May
15
STAYING ALIVE IN GAME FIVE?
Filed Under Chicago Bulls
KEYS FOR A CHICAGO UPSET IN GAME FIVE!
I’m rushing home from downtown Chicago to watch the Bulls game tonight, so I’ll have to add some pictures to this post after Game Five. Here’s what Chicago must do to pull off the upset in Game Five and take this series back to Chicago.
Get Off Early: Chicago can not afford a bad start to Game Five as they may not be able to dig out of an early hole with the Palace rocking and rolling. Chicago needs to get Ben Gordon involved early on the offensive end as a giant effort will be needed from the UCONN product who has struggled this series. Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich must come out with a similar aggression as in Game Four. The Bulls will need to get some early points off the fast break like they did in Sunday’s game.
Control the Paint: Detroit got to the hole whenever they wanted to in the first two games in Detroit. Ben Wallace needs to patrol the paint tonight and limit Detroit to one shot and no boards. Deng will also need to shift down and continue to grab rebounds as in the past two games.
Beware of Rip and C-Webb: Both players struggled in Game Four, and Hamilton will be moving off of screens with a little extra vigor tonight. Webber did not score in both games in Chicago, which means that he could be due for a very solid shooting night (like Game Two when he was 10-of-11 from the field).
An Unsung Performance: It’s time for Andres Nocioni to have a breakthrough game. Tyrus Thomas could be a candidate as well. Here’s hoping that Scott Skiles does not have a short leash on the rookie tonight.
Avoid Foul Trouble with Gordon: Gordon was mired in foul difficulties in the first two games and needs to be on the court for Chicago to win.
A Strong Coaching Performance: Bulls’ Coach Scott Skiles needs to keep his emotions in check early and help the Bulls navigate the early waters of this game. Skiles needs to be effective in using timeouts to curb any Detroit runs. He may also have to employ more zone tonight for Chicago to win and hope that the Bulls can get Rasheed Wallace out to the three point line.
Game Five tips in about an hour and a half. We shall see what happens.
Related Posts
- THE SIX DEGREES OF GAME SIX
- FOUR-GET ABOUT IT!
- BULLS-PISTONS GAME TWO PREVIEW
- Chicago Bulls versus Milwaukee Bucks: Game Preview
- FORMULA FOR A HISTORIC UPSET!