The AP reports:
Carlos Boozer scored 23 points, Derrick Rose doled out 12 assists in more of a supporting role and the Bulls cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 93-73 on Thursday night, wrapping up the East semifinal in six games…
As if to prove his point, Rose took a playoff-low 14 shots and finished with 19 points, his second-lowest total of the postseason. This was a textbook performance by the guys around him, each of them comfortable in a supporting role, each of them willing to do the dirty work at the defensive end.
The most impressive number: Chicago had assists on all but seven of its 41 baskets. Or, come to think of it, maybe it was this stat: The Hawks shot just 37 percent (27 of 74) and rarely got an open look…
Luol Deng hit some big baskets early and finished with 13 points, plus five steals. Joakim Noah scored 11 and stifled the Hawks with three blocks. Omer Asik chipped in with two swats of his own. Keith Bogans made only one basket, but it was a big 3-pointer as the Bulls put it away in the third quarter…
“What goes underrated about them is the depth of their team,” said Atlanta’s Al Horford, who had a miserable night and a tough series overall. “They just wear on you. They just kept coming, kept coming every game. It seemed like their starters were fresh.” …
Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 19 points. Josh Smith was the only other player in double figures with 18. The Hawks went 1-of-11 from beyond the 3-point arc.
InsideHoops.com notes: Jeff Teague hurt his wrist and finished the game with just four points (2-of-6 shooting) and three assists… Al Horford, playing power forward, was awful and shot 2-of-10 for seven points and four rebounds in 37 minutes… The Bulls dished 34 assists. The Hawks had just 14… Like the Hawks, the Bulls were lousy from three-point range. But Chicago shot 53.2% overall from the field, while the Hawks hit just 36.5% of their shots… The Bulls barely went to the free throw line, hitting 8-of-10.
Live fan discussion of the game took place in this forum topic.
