With the top-seeded Chicago Bulls set to face the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs, here’s a closer look at which team has the advantage heading into the series.
Regular-season records: Bulls (50-16), Sixers (35-31)
Regular-season matchups: The Bulls won the season series 2-1, splitting games in Philadelphia and winning one at the United Center.
In the two teams’ first meeting on Feb. 1, the Bulls suffered a lackluster 98-82 loss in which they were thoroughly outplayed and out-competed by the Sixers. Chicago took the loss as a wake-up call, especially the starters. Seeking revenge over a month later, the Bulls earned a hard-fought 96-91 win in Philadelphia. Then, the matchup shifted to Chicago on March 17 when the Bulls defeated the Sixers 89-80.
- Point guard: Derrick Rose vs. Jrue Holiday
Edge: Bulls
Although Holiday’s statistics have essentially dropped across the board this season, he remains a quality point guard who takes advantage of his 6-foot-4 build. He is averaging two less assists this season compared to last year but remains a capable scorer and has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. Holiday’s career-highs of 30 points, 13 field-goals made and 27 shots attempted all came in the March 17 contest against the Bulls. However, Rose is still the reigning NBA MVP and the three-time All-Star who commands most of the defensive attention out of the opposing squad.
Hobbled or not, Rose has proven over the course of his career that he can elevate his game amid injury issues. He has suffered plenty of ailments this season – a turf toe, lower back spasms, a strained groin, a right ankle sprain and most recently the sore right foot/ankle. Fortunately for Bulls fans, Rose moved around with added explosion and confidence Wednesday night. But there’s no question that Rose still has some rust he needs to shake off, as he played in just five of the Bulls’ last 22 games. He has also run gingerly at times while battling the nagging injuries, so it remains to be seen whether the 6-foot-3 product has another gear he can go to when needed.
How will Rose react when the Sixers throw countless double- or triple-teams at him? The Sixers have a plethora of athletic wing players and Rose was admittedly rattled by all the pressure he faced on Feb. 1. But, as usual, Rose made adjustments, vowed to have a big outing, and dropped 35 points and eight assists in that five-point Bulls’ win in early March.
Yes, the Bulls went 18-9 without Rose in the lineup during the regular season. But they know the postseason provides totally different challenges that must be faced with their superstar as close to 100 percent healthy as possible. Rose has repeatedly shown he is a hard-nosed player and will likely have to play through pain throughout the playoffs.
- Shooting guard: Rip Hamilton vs. Jodie Meeks
Edge: Bulls
Like his backcourt running mate, Hamilton has missed a large chunk of the season, but his impact is evident when in the lineup. The veteran two-guard has changed the dynamic of the team’s offense, as they no longer have a stopgap option such as Keith Bogans, who was a solid long-range shooter last season but wasn’t able to make plays either for himself or teammates like Hamilton. The Bulls signed Hamilton in order to take some of the offensive pressure off Rose, so the team and fans have high expectations and are banking on the former champion to come through when it matters most. Meeks, on the other hand, is the Sixers’ version of Bogans – a three-point specialist who often is replaced during crunch time in favor of a more versatile reserve. The sharpshooter failed to score in double figures in all three regular-season tilts against Chicago, combining for 11 points.
Hamilton should get the best of this position, as he found his stride at the right time for the Bulls, averaging 12.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting in April. It also doesn’t hurt Hamilton’s cause that the Philadelphia native will return to his home city for at least Games 3 and 4 as he’ll surely have family and friends in attendance.
- Small forward: Luol Deng vs. Andre Iguodala
Edge: Even
Both swingmen are similar versatile, two-way players who are widely regarded as their respective team’s best perimeter defender. The similarities don’t end there – both Deng and Iguodala were first-time All-Stars in 2012 and were members of the 2004 draft, with Deng being selected two picks ahead of Iguodala. This season, Deng has the upper hand over Iguodala in points and rebounds per game, while Iguodala averages more assists and has higher shooting percentages. They could very well cancel each other out during the series because of the high level of pride they take in their defense. The Bulls are such a well-rounded team that it may not affect them as much as the Sixers if both Deng – who averaged just seven points in two games against Philadelphia – and Iguodala have a rough series. Although, Chicago fans will certainly keep a close eye on Deng, who is still nursing a torn ligament in his left wrist.
- Power forward: Carlos Boozer vs. Elton Brand
Edge: Bulls
The fact that Brand has been able to remain healthy over the past three seasons is impressive, but he is a shell of his former self. Both Boozer and Brand played around 30 minutes per game, but Boozer was more productive in every category aside from free throw shooting and blocks. One year after missing a large portion of the Bulls’ season, Boozer appeared in all 66 games and is admittedly in the best shape of his career in Chicago. He has done most of his damage with the mid-range shot but occasionally mixes it up by posting up. Boozer’s ability to drain the outside jumper opens up the floor for the rest of the Bulls, especially Rose, who then can orchestrate an effective pick-and-pop with Boozer.
Brand, on the other hand, is primarily a jump shooter, and is a shadow of his former All-Star self. Boozer has a chip on his shoulder entering the playoffs and is arguably the most eager member of the Bulls to get the “second season” underway.
- Center: Joakim Noah vs. Spencer Hawes
Edge: Bulls
While Hawes has a more polished jumper, he missed 27 games and averaged just 24.8 minutes during the regular season. Meanwhile, Noah rebounded after a slow start and ended up averaging 10.1 points and 9.8 rebounds. In January, the emotional center was hovering around seven points and seven boards per game, but he has been a consistent double-double threat over the last three months. Noah is heading into the postseason on a positive note, with four double-doubles in his past seven games.
Both Noah and Hawes also have some history dating back to the 2007 draft when the Bulls contemplated drafting either Noah or Hawes. But it didn’t take long for many around the league to believe the Bulls made the right decision, selecting Noah – and that should be apparent once again during this matchup.
Still, Hawes can make it an interesting duel in the middle if he can return to his early-season form. He posted five double-doubles in the Sixers’ first six contests of the season and appeared on track to have a breakout year before the injuries started taking place. For the Bulls, Noah can’t afford to have extended lapses and will have to bring energy from the start of the series to the finish.
- Benches
Edge: Sixers
The Bulls’ bench has probably been the best in the league over the past two regular seasons and is one of the major reasons why the team piled up wins no matter who was out of the lineup this year. From C.J. Watson to Kyle Korver to John Lucas III to Taj Gibson, the Bulls have supreme confidence in their reserves. Even so, it has been proven throughout the years that coaches shorten their rotation during the playoffs, when the emphasis is placed on receiving critical performances from the starters.
That’s in stark contrast to the Sixers’ mentality, as they feature their first- and third-leading scorers, in Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, respectively, off the bench. Philadelphia’s reserves include rugged big men Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen, both of whom gave the Bulls trouble this season. Both reserve corps are almost evenly matched. Despite the fact that the Bulls’ bench has saved them time and time again, the Sixers appear to have more firepower on the sideline to start games and that could give Chicago issues.
“Their bench is real strong and they’ve got a lot of guys who step up big,” Gibson told reporters late Thursday when asked about what stood out to him during the clubs’ regular-season games.
Coaching: Tom Thibodeau vs. Doug Collins
Edge: Bulls
Both Thibodeau and Collins are good coaches who are able to squeeze everything out of their respective squads. But it is Thibodeau who is a leading candidate to become the first head coach to win two straight Coach of the Year awards in NBA history and has pushed all the right buttons this season as he navigated the Bulls to the top overall seed even though Rose, Hamilton, Watson and Deng each missed double-digit games. He is a workaholic and will do whatever it takes to give his players all the information possible heading into the best-of-seven series, and the Bulls’ locker room knows he will deliver a hefty manual regarding the Sixers prior to Game 1 on Saturday. As Mike James said in a phone interview last week, Thibodeau will make sure that the Bulls “are exactly overprepared.” Collins, for his part, has done a solid job of guiding the Sixers to the playoffs for the second consecutive campaign – yet there have been reports recently that the veteran coach has lost his locker room to a certain degree.
X-factor: Sixers’ Evan Turner
Earlier in the week, Turner told the Delaware County Times that facing the Bulls “means we’re dodging the tougher team. That’s what I think.” That observation has circulated through Chicago’s locker room and the players share a similar mindset: If Turner and the Sixers believe that way, they will soon find out exactly why the Bulls notched the best record in the Eastern Conference for the second season in a row. However, now the pressure also shifts to Turner, whom observers will view to check whether he backs up his talk on the court. The Chicago native is another member of the Sixers’ strong bench and had a career-high 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists Wednesday. Not only is Turner a player to watch on the court due to his playmaking skills, but he is also the first player in the series whose trash talk became a major story.
“I love it,” Hamilton told the assembled media Thursday when asked about Turner’s comments. “You just got to give them what they asked for. It’s going to be a challenge for us; it’s going to be a challenge for them. We just feel as though if we stick to our game plan and stick to how we want to play, good things can happen for us.”
How the Bulls can get upset by the Sixers: Rose sat out the final regular-season game as a precautionary measure and everyone associated with the Bulls – coaches, teammates and fans alike – is anxious to see how the fourth-year star performs after missing so much time during the compressed season. The Bulls also have to worry about how Rose handles the constant defensive attention that will absolutely come his way against the Sixers. It may spell doom for the Bulls if Rose struggles to stay healthy and make his presence felt.
In addition to that, the Sixers are a young, athletic team that gave the Bulls issues in all three regular-season affairs. Chicago has had problems matching up versus teams that have length and like to play an up-tempo style. The Bulls’ transition defense and ball control will be critical factors if they are going to keep the Sixers from racking up fast-break points.
Series schedule:
Game 1: Sat., April 28, Sixers at Bulls, 12 p.m. CT (TNT)
Game 2: Tues., May 1, Sixers at Bulls, 7 p.m. CT (TNT)
Game 3: Fri., May 4, Bulls at Sixers, 7 p.m. CT (ESPN
Game 4: Sun., May 6, Bulls at Sixers, 12 p.m. CT (ABC)
Game 5*: Tues., May 8, Sixers at Bulls, TBD
Game 6*: Thurs., May 10, Bulls at Sixers, TBD
Game 7*: Sat., May 12, Sixers at Bulls, TBD (TNT)
* If necessary
Prediction: Bulls in 5.
The bottom line: The Sixers have been on a downward spiral after getting off to a 20-9 start, which was the byproduct of their easy schedule, according to Collins. He is right. The Bulls allowed just 88.2 points per game, a franchise record, and led the NBA in point differential (plus-8.2) and rebounding. Their discipline on both ends of the floor promises to be enough to advance past Philadelphia, which could eke out a win on its homecourt. The Bulls have a chip on their shoulder, believing they have unfinished business after losing in last season’s Eastern Conference finals, and vow to bring focus from the jump because they know how much the Indiana Pacers pushed them in the first round a year ago.