Bulls' 4th-quarter unit fit Thib's defensive plan
The Bulls can talk all they want about riding a hot lineup in the Game 5 win over Atlanta, when Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer and Omer Asik played the entire fourth quarter.
That combination was about finding a group that could follow coach Tom Thibodeau's defensive game plan.
After the Bulls allowed Atlanta to score 33 points and shoot 65 percent in the fourth quarter of the Game 4 loss, Thibodeau gave a clear explanation of what he expected.
“When you put two on the ball, you have to protect the paint and then react out,” he said on Sunday. “It requires great intensity, multiple effort, and when you try to shortcut it, you're going to give something easy up.”
While Thibodeau won't commit to repeating that fourth-quarter lineup for Thursday's Game 6 in Atlanta, the defensive goals are clear.
Since Game 1 of this series, the Bulls have made a commitment to slowing down Hawks leading scorer Joe Johnson and sixth man Jamal Crawford, who averaged 20.5 points during their first-round series against Orlando.
The Bulls have done a number on Crawford. Since scoring 22 points in Game 1, the former Bulls guard has averaged just 8 points and shot 29.7 percent from the field in the latest four games.
It may not seem like Johnson is having a great series, but he has averaged 19.8 points against the Bulls. In the two Hawks victories, Johnson shot 65.6 percent. In the three losses, he shot 40.5 percent.
Making Johnson the defensive priority seems to be the right decision, because Josh Smith is erratic and Al Horford has turned himself into a jump-shooting specialist. Second-year guard Jeff Teague has played very well (17.0 ppg, .557 field-goal percentage), but is probably too new to the lineup to carry the Hawks in crunchtime.
“You have to make decisions in terms of what you're trying to take away and what you're willing to live with,” Thibodeau said Wednesday at the Berto Center. “You're not going to be able to take everything away.
“To commit to Crawford and Johnson the way we have, you've got to protect the paint and also get out to their shooters and try to contain penetration. Ideally, you want them taking contested 2-point shots, and you want to limit them to one shot.”
With all that said, the Game 5 closing lineup makes perfect sense. Brewer and Gibson have the speed to help and recover better than Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer. As the Bulls' tallest player, Asik simply makes it tough for Atlanta to finish around the basket.
If that lineup doesn't score, the Bulls would have problems and likely shuffle the deck. For some reason on Tuesday, though, the Hawks couldn't protect the lane.
Of the 26 points the Bulls scored in the fourth quarter, 18 came in the paint. There were also 4 free throws and a pair of Gibson jumpers, which accounted for the Bulls' last 4 points of the contest.
The Bulls' starting lineup is capable of defending the Hawks well. Thibodeau made no first quarter substitutions on Tuesday when the Bulls built an early 32-21 advantage.
Atlanta recovered to take the lead late in the third quarter by recognizing the Bulls' double-teams and passing the ball around for easy shots.
The Bulls are still running on a defensive ledge. If they don't recover quickly after sending the double-teams, or if they let the Hawks get out and run, they could easily face a repeat of their poor fourth quarter in Game 4.
Another loss in Atlanta leaves the Bulls open to elimination in Game 7, which would be Sunday night at the United Center.
Derrick Rose was on board with Thibodeau's defensive plan after Tuesday's victory.
“Our defense has got to win games,” Rose said. “We've got to make everything tough on them, be aggressive on them, getting to the ball, making sure they don't have any space and making sure we communicate.
“I think guys were talking, making sure they didn't get any easy layups like they did in the previous game.”