Derrick Rose guides Chicago Bulls past Indiana Pacers for 3-0 lead in playoff series
Derrick Rose was the leading scorer and a fantastic closer in the Chicago Bulls’ nightly “Conseco Fieldhouse” show. Once again, the MVP favourite scored a game-high 23 points to help the Bulls hold off the Indiana Pacers 88-84 on Thursday night.
The red-hot Bulls took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series on a night when they shot 39 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers.
The Pacers entered the court with a different strategy this time as they had Paul George and Dahntay Jones to trap the dazzling Rose throughout the game. They performed their duty well and limited Rose to shooting just 4-of-18 in the game. However, they
could not stop the point guard from getting the go-ahead layup with 17.8 remaining to put the Bulls ahead by two points. Rose said, "The whole time I was thinking of just going to the hole. It was tough all night the way that they were playing me. But at that
time I saw a little space and I just went to the hole."
Forward, Luol Deng, had 21 points, six assists, and six rebounds while Carlos Boozer grabbed 11 rebounds for the Eastern Conference Champions. Guard-forward Kyle Korver added 12 points while centre Joakim Noah ended with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the
Bulls, who went 62-20 this season.
Danny Granger racked up 21 points while Dahntay Jones came off the bench with 11 points in the defeat for the Pacers. Tyler Hansbrough had 10 points and five rebounds while Paul George pulled down 12 rebounds for the Pacers, who clinched their first playoff
berth since 2006.
Match Analysis
Both teams played sloppy basketball in the first quarter, missing some very easy shots. Chicago found its way to take an 18-13 lead with 2:29 remaining in the quarter. Indiana scored four points to cut the deficit to one. However, Rose hit a fantastic three-pointer
with 49 ticks to go as the Bulls carried a 21-17 advantage into the second.
The Pacers were back into the contest in the second quarter and converted four-point opening quarter deficit into a 40-35 lead with two minutes to go in the second. The Bulls went on a 7-2 run to knot the game at 42-42, heading into the locker room.
Like the last two game of the series, Chicago’s performance in the first half of the game was not impressive as they had 12 turnovers at halftime. However, the Bulls recovered from their mistakes and took much better care of the ball in the second half,
committing only three turnovers.
Chicago could not make much of a move in the third quarter but once again managed to carry a one-point lead into the final period.
The eighth-seeded Indiana opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 70-65 edge early in the quarter. The Bulls caught fire in the next instance and scored 10 unanswered points to make it 75-70. Granger hit a step back jump shot with 1:42 to go in
the quarter to tie the game at 84 apiece. Indiana hit a layup shot to give the Pacers a two-point lead. The Bulls responded with a pair of free throws by Brewer to seal the victory.
Indiana power forward Tyler Hansbrough showed deep concern about the three-game losing streak and said, "We are really frustrated right now. I know I am frustrated. We now have to work to stay in this series and win our game here at home."
There is only one more game to win for the Bulls to move on in the playoffs. The Pacers are living on the knifes edge and need to win in order to keep their championship hopes alive.
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