Atlanta Hawks even series; win at home against the Chicago Bulls – Part 2
After a tight first half, both teams continued to exchange blows in the third quarter. Carlos Boozer banked one in to give the Chicago Bulls the lead at 50-49 early on. However, Atlanta hit back immediately, scoring seven without
a reply to take a six point lead with 8:14 remaining. Chicago responded with a 7 – 0 run of their own near the halfway mark and then wrestled back the lead at the end of the quarter with and 8 – 0 run.
Josh Smith finally came into his own during the final period of the game and pounded 9 of Atlanta’s first 13 points. With 4:04 left to play in the game, Atlanta pressed the trigger and raced onto a 10 point unanswered run, which
included some Derrick Rose like acrobatics from Jeff Teague. When the Hawks ended the vicious run, they were ahead by ten, with just a 1:26 left in the game.
Derrick Rose was the culprit for the Bulls as he missed 2 shots and turned the ball over twice during Atlanta’s decisive run. The 10 point deficit was too much for the Bulls that late in the game and Atlanta closed it out with
a Jamal Crawford free throw.
After the game Rose accepted the blame for the defeat, saying he should have done better,
"It was a tough game but no excuses," Rose said. "Put this game on me. Two turnovers at the end of the game."
Kirk Hinrich, the Hawks point guard, who is out with an injury at the moment, praised his team for the job they did in containing Rose, "Our second line of defense was so much better," he said. "When Derrick got in the lane, we
made him play in a crowd. That's what you have to do."
Atlanta shot 49.4 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Bulls had a 41 percent success rate from the field but disappointed with 18.8 percent in 3-pointers. Chicago had a very slight advantage
on the boards at 37 – 36.
Josh Smith’s performance was a big factor for Atlanta. He did everything humanly possible to beat the Bulls - scoring, rebounding and setting up his teammates. He also cut down on his penchant for perimeter shooting, due to which
he has been criticized even by his own fans. Instead, Smith was aggressive and took the ball to the rim. After the game, the much maligned Josh Smith earned some well deserved praise,
"We're always trying to stay in his ear, but obviously when he's going to the basket and making it easy for himself, we just try to keep encouraging him," teammate Joe Johnson said. "He was All-Star calibre. When he's playing like
that, it's almost impossible for a team to beat us."
The series now heads back to Chicago, but the Philips Arena crowd are assured to see their team in action again, thanks to the win tonight. At 2 – 2, this series is turning out to be the most fascinating one in the second round.
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