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Following another disappointing loss in game four, the Chicago Bulls psyche, many think, is in disarray. With the competitiveness of the last three games and how close they were, Chicago could have won all three games. At the very least, with the amount of opportunities to win in late game situations, the Bulls wanted and somewhat deserved a split in Miami, but they got nothing.
Going into game five at the United Center, coach Tom Thibodeau addresses the concerns about the team’s mindset, “We’re fine. We’re fine. Just going to make the necessary corrections and get ready for the next game.” One correction that coach made clear Tuesday afternoon was the issue of turnovers, as the Bulls coughed the ball up twenty two times in game four, “We turned the ball over yesterday, so that hurt us. Prior to yesterday we had done a very good job at taking care of the ball.” Even if they’re “fine” the last three games have been back and forth, down to the wire games, that they have lost, coach Thibodeau notices a pattern, “Every game that we’ve played against them has been virtually the same. Hard fought, comes down to the end, a team that can make a run and some hustle plays usually wins.” The Bulls are hoping to make these key plays in game five to put them over the hump and back in the series.
Center reserve Omer Asik, who has played valuable minutes off the bench during the playoffs, but has been hampered by a lower leg injury from game three, has officially been ruled out for game five in what seems to be a season ending injury. Adjustments will be made to fill Omer’s absence, coach Thibodeau responds to the idea that veteran Kurt Thomas may get some minutes in his place, “He may. We also have the option to go small, so we’ll see how it goes.” Whatever they do, the loss of Omer seems crucial not because of his numbers, but the huge presence he has protecting the lane when guys like Wade and James come calling.
A popular topic following game four was the matchup between Derrick Rose and LeBron James, as Rose seemed to struggle to get good looks with LeBron’s length, most notably on two missed jump shots in the final thirty seconds, including a shot at the buzzer over a contested hand from James. “He’s a great defensive player, but it’s not something that he hasn’t seen. Derrick will make the necessary adjustments, he’ll be fine,” said coach Thibodeau. Despite Rose’s inconsistency in making shots in the series, coach Thibodeau is still confident in his star point guard, “Derricks made a lot of big shots for us all year, so we have a lot of confidence in his ability.”
Going into game five it is do or die for the Bulls, trying to stay alive in the series, and take a game six back to Miami. The Bulls are fully capable of beating the Miami Heat as they showed in game one, but the one thing in game one that was present that hasn’t been since, is the ability to consistently hit shots. It seems to straightforward, but everyone’s saying it, including the coach, “We got to make shots to open up the paint.” The lane has been sealed shut, and Rose has been unable to create and make shots in such tight spaces. Chicago needs to make shots, specifically from three, to stretch the defense and create open lanes for Rose to do his thing.
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