Derrick Rose bailed the Chicago Bulls out in Game 1, leading a masterful comeback in the closing minutes to vanquish the surprisingly competitive Indiana Pacers 104-99. Rose finished with 39 points, but shot 10-23 from the field and a nearly historic 0-9 on three-pointers. (John Starks has the playoff record with an 0-11 from downtown performance.) All those early misses? That, and some surprisingly porous frontcourt defense, led to the need for Rose's heroics.
Bulls Vs. Pacers, Game 2: Can Indiana Challenge Derrick Rose, Chicago Again?
The question that leads into Game 2 is whether that was the Pacers' best effort, or if they have another gear to reach against Chicago. Tyler Hansbrough has at times played as well as he did against Chicago in Game 1; he had 22 points on 10-19 shooting. But the Bulls' defense, tops in the league, doesn't usually let anyone pop off, let alone a big man. Hansbrough dominated Carlos Boozer, the weakest defensive link in Chicago's rotation (Kyle Korver excepted), which may force Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to swap Joakim Noah or reserve Taj Gibson on to Psycho T.
The Bulls can certainly play better than they did in Game 1, but never underestimate the impact of a rattling awakening; Chicago nearly lost the first game of what the team hopes will be a long march to the Finals, and that near-loss came against the lowest rated team in the postseason. The pressure is on both teams -- it’s the playoffs, after all! -- but the stakes are higher for the teams with higher expectations. Most of the Bulls’ best players are young. Keep an eye on how measured their play is.
Game 2 of Bulls vs. Pacers tips at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT. For our coverage of the series, check out our Bulls vs. Pacers hub.
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