IC Cold Links: Rose's Ankle, Effectiveness Among Questions Heading Into Bulls vs. Pacers, Game 5
by Tom Lewis on Apr 25, 2011 9:30 AM EDT
in Indiana Pacers News
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Thanks to the Boston Celtics sweeping away the New York Knicks yesterday, game time for Tuesday's Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls is set for 8:00PM ET on TNT.
That's about all we know about Game 5 at this point. Despite four games of evidence to the contrary, I still can't set my expectations high for yet another monumental effort by the Pacers to hold down the Bulls and have a chance to win the game down the stretch. Seems like I just can't clear the 82-game fog of the regular season from my head.
At this point, though I don't expect a let down in effort from the Pacers. I guess I'm more concerned about the Bulls catching fire and kicking their game into overdrive when they smell the kill. That normally happens in a playoff series at least once, especially a 1-8 series, and it hasn't come close yet.
The Bulls will need everything they can get out of Derrick Rose to pull that off, though which makes the health of Rose's ankle a critical part of the Game 5 story, which we also won't know about until we see him in action on Tuesday night. Rose and Luol Deng have been playing over 40 minutes per game for the Bulls, so if Rose can't play his normal alottment of minutes it will have an impact on the game.
Rose has declared himself ready to play, but how effective he can play will go a long way in determining the outcome. A quick look at the numbers for the Pacers with Rose on and off the court shows that the Pacers are -7.15 Net Efficiency Rating (team point differential per 100 possessions) with Rose on the court but a +23.28 when he's on the bench. Those numbers aren't surprising but do signify how much the Bulls need Rose to stay on the floor and be effective.
After the jump, plenty of off-day links on the Bulls vs. Pacers series along with talk of Donnie Walsh staying with the Knicks.
- Surprising defense gives Pacers a fighting chance - Bruno's Caught in the Web
- Pacers make Bulls Derrick Rose work for his points | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
Mike Wells on Paul George and Dahntay Jones pushing Derrick Rose to have to make great plays to beat them. - Bulls’ Derrick Rose likely to play despite sore ankle - Chicago Sun-Times
- Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose update: Precautionary walking boot, MRI on Sunday - chicagotribune.com
- Chicago Bulls: Teammates confident sprained ankle won't sideline Derrick Rose - chicagotribune.com
- The Man Who Shut Down Derrick Rose - Basketball News & NBA Rumors -
All season long, nobody has been able to stop Derrick Rose, but Pacers rookie Paul George is doing it. How has he shut down the NBA's fastest man? - Will Derrick Roses' ankle injury play bigger role in Game 5?
- Pacers vs. Bulls Spiderwebs – Game 4
- Thibodeau on the confusion at the end of Game 4 - chicagotribune.com
- VIDEO: Looking ahead to Game 5.
- Pacers' Game 4 win a tale of two perspectives | NBA.com
- Pacers still have a pulse and the heart to match - Chicago Sun-Times
- NBA Sunday: What's Wrong With Chicago? - Basketball News & NBA Rumors -
- Rose, Bulls staggering after Game 4 loss - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
- Minutes, production down from Bulls' 'Bench Mob' - Chicago Tribune
- Pacers Narrowly Avoid Sweep - RealGM Basketball Blog
- Joakim Noah in top form in Game 4 loss - Chicago Bulls Blog - ESPN Chicago
- Knicks considering two-year extension for Walsh - CBSSports.com
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What REALLY worries me
is what happens if Danny doesn’t shoot well? Every game its been him leading and some second player helping. If he has a bad game, who picks it up?
by SpaceCowboy1984 on Apr 25, 2011 1:04 PM EDT reply actions
hopefully everybody else. ideally, that's how a team should work.
Harper's on Miller, McKey, gets in to Miller for the win and...
Hail to the Orange.
Hail to the Blue.
Hail Alma Mater,
Ever so true.
We love no other,
So let our motto be
Victory, Illinois, Varsity.
Chief Illiniwek lives
by wonillionaire on Apr 25, 2011 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Danny
Danny is due for a 30 or 40 point game. He needs to get it.
when was the last time he got one?
i seriously hope he is due.
Harper's on Miller, McKey, gets in to Miller for the win and...
Hail to the Orange.
Hail to the Blue.
Hail Alma Mater,
Ever so true.
We love no other,
So let our motto be
Victory, Illinois, Varsity.
Chief Illiniwek lives
by wonillionaire on Apr 25, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
If anything Danny is due for a 3/15 clunker… he has been playing crazy efficient in this series.
I pray this danny shows up all of next year bc he will be an allstar again if he plays like this and we will be much better
He'd have a hard time getting in the all-star game.
Not because he wouldn’t perform on a similar level but because he isn’t as popular as Melo, Lebron, Pierce, Stoudemire, or Garnett.
by infinityzero.systemerror on Apr 26, 2011 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Interesting quote from Pippen from the Chicago Sun-Times article
You’ve got Carlos Boozer out there who’s spending fouls and a lot of his fouls are not needed at the time that he’s giving them. Those could be hard fouls. Those could be fouls that you knock a [Darren] Collison to the floor, you knock a [Jeff] Foster to the floor.
Two things, first, Boozer couldn’t knock Foster to the floor unless Foster is taking a charge from him, but secondly, I hope this qualms any “dirty” talk from Bulls fans since Pippen is clearly calling for guys to throw Collison to the floor.
It’s an eye for an eye.
says Pippen.
Keep going, guys. Green light is on, let’s keep punishing Rose for driving the lane.
If the refs aren't calling them flagrant,
then yeah, it’s fair game for everyone. It’s still dirty, but if the refs don’t call it that’s the way to play. I don’t blame the Pacers for doing everything the refs allow.
I wouldn’t count on getting the same calls in Chicago, though. It’s not about conscious bias, it’s about the unconscious reaction of the refs to a home crowd. It’s part of home court advantage.
Friendly and intelligent banter is always welcome
Even from the opposition.
I’m just taken aback that’s all.
Good luck and Go Pacers!
I don't think one guy's opinion makes all the Bulls fans wrong
I just don’t want anymore elbow-drops to the head (and by that I mean anything that’s endangering our players. Grabbing someone midair and pulling them down is fine). Rose has played streetball before, and he’s not a baby, I’m sure he’ll be fine.
by Stacey_Is_King on Apr 25, 2011 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
elbow-drops to the head?
the only elbow that dropped a player to the floor this series has been kurt thomas’ elbow hitting tyler across the head (his ear is still discolored a bit from that incident). i saw hard fouls yes, but none i would really consider to be that dirty. the CSN play by play guys and the chicago media IMO is overreacting to the physical play.
Harper's on Miller, McKey, gets in to Miller for the win and...
Hail to the Orange.
Hail to the Blue.
Hail Alma Mater,
Ever so true.
We love no other,
So let our motto be
Victory, Illinois, Varsity.
Chief Illiniwek lives
by wonillionaire on Apr 26, 2011 6:55 AM EDT up reply actions
If it were anyone other than Thomas,
I would call that an accident. But I’ll admit that Thomas might know how to make it look like an accident. He and Foster are both canny, physical vets. But I also think they know it’s harder to get away with that stuff away from home. And if Thomas did do that intentionally, well, he did a better job of it than Foster, whose fouls were reviewed by the league. As a practical matter, I think Foster knows he needs to be on his best behavior in Chicago, while Thomas might get away with something (again?) at home.
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