Could someone please put out an APB on Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver … quickly! Derrick Rose and the Bulls were spanked on Sunday night in Atlanta, as the Hawks evened their best-of-seven series at 2-games apiece. Rose, whose only support came from his athletic gear, was forced – and I don't use that word lightly – forced to take 30+ shots on a night when he didn't have his jumper.
Rose may be the meat in the Bulls sandwich (forgive the analogy, but it's lunchtime and I'm hungry!), but Luol Deng and Joakim Noah are the bread that keeps this team going – the intensity, the energy the Bulls so desperately need if they're going to revive their playoff lives and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Deng and Noah have to provide the spark - Deng by slashing to the bucket and creating space, and Noah by banging the boards and being a general nuisance.
And don't get me started on Korver! If you're a "shooter" - but you're missing your shots – and you don't play much defense – what's the point? Exactly! It's the lack of points that’s killing this team.
Atlanta has new confidence after a beat-down on Friday night. Josh Smith has discovered that if you don't heave-up bad shot after bad shot, and instead attack the rim, you will have success – and he did against the Bulls on Sunday. The Bulls are a couple of Jamal Crawford hot-streaks from going home and wondering how the hell they blew a shot at the Conference Finals to the Atlanta Hawks!
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