The tooth hurts: Bulls blew it

No doubt...there is also no doubt that KG is a front-running b!tch - cannot believe nobody stood up to his yapping like a little puppy who just found his bone. Heave a few more MF bombs KG...classless b!tch!

Now I really hate the celtics

John Jackson took the words out of my mouth. Vinny, you bum. Double Pierce in the fourth, force him to pass, let anyone else beat you from the outside, foul Perkins if he gets it inside, ANYTHING but having Pierce shoot over Rose from inside the charity stripe. Also, I'm guarding Pierce with Tyrus on the overtime winner.

Bummer!

Crticize the defense on Pierce all you want but his shot in the fourth quarter wasn't what sent the game into overtime, it was Ben Gordon's missed shot at the buzzer that sent the game to overtime. It was a non-call on Rondo that instead of having Rose shooting free throws resulted in a turn-over giving Pierce the opportunity to tie the game. It was poor ball movement and shot selection that allowed Boston to make a late game run. I'd also like to know how it is that Noah can have 3 guys on him under the hoop and not get a call going up for a shot and yet he can be one on one with Big Baby get all ball and be called for the foul?
Had that foul by Rondo been called a flagrant and the Bulls won, I'm sure Doc Rivers would be still be throwing things around the locker room. But by definition it was infact a flagrant foul. No way was Rondo making a play on the ball, He was barely close enough to to reach out and slap Miller in the face. The longer this series goes on the more the Celtics look like the Detroit Bad Boys of 1990.
We'll see Thursday just what this team is made of and if they can bounce back and force a game 7. If they do force a game 7 hopefully officiating won't steal the game from them. Regardless of the outcome this has been the most entertaining series of the play-offs and with the exception of game 3 the most hotly contested.

That was an obvious terrible, home-cooking, non-flagrant call on Rondo. He CLEARLY had no chance of hitting the ball, so he moved his hand toward Miller's face and took a swipe at him. Just DISGUSTING how they blew that call. It may or may not have resulted in the Bulls tying the game, but it was a huge non-call none the less.

A few other notes. Pierce was unstoppable late. Again, the Bulls have no matchup for Pierce when he is playing well.

If you're gonna blame Rose' defense, you better also blame the defender who picks up Rondo on the pick and roll since most of the time when Rondo drives some other player is guarding Rondo after the pick.

Gordon fans may not agree, and I was just to make it clear that I am a Gordon fan and they should resign him, but those late game shots where he just jacked it up were ugly and LUCKY that they went it. Even Barkley agreed.

I think Vinny should have ran more plays for Hinrich when he was playing well early. He really was the only Bull to play well offensively in the early going.

Bulls also got extremely lucky on that Ray Allen "double foul" where he was fouled out. I am still in shock they called that on Allen.

Bulls have to keep pressing and not give up their confidence.

Hey Stu, you're right, Ben Gordon is a pure shooter that the Bulls need, but even commodities crash. Just ask Jim O'Donnell.

Don't know WHAT game yall was watching, but I said from the beginning of the series it would come down to 2 things, point guard play and coaching. BOTH OF THOSE battles were lost yesterday.

Rose - single-handedly melted away that 11 point lead. ANTHONY go look at the game and tell me otherwise. And Vinny watched it all melt away without so much as a play to run. Then Vinny allowed Paul Pierce to close us out without Ray Allen on the floor. How many shots in a row does a player have to hit before you run more than ONE player at him??? THATS how we lost.

Don't know about yall, but I saw Gordon play huge down the stretch again and then saw the refs bail Boston out because THEY HAD to. These games are probably rating through the roof and the East needs this drama badly. The Bulls are going to get so much help on Thursday that one of the refs might suit up and play with the Bulls. The league is getting their 7 games.

Kirk played great off the bench. His COACH took him off Rondo DOWN THE STRETCH and sold us out. Linton Johnson and Lindsey Hunter have about 12 fouls. They need to save them ALL for the 4th quarter of game 7 and try and put Rondo and Ray Allen in the Hospital. Don't even swing at the ball - just FACE! Tyrus is not the brightest crayon in the box, but I tell you this, he would have blocked one of Pierce's shots at the end of that game. Gordon should have been out on the last play.

Now for all of you who think Vinny is the answer, he is 50% of the reason this series is not over. And even if the Bulls do advance will get out-coached. Will somebody call Doug Collins or somebody. The Hawks are smarter than the Bulls.

And say what you want....Brad Miller should have made those free throws!!! Its the playoffs player. Suck it up and shoot. Everyone is playing through pain. He had a chance to send it into overtime. And then couldnt even hit the rim. Didnt like it. Gordon is playing with pain and HIT THREE FREE THROWS.

RPK - how is it lucky in about 6 games straight??? 5 years straight??? Gordon's game is no fluke. Doc Rivers and the rest of the NBA knows better. Dude has skills. Charles has credibility, but after several shots made you just have to give the guy some credit - or just be WRONG when he makes the next one. And Gordon will. Count on it.

And don't get mad at KG for getting in the Bulls head. He is rooting for HIS team in HIS house. And I bet you NOBODY in Boston is getting on his case. ONLY IN CHICAGO - do we get mad at players for being passionate. He saved it for the end of the game. He is trying to help the only way he can. Want to shut him up???? WIN!

Keith - as much as I don't like some of your Skiles monikers, they are clever. I think the least you can do is start assuming mine (Doogie Howser) for Vinnie.

Agree with you (for a change) on both counts...Doogie was horrible (hello...no KG, no Allen...it's called doubling their only shooter; let Rondo beat from outside) and Rose forced too many things. Several bad possessions where they took turns making bad plays (Rose, Hinrich, Gordon).

When Allen went out, they should have completely changed their philsophy - unfortunately you need coaching to do that.

Bingo, you said it all, Stu… the ROOKIE mistakes are killing the Bulls this series. This is exactly why going into the series I refused to get too emotionally high or low on the wins and losses in this series. Experience and learning from your mistakes is part of the growing process! There are no shortcuts, but unfortunately, too many of us want it so much now that we forget to see the big picture. The Bulls as a team are no better than the Celtics without Kevin Garnett. On paper , it’s easy to say that the Bulls are so much more talented and more athletic, so the assumptions are that the team should be able to force tempo, wear them out and dominate the paint against their much slower& unskilled bigs, but the bottom line is that the youthful inexperience of the entire team from the players down to the head coach himself offsets all those advantages and it has shown. However, as just a fan of NBA playoff basketball, you can’t ask for better entertainment than 3 overtimes in 5 playoff games and it’s not even over yet! That’s absolutely unprecedented, don’t you think?

Unfortunately, the headlines today are now Vinny’s rookie coaching blunders on the defense of Paul Pierce near the end of the game. Uh yeah, he blew that one without the double team, but what about Derrick Rose’s rookie mistakes for most of the game? The kid shares as much a blame for putting the Bulls in that position for all the costly turnovers and terrible decisions throughout much of the game, yet NOT ONE person here or in the media will bring it up because he’s the dynamic rookie who will be excused while the other “rookie” will get the headline criticism. It’s unfair because I know people will be yelling to get Vinny fired again and then say Rose will be just fine and he’ll get better next season. It’s hypocritical, so no way will I just pin all the blame on Del Negro while many others do. Bottom line, Paul Pierce hit the clutch shots down the stretch and played with the heart of a champion, which he is, and give him credit. I love how John Jackson and others will write in other articles that the “coaches can only coach, but it’s ultimately all on the players to execute…”. They downplay the coach’s role and then later plaster a headline talking and dissecting specifically about the coaching blunder that cost a team like the Bulls last night the win. So so hypocritical…

And lastly, couple more points... the refs SHOULD have called a flagrant foul on Rondo and he should be suspended but he probably won't. I’m also with Tommy about Kevin Garnett last night… totally classless and uncalled for with all his yapping on the sidelines while the Bulls have kept their cool playing clean basketball despite all the conspiracy theories against them and all the nonsense referee calls against them. The one year wonder Celtics… enjoy while you can because they won’t be winning it all again for a long time.

Enough with all the Rondo talk on whether or not that should have been a flagrant foul. Okay, so let's say they do call it a flagrant foul. Miller still would have missed at least one of the two free throws, so it would have been Bulls ball, down one with two seconds left. So unless Gordon makes a ridiculous shot at the buzzer, the Bulls still lose anyway.
What we should be talking about is how the Bulls blew a 10-point lead with seven minutes left in regulation. That's where the game was lost. The Bulls had Boston beaten, but like the inexperienced team they are, they gave the Celtics a chance to get back in the game.
And Stu, got to call you out one something you said: "how can you ask the 6-2 Derrick Rose to cover the 6-8 Celtics star on the shot that forced OT?"
Well, that's a little unfair. They didn't ask Rose to cover Pierce at the end of regulation. Salmons was guarding him and they got switched when Rondo set a screen for Pierce. The solution for that is that Salmons needs to do a better job of fighting through the screen.

Yep, Rose cost us dearly down the stretch. I think in 3 consecutive possesions in the last 4 minutes he either dribbled the ball off himself and out of bounds, threw an errant pass or fell down and lost the ball. Oh well, that's what rooks do.

Stock going up: Noah has showed he can play and with a little more seasoning (e.g., how to play in the paint), he might turn into something.

Stock going down: If you hold stock in Tyrus Thomas, I would strongly urge you to sell. All the tools and talent, but very little between the ears. Still, I would have had him on Pierce at the end of the game.

I am not the biggest Gordon fan, but I don't know how you knock him in this series. He has been the most consistent player on the Bulls. Kept them in games, won games, blew games, whatever. The fact is, he is the only player to really show up in all five games so far. And you know Boston has been devising ways to get the ball out of his hands -- yet he still scores. You can blame this game and series on a lot of Bulls players and coaches, but not BG. He has shown up.

Keith - don't confuse someone who:
- battles 48 minutes,
- takes shots and dishes out shots
- trash talks back and forth in the heat of the battle

WITH:

- someone who's not playing
- someone who leaves his team in game 1 (can't even find him on the bench)
- someone who pouts like a little puppy who wet the floor cuz his team is down 11
- then berates the team that he's not battling when they take the lead

As I said...KG is a little b!tch

Edgar - I agree a flagrant should have been called, but that might be the WAY the league get its 7th game!! Watch and wait!!! I will crack up if they do! Money talks!

Edgar I did not single out Rose's rookie mistakes but they were included in the "poor ball movement" comment and Hinrich and Gordon also had a hand in that.
Keith, yes Gordon hit some key shots and some of those were a result of his refusal to involve anyone else in the play and were forced shots that miraculously went in BUT he missed the one shot that would have given the Bulls the win at the end of regulation.
Seedy, Tyrus right now would be a senior had he stayed in school. Yes he's still a work in progress but his nubers throughout the series have been rather good and comparable to Noah's with less minutes played.
Danny the point remains if Rondo had been hit with a flagrant foul the Bulls would have been in a position to possibly win the game instead of the position to only tie and go to a second overtime period which could have made a big difference for Miller at the line. And that last turn-over by Rose he was tripped and pushed down and no foul called not just simply fell down as you eluded to.
Does anyone else think it strange that Rose never got to the free throw line last night? Paul Pierce's block of Rose's shot late in the overtime was also a foul not a block. Pierce was all over Rose's back and slapped the back of Rose's hand not the ball.
Keith I agree the Bulls should put a couple hard fouls on Rondo and Allen and even Pierce but I don't advocated putting anyone in the hospital or taking a chance on ending their career. Also yes Gordon hit 3 free throws in a row and he's playing with a hurt hamstring but that's something he's dealt with for a game and a half, Miller had just been hit hard in the mouth and just under the eye, I'd be willing to bet his depth perception may have been affected on the first free throw.
Bottom line is they need to come out tomorrow and take it to Boston and force game seven.

Earth to Keith, settle down brother. Please. I’m sincerely saying this kindly and calling you out. This “give Ben Gordon props” crusade of yours is getting old. Now you’re beginning to add words in other people’s writing and making assumptions all across the board that it’s turning some of us off, myself included, and I’ve always been one of your biggest supporters in the blogs. I’m telling you right now, the MAJORITY of Bulls fans and media folks consider BG overall and hands down, the best player on the Bulls roster right now, including over Derrick Rose. The MAJORITY see BG’s scoring talents as a bigger plus over his obvious flaws. Some of us get it, don’t you understand? What exactly are you looking for, a UNANIMOUS consensus that BG is the most important Bull who should be excused for making any mistakes on the floor? Is that the self satisfaction you need to “win” this silly Ben Gordon argument? Some of us enjoy sharing our thoughts in breaking down a game and a team, like myself and Anthony. When I break it down, I try to give equal praise and criticism to almost every person on the Bulls team who matter, yet the moment me or someone else brings up BG in a negative context, you cry foul in your next post and assume that we are all saying that BG stinks, period! What’s up with that? Geez louise, Keith… perhaps BG is your favorite Bull or NBA player of all time, but even I never defended Michael Jordan, who I consider the best NBA player of all time, so much like this before. Look, Ben Gordon is a solid solid NBA player and a consummate pro. When all is said and done, yes, I would like the Bulls to figure out a way to keep him on the team. Happy or do I need to shout out that BG is an untouchable Bull? Can we leave it at that? Can we now move on to better discussions about this team, Keith? Thank you.

To the comment above "ONLY IN CHICAGO - do we get mad at players for being passionate. He saved it for the end of the game. He is trying to help the only way he can. Want to shut him up???? WIN!", I came across an article about the fans from Boston absolutely hating Noah for the way he plays. There isnt another player on the Bulls who plays with more passion. I think a lot of people here in Chicago respect the way he plays. I sure wasnt a big fan of his in Florida but when you see him play the way he does game after game, you have to respect the hustle. Garnett showed zero class. He's a piece of garbage. There's a difference from being passionate to rubbing somebody face in the dirt. Hopefully, the Bulls return the favor tomorrow night. Just keep their own mouths shut and win the game.

Danny, you better be careful saying that "unless Gordon makes a ridiculous shot at the buzzer, the Bulls still lose anyway" statement because to the world according to Keith, there is no denying that Ben Gordon makes that ridiculous shot because he's just that incredible basketball machine who hits clutch shots. Why no one else sees this besides Keith is beyond me. Just blame it all on Vinny like what Keith and John Jackson basically said.

Tim --

Yeah, that excuse for Tyrus is getting real old. Afterall, Rose would only be a sophomore in college, but for some reason, he seems to be quite a bit farther along the career curve than Tyrus. The fact is the Big V doesn't trust Tyrus on the floor at critical junctures of the game. That's why he has only been playing 25+ minutes and sits almost the entire 4th quarter of every playoff game.

I'm sure the moment it all clicks for Tyrus is just around the corner -- as everyone has been saying for the past 3 seasons.

I guess it's time to weigh in about Gordon.

The kid's a gamer. He hustles, he has heart, and he can shoot "light's out" when he's on a roll.

But Ben Gordon couldn't keep my 4' 10" sister away from the basket. She'd back him up, dunk over his head, and shoot the foul.

He flat out sucks on defense, and all of Keith's ranting and raving will never change this indisputable fact of life. He's entirely one dimentional in a two dimentional game.

The basketball court has two sides; not just the one with your team's rim on it.

From what I can remember, Jordan and Pippen could shoot the ball a little bit too. And what is it that separates them from Gordon, and puts them in the top 50 of ... ALL TIME???

If you have to ask, you don't know Jack about the game, because they didn't call these guys the "Doberman Defense" for nothing.

Gordon and Rose are the "Chicago Chiuaua Defense".

Hey Chicago , If Pierce could hit a free throw this series would be over. Poor ball movement and poor clock management is killing the flow for the Bulls. Chicago is younger yet no one moves without the ball. You are 1 big man away from contention.

Yes Keith, I can analyze the game and see that Derrick, pretty much himself, lost that eleven point lead. His turnovers were of the 'very bad timing' variety. I'm not gonna say smack about Gordon to you because I listened to the game on the radio and I let those announcers, along with many other sports media PROFESSIONALS do all the talking and writing.

One thing I can profess to is the glaring reason we lost the game. Say all you want about flagrants, free throws, turnovers, camera men on the baseline using 24,000 watt bulbs, whatever; Vinnys' lack of properly containing Pierce, or at least making it semi-difficult, was the killer, PERIOD. We had that game for the taking, if not in regulation, but overtime too. All other miscues aside, that is the one with having the MOST CONTROL over, therefore putting it at the front of the line.

Derricks untimely flurry, and the referees MULTIPLE crazy calls (and lack thereof) were next in line.

If Kirk doesn't get those stitches Vinny may have gone to him on 'D' for different situations, and he may also have settled the court down during Roses' run, but spilt milk doesn't cover the obvious.

I guess we're going to have to live with freshmen mistakes, both Vinny and Rose. It actually made the pill a little easier to swallow because we went through the same thing in the late eighties, especially against Detroit, and we all know what happened after that. True, we have no Mike, Scotty and the other 3 year wonders, but the base looks promising.

This has been one helluva series, let's not forget. The entertainment factor is unforgetable, and the kids have held their own in every game at Boston. That itself is inspiring.

So much so, I don't care who we play NEXT!!!

Edgar dont get mad at me because I happen to give the top scorer on the team credit for scoring and hitting clutch shots. Now I listen to Kirk this and Kirk that. And Vinny this and Vinny that, KNOWING they don't deserve jack daniels. This blog thinks it is smarter than ALL of the writers and press and NBA past players. Because none of them are praising Kirk and Vinny. ESPN, the SCORE, Monsters, everyone ripping these guys and praising Gordon - THE MOST CONSISTENT PLAYER IN THE SEASON AND PLAYOFFS. As long as Gordon is a major factor - I will give him credit. NOW John Jackson and ALL the writers are wrong for mentioning Gordon??? What in the world is that??? You wont me to call the Bulls and the NBA and tell them to take his name off the roster and stop calling him the top scorer??? Facts are facts. That being said, EDGAR I appreciate you posting the truth about Gordon.

Villy - I respect your assessment of Gordon. But I will simply say this - there are a TON of guys in the NBA that can defend, but Gordon will burn their tails UPP like a consuming fire!! Great Offense trumps your little defense. And btw there is only ONE guy on the Bulls playing top of the LEAGUE defense and the coach keeps him off the floor when we need him the most. A great Offensive player raises his level and puree's the best defense into a refreshing drink and makes a G commercial off him.

Anthony - thanks for keeping it real in your last post.

Chicago - read Matt from Boston's post. Spells out V. I. N. N. Y. - S.U.C.K.S.

Now we can move on Edgar, but if by that you mean start a Kirk and Vinny shrine - NO THANK YOU. Because I like to live in the real world. I will keep my integrity in tact and post the TRUTH and nothing but the TRUTH. But in the interest of peace - let me pose that yall not mention those busters and I wont mention Gordon.

Lets talk about the OTHERS like Noah - who PAT brought up. Noah is a man regardless of age and size. He is a passionate player, but he PALES in comparison to KG who is only trying to give his team an edge. Chicago - be thankful he is only talking, because KG can back up his words. He is out of the Barkley, Malone, Iverson, Reggie Miller tier of stars. You would have to go up to our VP/GM to find a person on our team that can get in an argument with him. OK??? Gordon knew that, thats why he didnt say nothing. I would have laughed if I was Gordon. I don't like bullies, yall know that, but the Bulls are a bunch of softees and they need to grow a pair just like the old Bulls did. ANTHONY is right about that. Did I like it - no. I certainly didn't like what the Pistons did to Scottie, but I understand and respect it. AND I also respect Rondo's flagrant foul. They are up 3/2 because of it.

Seedy..Derrick was farther along on the curve than most with just one year of college to begin with and ask yourself where he would be if he had Skiles as a coach. He would not have been starting. Tyrus spent 2 years in the Skiles dog house which did nothing for his developement but especially since the aquisition of Miller to help tutor both Tyrus and Noah they both have improved greatly.

Edgar your crackin me up. You know how Keith gets when he falls in love with someone. Last season it was how the Bulls should have gotten Zack Randolph and the Knicks were going to dominate because they got him, ofcourse half-way through the season he quit talking about Zack because the Knicks were fizzling like a roman candle that was stored in a damp basement for a decade. Now I'm not saying he hasn't spoken highly of BG in the past but yes he's stepped it up this year and he has conveniently stayed away from my comment in the first post I made on this thread that it wasn't Pierce's made shot with 10 seconds left in regulation that sent the game to overtime, it was BG's missed shot after that. But in his defense even the sports writers give Pierce credit for sending the game to overtime with no mention of BG's forced missed at the buzzer. Now here's what really confuses me about that situation, in one game BG doesn't take his time and run the clock down hits the shot giving the Bulls a 3 point lead but leaves plenty of time on the clock for Boston to run a play for Allen to hit a 3 pointer and send it to overtime then in another he runs the clock down to where if he misses there isn't enough time left for a put back.

Villano another glaring reason for the loss in game 5 was that as much time as Rose spent on his back after being knocked down by Perkins and Davis he did not see one trip to the free throw line.

Bulls should win tonight and force a game 7. Look for Boston to try and end it with all they got. This is a war of attrition as many have stated and they are tired of the pesky Bulls and their guerrila warfare. And it will be easier and less pressure/distractions for Boston to focus on the road knowing they have a game to spare. Game 7 will separate the men from the boys.

THE Pressure is on the Bulls tonight. They are young and have folks all over the city looking for them. They know all eyes are on them and they are done if they don't come with it tonight. They know they can beat this team but they also know they cannot afford any mistakes. Its a pressure-cooker. The UC will be rocking tonight!!! Many questions will be answered. Will this be Gordon's last game in a Bull's uniform? Who should leave with him? This is the day that Vinny-And-The-Jets make Purple Rain history and advance to the next round or spend the summer being criticized and analyzed. Chicago, make us proud. Go Bulls!

All I know is we better blow these fools out tonight. If we dont put at least two of their guys in the Hospital we have no heart. Keith you hit the nail on the head, we have fouls on the bench USE THEM. Put Aaron Gray in and let him just hack the **** out of Davis and Perkins....put in Hunter and let him clock Rondo. This happens in Hockey, Baseball all the time. RETALIATION!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be drinking with some HS buds at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale tonight and watching the game. If the Bulls dont start a Rock Fight...I just might!!!!

Stu...

Great Blog Headline...very good.

and...for someone who looks so mean and nasty...Millers Tattoo is a bit whimpy and lame.

What is that...the Chinese Symbol for bad bounce pass?

"Edgar your crackin me up. You know how Keith gets when he falls in love with someone."

And who can forget the Man-U-Mental Bromance he carried on with Ben Wallace?

Gordon, Wallace ... it's a good thing that Rothlisberger doesn't play for the Bears, because Keith's a soft touch for anyone named Ben.

But I understand where he's coming from. I too have a man-crush on a guy named Ben. I like to keep pictures of him in my wallet.

Culzie - "You're gonna make me cry". Disclaimer: While I wish no one any real harm, if the Bulls don't hurt somebody I will turn my back on them like the leader of a Chinese Council. NO HONOR.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/164914-david-stern-must-think-nba-fans-are-idiots

Posters maybe this is what KLS believes as well. After reading the article, think of KLS instead of David Stern.

No KLS, I don't believe you really think it was a flagrant foul. Your angst towards Miller and constant beratement of Hinrick leads me to believe something else.

I notice one thing that was crucial when Miller was mauled by Ronjon. NOT ONE SINGLE TEAMMATE CAME TO HIS DEFENSE!! The Baby Bulls may know how to play basketball, but they don't know how to protect one another.

There was supposed to be some pushing, shoving and jersey grabbing towards Ronjon and any other Celtics player who got involved.

He just knocked down the tying or winning scoring points and you stand there looking stunned. FREAK THE OFFICIALS. Protect your teammates!

This is why Bulls' executives were to never allow MJ or Scottie to not be a part of the organization after their playing careers. MENTORSHIP GOES A LONG WAY!! Just ask the Celtics.

Tim --

Yeah, that Skiles excuse is getting old too. The only problem with Skiles is he expected players to show up for practice, learn something and retain it for the game. Tyrus has not demonstrated the ability to stay focused for more than one game. And in the playoffs, his attention span is one half of one game.

Tyrus hasn't figured out how to play the NBA game yet, which is fine, since he is coached by someone who has yet to figure out how to coach an NBA game.

For the rest --

I don't have a "man thing" for Gordon like KLSS, but give the dude his due. Even if he can't play defense, he is still a player. Heck, Pierce never played defense (and really doesn't still) until Garnett arrived. And Pierce's defensive strategy is to make sure when the opponent blows by him, that Garnett is behind him to block his shot.

Culzie, you are right. Stu did post a good headline for this string.

Man-U-Mental Bromance? That one almost made me empty my bladder Villano!! But you're right I forgot about that one.
Cukzie unfortunately this isn't hockey and I would hate to see any Bulls players tossed for RETALIATION. Now some subtle messages on the other hand is another story. Something like if Rose knows his shot is going to get blocked by Perkins and he's gonna hit the floor, put the ball in Perkins face. Who's to say he didn't lose the handle on it going up? Miller's good for an illegal screen now and then just make sure Allen ends up on his a$$ when u do it. Who's to say a forearm to Pierces face was more than just an offensive foul fending off a defender with the off arm? On the other end if you're gonna foul someone make it count, no more ticky tack fouls, foul em hard.

"Anonymous" came up with a good point in my opinion. The Bulls do tend to look like they aren't a cohesive bunch yet. For example, why didn't anyone come to Miller's defense as he said? This would also lend some reason behind why guys like Rondo can do whatever the heck they want in the paint. Yeah, we all know that we need a big lug in there to wave his finger at Rondo in Dikembe Mutombo fashion, but even though he's not there, what about a "team approach" to making Rondo pay?

I agree with Edgar that people shouldn't be putting people in the hospital. However, I have nothing against relatively harmless hard fouls that send a message. We don't do that because we either can't on an individual level or won't as a team. To me, that's also a by-product of the coach. First of all, this coach doesn't appear to me to be a defensive-minded coach. As a Bulls fan, that's especially frustrating because every good Bulls team I've known has been defensive-minded. Many of them, like the 70's Bulls were also very physical.

Opponents need to "pay the price" at an appropriate level. Guys need to lift each other up, protect each other, etc. Hockey teams almost always do that! I want to see that this next game, win or lose.

Anonymous - I KNOW it was a flagrant foul. You got me DEAD wrong. And MAUL is a strong word, but I get your point.

And I have to disagree with the teammates reacting - except those that were on the court. Comically, MILLER (wuss tattoo) is the enforcer, and they probably felt if he couldn't handle it, there was nothing they could do. You just have to admit - the Bulls are soft. They need to take Stacy's advice and buy a dog.

I also have to disagree with your assessment of Mike and Scottie. Would have been EXACTLY what they need right about now. I have the utmost confidence that Scottie would have known exactly what to teach this team. Mike would have just been super critical. But Scottie would be better than Lindsy Hunter, Vinny and anyone else giving advice to Rose. And KG would NOT be dissing Scottie.

Don't KNOW what you are talking about "angst towards Miller" (Edgar and co. see what you have cultivated). If you don't think he should have manned up and made those shots you are quite wrong. Miller can SHOOT. He is a VET. The game was HUGE. And he didnt take the ball STRONG to the basket. He needed to shake it off, step up, concentrate and make those shots. That is how you send a message to a BULLY.

I will conceed your opinion about Hinrich because I have been hard on him - only because noone else will say a word on the blog. He is the highest paid guard on the team and a captain. And we are tough on anyone making money in Chicago but this guy! This blog has torn Loul Deng to SHREDS. Like rabid wolves - and I was right there with them!! Kirk has a Full-Court-Press I-pass!!! And it makes me sick to my stomach. Now I DARE you to defend him.

O.K., now you guys got me into the Ben stuff. Damn, I'm outted! I too love a Ben, first name Uncle. Guy's warm, versatile and he's fast. Oh, and he comes in Hispanic too.

Keith, I don't HATE Gordon, and I don't LOVE Hinrich, but I want to see my Bullies do well, and EVERY MONTH we have a new beating doll, and Kirk and Ben have been no exceptions in the past; but NEVER, NEVER in this BLOGOSPHERE has anyone been so enamored with an individual as you with Gordon. Every circus needs a one-trick-pony, but you've taken yours over the big top.

I conceed Gordon is our best scorer. HELLLLOOOOO!!! Stats. I conceed Kirk took his money. Whose fault was that? I conceed Vinny has a lot to learn; have you been there? What I don't conceed is Ben is our saviour like you make him out to be, and whether you believe this or not, Kirk may be just as valuable. You're putting the 'I' in team like everybody else in this blog by individualizing 'this guy vs. that guy', but not once have you ever stopped to mention any of Gordons failures in any game as many of us have mentioned of our 'so called flings'. That to me is a major flaw, and one that exposes denial.

You go off on tangent after tangent with little basis at times, and other times you make excellent sense. It's the BG Highway that tunnels your vision. Dude, for every person out there that loves Bens scoring, there are just as many that shake their head at his forced shots, turnovers, poor decisions and lack of defense. I don't put any Bulls player on a pedestal because most of our key players are 50-50, but until Gordon starts tilting the balance to the positive side, he's just another good player on a decent team.

When you gonna see that eye to eye?

Bulls up by two with 15.5 left on the clock, and Boston the ball. Pierce, Rondo, Allen, Perkins and BB stroll onto the court. Who guards who?

Anthony:

I think there's something to be said on both sides of this Ben Gordon argument, and you and Keith have made excellent points.

I'm not Gordon's biggest fan, but I do realize that he has talent.

His mistake was in not taking the money that Kirk and Loul both snapped up as soon as it was offered. Now he's got a chip on his shoulder, and a salary cap hanging over his head like the Sword of Damocles.

I have no doubt that if the Bulls can't come to terms with Gordon, that he'll be a productive player for some other team, and help to make them a contender. He'll be a great player coming off the bench, and might even see productive time as a starter, but he'll never be the complete package that Keith envisions in his wet NBA dreams.

OMG Keith (dammit, I HATE using text language!)… but where in the world did I ever bring up Brad Miller’s name in any of my posts on this topic?? What exactly did I cultivate, Keith? See, this what I was talking about earlier when I said that you are adding words in other people’s writing and making assumptions! Man, so much for compromise, Keith. You’re STILL going off about Ben Gordon! All I said about that play was that it SHOULD have been called a flagrant foul and that Rondo should be suspended for game 6 but he PROBABLY won’t be, that’s it, and I was correct. The league reviewed it and ruled no penalties were enforced… done, it’s over with, water under the bridge. Should the Bulls react or in our world of thinking, “retaliate”? You’re darn right they should! But within the rules of course. If Stu Jackson has to come up with lame and subjective interpretations of the flagrant foul rule from “malicious intent” vs the “hard foul”, then you already know that the ruling will always go in favor of the veteran team (who happens to be the defending champs) over the up-and-coming team. All I know is that Rondo didn’t go for the ball, period. I don’t care that if he didn’t “maliciously” intend to hurt the guy or that he didn’t “full swing his arm” to the side of the head… That’s a flagrant foul, period. But that’s politics for you. This the NBA, the king of double standards, the superstar driven league. Heck, I realize that Jordan and co. had their share of favoritism calls going their way, but this is where our Baby Bulls must play through all that and finally step up to the plate, gain some needed respect, show some doggone intensity on the court and get the job done! This Bulls team IS soft (I’ve eluded many times before that this is a finesse team) and they need to develop a little bit more of a swagger or if that’s too strong a word bordering on being “cocky”, then I’m talking about self confidence! Play TOUGH and use every loophole trick in the rule book on committing fouls. Rondo has been going off the entire series and then he gets the last laugh on the hard Miller foul while these guys continue to let him have his way? Unacceptable! Knock his a** down! Lean on him with a solid hip check when he drives or knock him down while going for the ball. They should have bee doing this since game 2! There are easy ways to use that rule to your advantage without looking like a dirty team. You see, this is why you never see Don Nelson or George Karl teams win it all… those teams are always about high octane offenses but not enough TEAM physical play. I’m hoping Vinny develops into at least his former coach Gregg Popovich, but he has a small window of 1 more year to show improvement in game management and defensive schemes. Find a defensive-minded assistant this Summer!

Go Bulls in Game 6!

As I type this the game is not yet over.

Bulls by one with seconds left in the SECOND overtime ... and I take back anything negative that I might have said about this series.

Win or lose; I've more than gotten my money's worth. (and I didn't pay a dime)

Greatest series I've ever had the pleasure of watching!!!!

UN-BULL-EVIBLE!

If they don't win another game ... if they don't score another point ... I'll go to bed happy with what I've watched this evening.

THIS is entertainment!

It's also torture.

Was a big win. Big huge win. Gordon was not a factor in this game. THANK goodness for Noah, Salmons and Rose!!! That is all I am going to say because anything else will be misconstrued. Go Bulls!

"That is all I am going to say because anything else will be misconstrued."

What...you mean the 23 and 10 from Miller, or the 11 and 7 from Kirk? Keith, we have this figured out by now...you can come out of the closet.

NEVER HAS A PICTURE SPOKEN SO LOUDLY. This is our enforcer and arguably the toughest guy on the team. Humbled by the SMALLEST guy on the opposition. Bulls need to see the Wizard about a HEART this offseason. Might want to stop at the kennel also.