Bulls Vs. Pacers, Game 4: Derrick Rose Prepares Final Flourishes On First-Round Masterpiece

Nothing is ever easy on the way to the NBA Finals -- even for the undisputedly great players, like Kobe Bryant circa 2008 or LeBron James in 200always, the challenges are magnificent. Every bump can be a pratfall, even a first-round opponent like the Indiana Pacers. Derrick Rose hasn't been perfect against that bump, but he's been great enough at the right times -- and has made almost perfect adjustments to mitigate the issues facing him -- to have the Chicago Bulls in position for a 4-0 sweep on Saturday in Indianapolis (2:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

His teammates have been pretty good, too. Kyle Korver, in particular, has been a favored target for Rose in those key possessions; overall, the gunner has hit seven of eight of his three-pointers. The Bulls' big men have struggled from the floor -- Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer have each shot well below 40 percent so far -- but Luol Deng and Keith Bogans have also been effective from long-range (a combined 9-22) and the team's defense (excepting Boozer) has been predictably outstanding.

Indiana was primed for a fight, and has put up a great effort, and can still take Game 4 to prolong the seemingly inevitable. Danny Granger has been solid on offense, shooting almost 50 percent from the floor despite getting almost everything on the perimeter, and Darren Collison has been vital. The Pacers have a +2 efficiency differential when Collison is in the game, and a -14 when he is not.