Bulls Vs. Hawks Predictions: Carlos Boozer Key To Chicago Waltz

By Matt B. of Blog a Bull, SB Nation's Chicago Bulls blog.

I hope the Bulls themselves are taking the series more seriously than the fans are. While the Bulls haven't been playing their best thus far in the playoffs, the series-clinching game against Indiana brought back some confidence, and the Hawks just seem like a particularly favorable matchup. They have fewer options than most to slow down Derrick Rose (especially in the wake of Kirk Hinrich's injury), and run a slowed-down isolation offense that should play right into the Bulls league-leading defense. I see the Bulls maybe slipping up in a game with a high amount of turnovers and the Hawks being able to run out to a lead and hold off a Bulls comeback, but not much else going wrong.

The Bulls certainly could've lost more than one game to Indiana, and for all the dogging I give the Hawks they're better than the Pacers. But Noah improved throughout round one, and there's a hope that there's no way Boozer can be as bad going forward. So Bulls in 5.