Derrick Rose helps Chicago Bulls edge past Indiana Pacers 88-84: NBA Play-off Recap
Derrick Rose scored a go-ahead layup with less than a minute to play as the top-seeded Chicago Bulls held off the Indiana Pacers 88-84 to take a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarter-final
series.
Rose hit 13-of-15 free throws and posted 23 points, while Luol Deng finished with 21 points, six assists and six boards. Deng drained the last two free throws to snatch the win. Joakim
Noah led the Bulls with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Kyle Korver added 12 points for the Bulls. Carlos Boozer had 11 boards for the victors.
Danny Granger tallied 21 points while Dahntay Jones and Tyler Hansbrough ended with 10 and 11 points, respectively, for Indiana, which is on the brink of being swept out of its first play-off
series since 2005-2006.
The play was tight all the way through to the fourth quarter, featuring nine big changes and just a six point’s difference.
Indiana tallied 14 points off the Bulls turnovers and owned a 20-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, the Bulls pulled even, 42-42, at the break.
Chicago went ahead 65-64 at the end of the third quarter, but Indiana notched the first six point of the fourth quarter to take a 70-65 lead.
Kyle Korver hit a 3-pointer on a 10-0 run to give the Bulls a 75-70 advantage with less than eight minutes to play.
The Pacers stayed close, but Korver kept his team ahead. He made another three-pointer to make it 78-74, and hit a jumper to extend the lead to 80-76 with less than six minutes to go.
"Korver killed us in the fourth," said Indiana Head Coach Frank Vogel. "He even killed us on the last play when we couldn't leave him to help, so that allowed Rose to get to the bucket."
Chicago still led by four points with just less than three minutes left, but their offense stalled, allowing Indiana to equalise the game.
Granger canned a jumper from the right baseline and fired the shot despite the defence from Deng and Korver, tying it at 84-84 with less than two minutes to play.
Rose made only 4-of-18 field goals and missed his first five shots in the fourth quarter, but came up with a key play to put the Pacers on the verge of elimination.
He began his play from the top of the arc. He blew past Indiana guard Dahntay Jones near the free throw line and drilled a jumper that gave the Bulls an 86-84 advantage.
"The whole time I was thinking of just going to the hole," Rose said. "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."
The Pacers still had plenty of time, but Granger bricked a three-point try with two defenders in his face and the shot bounced off the left side of the rim. Ronnie Brewer collected the
rebound before securing the victory with a pair of free throws.
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