What Bulls need now is a miracle
Hard to say where the Bulls go from here — though home for the summer is certainly a viable option, as it turns out reports of the Bulls’ demise haven’t been exaggerated at all.
In a crucial swing game with the series tied at 1-1, the Bulls displayed an ability to close as proficient as Carlos Marmol and Matt Thornton, and fell to the Sixers 79-74 in Philadelphia on Friday night.
If that news wasn’t ugly enough, Joakim Noah rolled his ankle in horrific fashion and you would think he’s done for awhile, if not the rest of the series.
Even with Noah gone midway through the third, the Bulls’ defense was terrific until the final couple minutes when they were unable to close out Philadelphia. Combine that with the fact no Bulls could score the basketball, the Sixers went and finished on a 23-5 run.
Starting point guard C.J. Watson poured in zero points and backup John Lucas (4-for-12) looked like a fifth grader driving the lane against the ’72 Soviet National Team.
And when the Bulls really needed buckets down the stretch, they dribbled out the shot clock and everything was run through the perimeter, where $80 million power forward Carlos Boozer was more than happy to stand and miss 17-footers.
Truth be told, both teams are offensively challenged, and it’s good thing they don’t give out style points instead of victories or both clubs would have gone home scoreless Friday.
On the other hand, if the NBA gave out rings for air balls, these two teams could be sized for jewelry.
It was that difficult to watch, but the hard truth is someone had to win, and it turned out to be Philadelphia, which overcame a 14-point Bulls lead in the fourth quarter.
After a thorough beating at the UC in Game 2, there were questions about whether the Bulls had the emotional wherewithal to make an appearance in Game 3.
They came out with energy and played a solid first half, down only a point heading to intermission, but after being outscored 62-37 in second half Tuesday night and left for dead by all of the media and most of their fans, they played a better second half Friday until the final few minutes.
And now they are in very serious trouble against a Sixers team that has won two straight with Rose out of the lineup, has won big in Chicago and has put the Bulls in a spot where they have to win three of the next four and at least one in Philadelphia, probably without Noah.
Dispelling the myth of regular-season wins without Rose are the hapless Sixers, hardly a championship-caliber team, but good enough to explode the delusion that the Bulls can survive without Rose.
The regular season is essentially irrelevant, but Tom Thibodeau coaches every game like it’s his last, and motivates his players to play every possession like it’s the NBA Finals.
Most teams don’t do that, especially good teams, because they find themselves physically and mentally exhausted in the postseason.
Most coaches also don’t put Noah back in a game with a torn-up ankle, as Thibodeau did Friday, and most coaches wouldn’t have the reigning MVP on the floor in the final minutes of a game that’s already won.
But that’s over and done with — much like the Bulls’ season.
brozner@dailyherald.com
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