As it turns out, the playoff version of the 2016-17 Bulls isn't too different from the one that just wrapped up the 82-game regular season: unpredictable, full of surprises, inconsistent as hell, and ultimately just good enough to hang around. But could anyone have seen the Bulls winning a playoff game, on the road, when Dwyane Wade and Nikola Mirotic combined to shoot 5-for-21 from the field?
Al Horford had 19 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, and Avery Bradley scored 14 for Boston. It wasn't pretty to watch, but when have the Bulls been that?
"The difference in the game is we were playing basketball and they were playing MMA", Millsap said. We executed really well. "Those have got to come on his own time, and then we'll adjust accordingly".
"I think he handled [the situation] great".
Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg lauded his team's defensive effort, particularly how it outrebounded Boston 53-36. During the regular season, the Bulls grabbed 51.7 percent of all available rebounds, the fourth-best mark in the National Basketball Association.
"We were so locked in all week", said Butler, who also pulled down nine rebounds as the Bulls capitalized on their size advantage and controlled the inside. We needed to attack. He's been doing it all year. We're going to have guys throughout the series, if we're going to win, it's going to have to be their night.
The Bulls, in true Bulls fashion, didn't make it easy on themselves.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Draymond Green led a defensive surge early in the fourth quarter and backup point guard Ian Clark contributed seven points to a 15-2 flurry as Golden State won Game 1 of the series. "He's a tremendous competitor and he plays with toughness and he gets shots - 32 and 14, that's high-level All-Star game". It was the game's most poignant moment - the entire crowd was almost silent as Thomas hoisted his first attempt.
Celtics fans rallied behind Thomas, showering him with a deafening cheer when he was introduced.
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Thomas fought valiantly and came out of the gate on fire, leading all scorers with 33.
"Our players, a lot of them have relationships with Isaiah", Hoiberg said. I know it's tough for him.
"He was one of our new, young guys that hasn't had any playoff experience that I wasn't anxious about", Hoiberg said.
He then went on to play for coach Bob Huggins at West Virginia University, helping lead the Mountaineers to the 2010 Final Four.
Isaiah Thomas' sister was just 22 when she was killed in a auto crash in Seattle.
He started off hot with 13 in the first quarter, before finishing with 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting, to go along with five rebounds and six assists.
Rondo said they wanted to be aggressive. Bobby Portis emphatically answered that question with the best performance of his young career. So I kind of let them do their own thing. We appreciate that as teammates.
Boston will open their playoff run on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET at home. The last time an eighth seed beat a first seed in the first round was 2011, when the Memphis Grizzlies knocked off the San Antonio Spurs. "And we didn't stop him tonight, but we were able to hold in check other guys and get a win". "We have three more to go and it's going to be even tougher".
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