Scores...5/2/09...
Bulls 99, Celtics 109 (Celtics Win 4-3)
Top Performers...
- Ben Gordon - 33 points, 15-15 from the line.
- Ray Allen - 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.
- Eddie House - 16 points, 4-4 from deep, 3 steals.
Things To Think About...
- How good are the Bulls? Were they just peaking at the right time, or did they finally catch on? Again, remember, Boston did the same thing with Atlanta last year?
- Where do the Bulls go from here? In the off-season: Sign Ben Gordon or wait for 2010? Ben Gordon's heroics were a gift and a curse. He carried the Bulls, but the better he played, the more dolloars he'll be asking for - and he already turned down $11 mil./year last summer...
- Better free-agent signing: A.I. or Ben Gordon?
Western Conference Playoff Outlook...
- #5 Houston Rockets vs. #1 L.A. Lakers - L.A. rolled over a subpar Utah team, but never looked amazing and certainly didn't play their best. Houston, on the other hand, looked very good, getting a balanced effort in every W over Portland. The key matchup to look for will be Kobe vs. Ron Artest/Shane Battier. KB24's in for a challenging series (which he probably prefers). However, other than that, the Rockets are overmatched at every position, including the bench, although Yao can go pound-for-pound with Pau. The difference will be the Lakers size and depth, and as long as they don't get too stagnant and comfortable, they should be alright. PREDICTION: L.A. in 6.
- #6 Dallas vs. #2 Denver - This will be a great series. Both teams are playing their best ball of the year. Both teams smoked their first-round opponents, winning 4-1 over San Antonio and New Orleans, respectively. They're as evenly matched as you can get. Great PGs (although Chauncey should abuse J. Kidd), great scorers (Melo & J.R. Smith vs. Josh Howard & Dirk, and Jason Terry), and plenty of guys to mix it up (K-Mart, Nene, Dahntay Jones, & the Birdman vs. Erika Dampier, Brandon Bass, & Barea). It could really go either way, but Denver's playing at such a high level and defending. PREDICTION: Denver in 6.
Via: ESPN
No comments:
Post a Comment