shot a disappointing 30.2 percent from 3-point range in the series, and Sunday was their worst effort at 5-for-24. They shot 38 percent from long range after the all-star break, sixth best in the league.
In their 2 victories at Boston, the Bulls found a hot hand off the bench between Bobby Portis and Paul Zipser. That didn't happen in Chicago, while Celtics scrub Gerald Green delivered 18 points in Game 4.
"It's a 1 (vs.) 8 series, first of all," Dwyane Wade said Monday. "Everybody in the world was shocked that we were up 2-0. We played very well, but we still talked about it being the best of seven. Our goal is to focus on the next game.
"It's a chess match; we have to figure out the game within a game, how to beat them. We've got two days to prepare."
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Bulls vs. Celtics
Game 1: Bulls 106, Celtics 102
Game 2: Bulls 111, Celtics 97
Game 3: Celtics 104, Bulls 87
Game 4: Celtics 104, Bulls 95
Game 5: Wednesday at Boston, 6:30 p.m.
Game 6: Friday at Chicago, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday at Boston, TBD
* if necessary