Philippines, 13 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Bulls trample Hawks, even series at 1-1


PhilBoxing.com




BEFORE Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals tipped-off Wednesday night at the United Center, Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose accepted the 2011 NBA MVP trophy from league commissioner David Stern.

Rose, 22, is the youngest player to ever win the coveted award, unseating Wes Unseld, who was 23 when he was named MVP in 1969.

Cheered on by a sold-out home crowd of over 22,000, Rose then went to work and proved why he is deserving of the Maurice Pdoloff trophy.The 6-foot-3 spitfire scored 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, leading his Bulls to an 86-73 triumph over the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

Rose made only 10-of-27 shots and couldn't find his range beyond the arc, 1-for-8. But he was aggressive early and often, creating easy opportunities for himself and his teammates. Two nights after he didn't attempt a single free throw, Rose made 4-of-6 this time.

Bothered by an errant ankle since the previous series against Indiana, Rose declared his ankle to be "fine" and that it had nothing to do with his less than stellar shooting saying it "wasn't a factor in the game," insisting that shots he normally make "just didn't fall tonight."

Unlike their Game 1 loss, when they fell behind quickly at 9-0, the Bulls came out firing in Game 2 and took a 25-19 cushion after the first quarter. They padded their advantage to 48-37 at the half and built their largest lead of 14 -- 75-61 -- at the 6:54 mark of the fourth quarter.

After surrendering a postseason high of 103 points in Game 1, the Bulls defense reverted back to its tough, stingy ways, holding the Hawks to just 26-of-77 from the field (33.8 percent) and 3-of-13 from 3-point range.

Relying heavily on their size advantage, the Bulls effectively put the clamps on Joe Johnson, who was held to16 after exploding for 34 in Game 1. Jamal Crawford, who had 22 in Game1, didn't do well, either --- 11 points on 2-of-11 field goals.

Despite its shooting woes, Atlanta made it interesting by creeping to within 77-71 off a 17-foot jumper by Jeff Teague with still 4:01 to go. But Chicago punched back with a 6-0 spurt to finally put it away.

NOAH'S BARK. Joakim Noah, the Bulls' resident energizer, played like a man possesed. The 6-foot-11, 232-lb center-forward saw 39 minutes of action and made the most of it -- 19 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, two assists and a shotblock.

Noah sank 6-of-8 shots and 7-of-8 free throws. And though saddled with five fouls and two turnovers, Noah was a whirlwind on both ends of the floor, particularly on defense where he guarded the paint with authority, hindering Hawks penetrations and altering enemy shots with his length and aggression.

Luol Deng had another fine outing with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Carlos Boozer, the Bulls $80 million man, continued to fight through a painful turf toe and settled with eight points and 11 rebounds.

The Bulls second stringers, which their fans fondly refer to as the bench mob, produced only 14 points. But it was enough to outplay their Atlanta counterparts, who coughed up 13.

"We were our own worst enemy tonight," said Hawks coach Larry Drew, a former Laker who played in the NBA from 1980 to 1991. As he sifted through the debris of his team's dismal performance, Drew concluded that his Hawks "did a poor job" with their shot selection and that they "panicked" when their shots didn't fall.

With the best-of-7 series knotted at 1-1, this Eastern Conference semifinals now shifts to the Philips Arena in Atlanta for Game 3 on Friday night. (HDS)


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Taylor vs. Serrano Trilogy: Can Amanda Get The Nod?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • BERLANGA-SHEERAZ, STEVENSON-CEPEDA, MORELL-KHATAEV MAKE WEIGHT IN NEW YORK
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • Johnny Spell Takes on Chancellor Batttenberg on Saturday, July 19th at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, PA
    , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Make Weight for Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Philippine Under-12 Girls Team Shines Bright, Clinches Multiple Medals at 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Kenneth “Llover Boy” Takes on “El Nica” Concepcion Aug 17 on Gerry Peñalosa’s Show @ the Winford Resort and Casino Manila (Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez won’t be Boxing’s best kept secret in 2026
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated Gabriela Tellez Returns July 18 at “Night of Champions” Live on DAZN
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Dushanbe hosts stacked fight card with Bakhodur Usmonov and Christopher Mouafo headlining IBA.Pro 8
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Peñalosa To Test "Lover Boy" Llover Versus Accomplished Panamanian Veteran Concepcion
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Begins Brandenburg Cup Prep Camp
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Dream Fight: “Bam” Rodriguez vs “Puma” Martinez on the Horizon
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Perez vs Vivas Headlines All Star Boxing's Prueba de Fuego Card on July 25
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin Promotions & Ringside Ticket Inc. Present ‘Lopez Vs. Vargas’ Welterweight Battle
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Vegas Fight Experience Where Authentic Sparring Meets Cinematic Vegas Energy
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • 4 Division World Champion & Hall of Famer Erik Morales Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TONY HARRISON
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • FIGHT EMPIRE! TUAZON, ADOR, DE BARBO, JOMAR, AND MORE ARE READY FOR ACTION IN BRICO SANTIG'S EXCITING SHOW JULY 12 IN THAILAND
    By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Shakur Stevenson and David Morrell Face "Crossroad Fights" This Saturday in Queens
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin’s “Mayhem in Music City 2” to Feature Undefeated Vic Hernandez Facing Jayvon Garnett for NABA & Jr. NABF Featherweight Championships
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • James Perkins & Anthony Andreozzi Headlines “Oceanside Prize Fights”
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • GORST PURSUES GOLDEN GLORY IN JEDDAH, DEFENDING WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN SAUDI ARABIA, 21–26 JULY
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Hovhannisyan and Barrientes Set for High-Stakes Showdowns July 18 on DAZN
    , Tue, 08 Jul 2025
  • UNBEATEN PROSPECT KENNETH LLOVER TO FACE FORMER TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION LUIS CONCEPCION IN MANILA
    , Mon, 07 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.