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Sixers have chance to bury depleted Bulls
Posted: Sunday, May 6, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 6:30 am, Sun
May 6, 2012.
By Tom Moore Staff writer | 七六人板之友！！
http://tinyurl.com/7gj23l2
PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers, seemingly in danger of not making
the playoffs three weeks ago, find themselves with a
legitimate shot to beat the Bulls and reach the second round.
How did it happen?
The April 21 overtime road victory over the red-hot Pacers was
a turning point. The scuffling Sixers had lost seven of their
previous 10 and the Bucks were right on their heels.
But the Sixers outlasted the Pacers 109-106 in a grind-it-out,
playoff-type game. It marked the team’s only victory all
season by four or fewer points (they finished 1-8 in such
games).
The result helped the eighth-seeded Sixers to four straight
victories that secured a postseason spot and instilled
confidence they could win those games.
“I could just see our guys — there was a real sense of
purpose and focus that they had,” Sixers coach Doug Collins
said.
The Sixers, who bring a 2-1 lead into Sunday afternoon’s Game
4 (1 on ABC), have also benefited from the top-seeded Chicago’
s injuries.
The Bulls losing 2010-11 NBA MVP Derrick Rose to a torn ACL
was a crushing blow. Chicago went 18-9 without Rose in the
regular season, but also knew he would eventually return.
Knowing that he won’t be back until sometime next year isn’t
the same feeling.
Bulls center Joakim Noah, who Collins had called “the key to
the series,” rolled his ankle midway through the third
quarter in a cringe-worthy moment. He played a total of three
minutes the rest of the way, but had to leave for good with
7:59 remaining.
“Derrick Rose is their motor,” Collins said. “I’ve always
felt that when Noah plays great, he’s sort of the soul of
their team.”
Still, the Bulls led by 14 points with a little over 10
minutes to go, some Philly fans were serenading the home team
with boos and a few left, Evan Turner said Saturday.
The bulk of the game was a low-scoring, half-court affair — a
style to which Chicago is best suited and tends to thrive. The
Sixers want to run whenever possible.
But the depleted Bulls wore down and sputtered, missing 10
straight shots in the fourth quarter as the Sixers closed the
game on a 26-7 run.
Andre Iguodala, who Collins said is “really playing on one
foot” due to his Achilles tendinitis, has still limited
Chicago’s Luol Deng to 13-for-33 shooting in three games.
That leaves Carlos Boozer and Rip Hamilton to handle the
scoring load.
Rose is out and Noah, who left the building on crutches and
was still using them Saturday, is doubtful for Game 4.
Omer Asik, Noah’s replacement, is bigger, but not nearly the
rebounder, scorer or fiery presence that Noah is.
Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau realizes injuries are a part of
the game.
“The next guy up” has to do the job, he said. “That’s the
way it is. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have more
than enough to win with.”
Collins, while insisting he doesn’t feel good about the Bulls
’ situation, said, “When injuries occur, you’ve got to try
to take advantage of those situations. You may never get
another chance.”
Since the NBA expanded the playoffs to eight teams in 1984,
only one Eastern Conference No. 8 seed has advanced (the
Knicks edged the Heat 3-2 in 1999). In the nine years since it
went to best-of-seven, no Eastern team and only the Grizzlies
last year in the Western Conference prevailed.
If the Sixers can hold serve Sunday, they could clinch their
first series victory since 2003 as soon as Tuesday night in
Chicago.
To write those words after how things looked three weeks ago
is a huge surprise.
Tom Moore, 215-345-3127; email, tmoore@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter, @tmoorepburbs
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