NBA Finals Game 5 Preview

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Kevin Love, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36918954

The Cavaliers are down 3-1 to the Warriors. A lot of people are saying, "Hey, the Warriors came back from a 3-1 deficit this post-season, why can't the Cavs. Now I'm not saying that the Cavs can't do it, but I am going to say that what the Warriors did was totally different. The Warriors only had to play 1 game on the road while they had 2 home games left. The Cavs only have 1 home game left and have to win 2 games on the Warriors home floor. Now, this isn't impossible because 2 of the 10 teams to comeback from a 3-1 deficit only had 1 home game left after being down 3-1. One was the Celtics from the Bill Russell days, and the other team was the Houston Rockets and their clutch city team. These are two historic teams. And no one has comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA finals, so if the Cavs were to accomplish this feat, it would be a very historic moment in NBA history.

Now, if you haven't heard, Draymond Green has been suspended for game 5 of the NBA finals due to his encounter with LeBron. He will be out of the lineup. I don't know what Steve Kerr is going to do, but I have to assume he'll start Iggy at the 3 and slide Barnes to the 4. What I do if I'm the Cavs, is start Love at the 5. Now you might think I'm crazy, but I can explain. Love at the 5 would most likely match him up with Andrew Bogut and Kevin Love is a guy that can really stretch the floor. Through the whole time Andrew Bogut is on the floor, I'd suggest the Cavs go into pick and roll/pop with Love. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving should just go into pick and roll/pop with Love until Steve Kerr decides to take Bogut out of the game. With shooters like Jefferson and J.R., if the Warriors help off of the pick and roll, these guys will have wide open shots and lanes to the basket. We've seen how the Warriors do against the small line-up in pick and roll when they have Bogut or Ezeli out there; it isn't pretty. With them down 3-1, they have to try something, and Love at the 5 might actually work for at least the first quarter.

With Draymond Green out, this really takes away the Warriors' versatility and option to go small. This is going to force them to have a big throughout most of the game and what the Warriors are going to have to hope to do is out-score the Cavs. I expect Anderson Varejao to play a big role for the team because of his versatility and hustle he brings. He can also somewhat stretch the floor. Same with Speights and I think he will also get some key minutes.









Game 5 is going to be Cleveland's best chance to steal a game in Golden State and you have to think if they can win the next 2 games, they will have a good shot at winning game 7 in Golden State.

Raptors VS Heat (Game 5)

Toronto Leads Series 3-2

Toronto can thank DeMar DeRozan for showing up last night. The guy had 34 points on the night. While he was the main reason for Toronto's win, the Raptors could have easily lost this game.

The Heat were very stale offensively. Guy weren't getting ope shots like they did against the Hornets. I think the main reason for this is the absence of Whiteside. They opportunity to go into pick and roll is something that they aren't going to anymore. Goran Dragic just needs to go into a pick and roll with Josh McRoberts and Dwayne Wade needs to go into it with Joe Johnson. They need ball movement. If they get Whiteside back, he'll help a lot, but if they don't, they are going to really suffer if they don't go into pick and roll. Now is a time where the Heat really miss Chris Bosh as well. The Heat cannot live off of 12 assists per game. And they not only had just 12 assists, but they had 13 turnovers. When your turnovers are more than your points, that isn't going to win you many games!

Other than that, I don't know what to say. If they played like they had against the Hornets, the Heat would've won that game. And now they're going into game 6 with their backs against the wall and there is absolutely no room for error.

Spurs VS Thunder (Game 5)

Thunder Lead Series 3-2

Before the Playoffs started, I filled out a bracket with some friends. I had the Thunder making the western conference finals. I kind of took a risk just for the fun of it, but hey, I could have called it. I thought it would be a game 7 series and you really couldn't go wrong either way.

The team that only lost 1 game at home this season has now lost 2 out of 3 home games to the Oklahoma City Thunder. To start, the Spurs did a bad job on the boards in game 5, which I'm positive Gregg Popovich will bring up to his team. They were out rebounded as they had just 36 rebounds while the Thunder had 54.

I sure the other thing that Pop will bring up is that the Spurs shot tons of mid-range shots. They had few shots in the paint and not many from the 3-point line either. It isn't that they shouldn't take mid-range shots, it's that they weren't making them at all. When a shot isn't falling, you need to look for higher percentage shots. The shots chart below shows just how many mid-range shots the Spurs shot.

Spurs Team -Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

 Now I could say that the Spurs didn't defend Westbrook good enough, that they let him score. Westbrook was taking the shots they wanted him to take. They defended him really well and they got back in transition. It really came down to the 4th quarter though. Instead of giving the ball to Kawhi or Aldridge, Tony Parker, who had shot just 4-12 in the game took a contested mid-range shot and missed. That would've put the Spurs ahead.

Every game the Spurs have lost have been really close. That's the good news for them. They haven't lost due to a blowout. They just weren't really hitting or taking good shots last night, an easy fix for Gregg Popovich.

Warriors VS Rockets (Game 5)

Warriors Win Series 4-1

The Warriors closed out the series last night, and they blew out the Houston Rockets. Jason Terry guaranteed a Rockets win in game 5. The funny thing is, Jason Terry obviously put too much pressure on himself because he was 0-7 from the field.

The Warriors were great offensively. They shot 54.9% from the field. They could not be stopped. The team had 30 assists in the game. Klay Thompson had 27 points on the night as he took advantage of James Harden's poor defensive effort. Klay took 9 uncontested field goals and made 8 of them. That is just a very poor effort from the Rockets.

The Warriors weren't just good offensively though. They held the Rockets to 32.6% from the field. They contested most of the Rockets attempts. The Rockets took 55 contested shots and only made 18 of them. That is great defense! I also notice that they crashed on Dwight Howard whenever he got the ball. He never could get up a clean shot as he shot 3-13 from the field.

As you can see, the Warriors dominated on offense and played great defense. If they keep this up going into next series, they could win the whole series without Curry. And Kevin Durant would agree with me that anyone who can't see that is an idiot.

Clippers VS Trailblazers (Game 5)

Trailblazers Lead Series 3-2

The Clippers have lost and are now in a downward spiral. They were doing such a great job. The game was tied in the 3rd quarter, but what happened?

The Clippers played well through the first 3 quarters. They were very aggressive. You could tell that they expected to win the game too. 52 of their points came from the paint. Jeff Green was very active on offense as he had 17 points. J.J. Redick had 19 points as well. These are two guys that need to produce if the team is to win.

Going into the 4th quarter is when the Clippers lost it. Jamal Crawford really hurt them. He played 10 minutes in the quarter and shot just 0-4 from the field in those 10 minutes. They weren't the best quality shots either and none of them were in the paint. Other than that the Clippers offense was fine.

Their defense was a different story. Damian Lillard had 16 points in the 4th quater! They were horrible defending him when a big came up to give him a pick. They kind of laid off him letting him get off the shots. When guarding Dame, you can't let him get an open shot at a 3. He will knock him down. Force him inside the arc where he can't hurt you as much.

Damian Lillard - Shot Chart 4th quarter - www.nba.com/stats

The Trailblazers had a great overall game. They once again beat the Clippers in rebounds. Mason Plumlee was a big reason why. C.J. McCollum played great as he ended the game with 27 points. Harkless had a double-double as he had 19 points and 10 rebounds. These guys really contributed to the game which took pressure off Damian Lillard as he only had to come out and close the game. The play from the Trailblazers was amazing and if they keep it up, they are going to be looking at closing this series next game.

Heat VS Hornets (Game 5)

Hornets Lead Series 3-2

Courtney Lee cam up clutch in American Airlines Center last night. The Miami crowd was in disbelief as the guy who had shot just 1-8 before the shot, won the game. Miami had another chance. Wade took the basketball inside where he was blocked by Kemba Walker. These were the highlights, however, there was much more to the game than just these plays.

Many of the Hornets players were struggling. Kemba Walker, Courtney Lee, and Frank Kaminski all struggled shooting the ball. However, Marvin Williams was a big reason why this team had the lead. He had 17 points and 8 rebounds. He is a great player for this Hornets team to have on the floor. And when he is shooting well, he is even better.

While Miami shot better from the floor, they struggled from 3. The Heat went 5-18 on 3-pointers while the Hornets went 12-24. This really put the Hornets in the position to win. The Heat just never seemed in the position to hit 3s either, they were just out of rhythm.

The Hornets have a great bench. Jeremy Lin plays such a big role for the time. The Hornets had 29 total bench points while the Heat only had 13 bench points. The Heat just need more production from their bench. I think they need to play Gerald Green a little bit more and just tell him to come out and score. The Heat had 88 points last night. They need more. And when you aren't hitting shots, you need someone to come in and starting hitting them, not Justice Winslow who is coming out and shooting 1-6. Gerald Green can score.

Anyways, the Hornets have now won 3 games in a row. They can close it out in Charlotte. The Hornets are a great home team so the Heat have to play at their best next game. They need to start hitting shots. Their defense has been great, but they need to hit more shots. That's all.

Hawks VS Celtics (Game 5)

Hawks Lead Series 3-2

When Isaiah Thomas scores only 7 points for the Celtics, you have to find other options. The Hawks played great defense as they surrounded Isaiah Thomas. They wouldn't let the guard get a shot off. Since nobody else was willing to make plays, the Hawks just continued to swarm Thomas. While Thomas suffered from an ankle injury, he said that he will play in game 6.

As for the Hawks offense. It was great. 5 players had at least 10 points. 12 players had at least 2 points. They shared the ball so well as they ended with 30 assists on the night. They also won the rebounding and defensively, they forced 20 turnovers on the Celtics. They had 19 fastbreak points as well. The Celtics defense was scrambled, which was odd because the Celtics are a great defensive team. They destroyed the Celtics

The Hawks just need to keep up this intensity going into Boston. If they can keep it up, they should be looking at a win. On the other hand, the Celtics are looking at elimination next game. But I have confidence that Brad Stevens will find a way to stop the Hawks and get points up on the board. He always seems to be able to do it.

Raptors VS Pacers (Game 5)

Raptors Lead Series 3-2

The Raptors won a big game last night. For the Pacers to beat the Raptors in the series, they now have to win the next two games. The Raptors are finally in control of the series. Here's why.

DeMar DeRozan finally looks like DeMar DeRozan. He had 34 points as he shot 45.5% from the field and more importantly, he shot 12-13 from the free throw line. He took plenty of this mid-range shots and got to the rim with ease. He was a huge reason this Raptors team won. However, this game was really close, a lot closer than the Raptors would have liked. Kyle Lowry still needs to step it up. He shot 3-11 from the field and 1-5 from three. George Hill outscored him. They need him to step it up.

I was very impressed with how great Bismack Biyombo was in this game. He had 10 points and 16 rebounds in the game and was a +10 on the floor. He helped this Raptors team stay in this game when the Pacers had a 17 point lead over the Raptors. Norman Powell was also great in the game and a big benefactor.

Paul George played great. He was amazing. He shot 57.9% from the field, had 39 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds. He really had his team winning. While he probably should've taken the last shot, he made the right play. If there was about 1 more second on the clock, the Pacers would've won that game. But they lost since the shot didn't get off in time. However, this game shouldn't have come down to that last shot. Somehow, in 7 minutes and 29 seconds that Ty Lawson played in the game, the Pacers lost 18 points from their lead just with Lawson being in there. Him and C.J. Miles were horrible off the bench. Rodney Stuckey shot 1-10 from the field, but he actually played solid defense and he ended with a +1 for the team. I don't even know how the Pacers can even play Miles and Lawson next game.

I do want to mention that the Raptors had 12 assists in the game. It was horrible. Their ball movement was so stagnant and I'm really shocked they won the game. I think that if the Pacers didn't have horrible bench production, they would have won. The Pacers bench ruined the 4th quarter. Completely ruined it. The Pacers only had 9 points in the 4th. Only 9! It was horrible. The Raptors are very lucky that Paul George didn't play the whole quarter. 

Thunder VS Mavericks (Game 5)

Thunder Win Series 4-1

The Maverick played great, they really did. But this OKC team was just way too much for them to handle. I have to admit that this has been my favorite series to watch so far. It's been a chippy, scrappy game, and I have loved the effort from the Mavs.

The Mavs had one big thing working against them. They were worn out, and you could tell. The effort was there defensively. The Mavs contested most of the shots that the Thunder put up. However, if you take a look at the 4th quarter. The Thunder were destroying them offensively and the Mavs were shooting very poorly. In the last 5 minutes of the game. The Mavs shot just 2-11 from the field where the Thunder shot 3-8 and were sent to the FT line multiple times just because of the bad defensive positioning of the Mavs.

The fact is, the Mavs fought, and they fought hard. 6 of their players had at least 10 points. Barea had 8 points and Devin Harris had 9 as well. The team had 24 assists. They moved the ball really well. If they could have made shots in the late 4th, I have to think they would have won. The Mavs just couldn't hit shots.

As for OKC, they need to go back to the defense they had in game 1. The Thunder's defensive rotations were way too late on every possession it seemed. Their defense was just bad. They need to go back to their great defense from game 1 and I think it starts with Westbrook just putting in more effort. They need to step it up if they are going to even have a chance against the Spurs, because the Spurs will always find the open man and rip apart weak defenses.

Hawks VS Wizards (game 5 YouTube Breakdown)

Hawks win 82-81



Hawks lead series 3-2

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Hawks VS Wizards (game 5)

Final Score: Hawks win 82-81



Hawks lead series 3-2

Horford Traveled. That's the first thing I yelled when I saw that play. I waited for the call. It never came. I left the room so mad, not because the Hawks won, but because the NBA rules and the refs let the team win the game illegally. You can't replay this and fix it and all 3 refs missed the travel. However, the Wizards made some mistakes themselves, let's take a look.

The Wizards need to do better with help defense. they don't help and then the wrong people help and then others don't cover the people they should have been covering. It was just a mess. I looked at every defensive play that the Hawks scored on and over half of them had problems with help defense. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. They really need to fix this problem. Next, Gortat doesn't read what the defense is doing. If he is double teamed he puts up a shot and if he has a lane, he doesn't take it. They did a good job of finding the open guy on the weak side though. They also have situations where they need to do better on screens. There was poor communication and that needs to be addressed. They sometimes need to switch and sometimes need to get back on their man. The defense for the Wizards was just horrible.

The Hawks played good overall. They did have streaks where they missed shots and committed a lot of turnovers at once. They had 23 turnovers total. They also need to get back on their man and stop double teaming people. They really need to cut down on that. Jeff Teague looked lost on defense a lot of times. He just looked like he didn't know what was happening, he would walk away from his man. Someone else would guard him and he would just stand there and not find someone. He was really lazy and it just wasn't Teague. I don't know if he was tired or whatever, but he needs to play better defense. Mike Muscala played great defense and did a great job setting screens. He slipped a couple of the screens which got him great open looks. He also did a great job of using pump fakes and pass fakes. The Hawks need to win 1 of their next 2 games. Can they do it? Well, they have some mistakes to fix first.

Rockets VS Clippers (game 5)

Final Score: Rockets win 124-103



Clippers lead series 3-2

The Rockets did a lot of things right. The Clippers had a tough time with this team. This Rockets team showed everybody what they are capable of. Let's breakdown what the Rockets did right in this game and what they need to do to tie the series.

The Rockets had a great game. One noticeable thing they did was that they started Josh Smith. Josh Smith did have an okay game, but his defensive rating was the worst on the court. They honestly need to insert Jones into the starting line-up. James Harden had a wonderful game and he looked like he always had in the regular season. He started off the series where he was just missing. Everyone was like "James! Where were you!"

 

It's okay James, your back. That's all that matters. He had a triple-double last night. 26 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds. He could step up his shooting a little as he only shot 1-8 from the 3 point line. Dwight Howard also had a great game. He had 20 points and 15 rebounds. He was also great on the defensive end as well. Jason Terry had a wonderful game with 11 points, 7 assists, and 0 turnovers! He also was great on the offensive end with a rating of 141.1. Corey Brewer played great with 15 points off the bench. The best individual performance I think was by Trevor Ariza. He had 22 points, shot 4-6 from downtown, had 3 steals, and had a defensive rating of 89.5. He was the MVP of the game. At least, that's what I thought.

The Clippers have some work to do. They desperately need some offense from the bench. There bench was 10-31 from the field and 3-14 from the 3-point line. Spencer Hawes had a great game off the bench but he was the only bench player that really produced. They can't rely off of 55 points from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. That won't win them games. Also, they need to rebound better. They lost the rebound advantage 58-39. That can't happen. Everyone needs to be trying to get the rebound. When DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin combine for all but 12 of your rebounds, the other teammates aren't trying enough. They really need to protect the paint better. I would be more concerned with the paint than the 3-point shooting of the Rockets right now. You can't let them have a chance to comeback. Can the Rockets do it? We'll have to wait and see.

Grizzlies VS Trailblazers (game 5)

Final Score: Grizzlies win 99-93



Grizzlies win series 4-1

It's all over. Another series finished. The Grizzlies just were too much for the for the hurt and lacking Trailblazers. Let's take a look at what the Portland Trailblazers did right and wrong.

The Blazers had a great contribution form C.J. McCollum as he had 33 points and shot 7-11 from 3 point range. He wasn't enough to give this team the win though. Even though Batum had a horrible shooting night, he still had 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Damian Lillard only shot 1-8 from the 3 point line. He had shot like that all series. Arron Afflalo just couldn't shoot. He was scoreless in the game. The Blazers also had 18 less rebounds than the Grizzlies. All of those things contributed to the loss in game 5 for the grizzlies.

The Grizzlies just played great. They controlled the boards, dominated in the paint, and played great defense. One thing they could have done better is shoot the 3. They only shot about 7% from three point range. That's pretty sad. Defensively, Tony Allen played great. He had 5 steals and 2 blocks. The Grizzlies had an astonishing defensive rating of 94.6. Beno Udrih played absolutley horrible. He had a defensive rating of 111 and an offensive rating of 65.3! That's a net rating of -46.6. Absolutely horrible! Udrih was great in pretty much every game of the series, but game 5 he couldn't do anything. He is going to have to play better in the next series if Conley is still out. If Conley is back, I don't see this guy play much if he continues to play like this. Of course, this was just one game. I expect him to bounce back in game 1 against the Warriors. 

The Grizzlies are moving on. I will miss the Trailblazers and all their crazy three point shooting they gave us. I wish the Grizzlies best of luck going into the next series. They are going to need it.

Hawks VS Nets (game 5)

Final Score: Hawks win 107-97



Hawks lead series 3-2

The Hawks got their game together. And Deron Williams lost his again. I guess it was just a one game kinda deal. The Hawks could put it away next game. Let's breakdown what they have to do.

The Hawks have done okay in this series but they picked it up in this game to the great old Hawks like the time they won all those game in the regular season. I really want to give credit to Jeff Teague who had 9 of his 20 points and 3 of his 8 assist in the 4th quarter. He was such an important in the fourth. Horford just needs to keep doing what he's doing. He had a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds with 2 blocks and 2 steals to go along with that. One thing that bothered me was Paul Millsap's play. He only had 10 points in the game. It wasn't much of a concern though. He just couldn't hit shots. In fact, he passed the ball, set screens and really helped out his team. He just couldn't hit shots. Hopefully he can do better next game and the Hawks can put this series away.

The Nets played okay. They played great in the fourth but the Hawks always had an answer on the offensive end. Alan Anderson had a great game coming off the bench. He ended the game with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Deron Williams had 5 points in the game. Not to mention, the team was horrible with him on the court. Deron Williams had a low offensive rating of 97.8 and a horrible defensive rating of 117 when he was on the court. They played best when Jarrett Jack was on the floor. People that say it's because Deron Williams is playing with his ankle hurt, I don't buy that one bit. Deron Williams ran a total of 2.26 Miles while running an average of 4.14 MPH. So don't tell me that he's hurt. The team did great from three point range and I would look for them to shoot more threes. Other than that, there isn't much they can do.

Clippers VS Spurs (game 5)

Final Score: Spurs win 111-107



Spurs lead series 3-2

This was a crucial game. And the Spurs look like they are in great shape for next game. They can put this series away next game. We are all wondering who will win this series. It is probably one of the most interesting series in the playoffs so far. Let's breakdown the Spurs play to start off.

The Spurs had a great bounce back win after the loss they took at home. They had great ball movement and everyone was involved. One guy I really want to look at is Borris Diaw. He had the best plus/minus advantage on his team with +13. What was he doing so great. Just playing great basketball, setting screen, grabbing boards, and just making good defensive plays. Anything that could help his team. His defensive rating (the lower the better) was great at 86.6. You think that good, his offensive rating (the higher the better) was at an astonishing 120.1. That is great. If fact the whole bench had an offensive rating above 120. I was amazed on how well their offensive rating was for the Spurs bench. One thing the Spurs should probably change for next game is the guy guarding Barnes should be in more of a help position. He needs to be able to double team. I really think they should try that out. Another thing is don't have Manu be the main ball handler for the bench. He is more of a shooting guard and had 4 turnovers in just 18:28 minutes.

The Clippers have some work to do. Redick took to many chances and played lazy defense. I would look for him to step it up. This is the playoffs! You need to play your best. Redick fouled out of that game really because of the way he played. Their bench could use a lot more from Jamal Crawford. The Clippers only have 3 people coming off the bench and Jamal Crawford just needs to be regular Jamal Crawford. Again, Blake Griffin just needs to cut down his turnovers. My main problem really was the bench though. Everyone on the bench had a horrible defensive rating all over 125. That cannot happen from your bench. They really need Matt Barnes with the bench and DeAndre Jordan too. Their bench has a great offensive rating. They just need to bring up the offensive rating. Have Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, Glen Davis, and DeAndre Jordan all out on the court. That would be a great way to start the second quarter.

This is going to be great so tune into TNT 9:30 PM EST to see game 6. This could be the last game of the series and you don't want to miss it.

Rockets VS Mavericks (game 5)

Final Score: Rockets win 103-94



Rockets win series 4-1

It was a nice series while it lasted. Too bad Chandler Parson couldn't play. Too bad Rajon Rondo couldn't make his coach happy. Too bad Patrick Beverley wasn't there. Too bad the Rockets social media manager was fired for making a picture of a horse with a gun to his head (sounds like a social media manager that has no common sense of social media). Too bad Dirk couldn't win another championship. Too bad the refs couldn't have a little more common sense (they were okay, but nobody else seemed to like them). And too bad this series is over.

The Mavericks did a lot of things wrong in this game 5. First off, Devin Harris was a horrible back up for Barea and they should have had Felton back up Barea at point. Second, Amar'e Stoudemire didn't get the touches he needed. He only had 16 touches in the 11:22 minutes he played. If he had touched the ball more and let him get in the post, that would have spaced out the floor better and would have help the Mavs control the tempo a little better. Same with Tyson Chandler. Now they did do a great job of getting Dirk some touches. Third is that they turned the ball over way to many times. They did a great job making the Rockets turn the ball over but they turned it over just as much as the Rockets. The good thing were that J.J. Barea and Dirk had great games. You might be like "Barea!?" Yes Barea. He only had 6 points but he had 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. The thing that stood out to me though, was how he controled the game. He had more touches than Dirk which obviously seems like that his team trusts him. He looked comfortable on the court. Of course, he is familiar with Dirk and this team. Dirk had 22 points and 14 rebounds but he couldn't win. I feel bad for Dirk because he wants to win more than anybody, but he couldn't.

The Rockets had an okay game. Somethings that weren't so good were that stood out. First, there were way too many turnovers. The team had 21 turnovers while James Harden himself had 6. Then, Trevor Ariza shot 1-7 from three point range. The team only shot 52% from the free throw line. And their teams assists were only one more than their teams turnovers. Some good things. Dwight Howard had 4 blocks and 4 steals. Josh Smith had 20 points off the bench. And Dwight Howard had the most touches for the team with 55 which was more than James Harden who had 44, which means that the floor is spaced for this three point shooting team and they don't rely on Harden as much.

Like I said, this was a great series, but it's over, so that's it for the Mavericks. Great time watching them and I will miss this team.

Bulls VS Bucks (game 5)

Final Score: Bucks win 94-88



Bulls lead series 3-2

Bucks are not out. Don't count them out. Jason Kidd knows what he's doing. He won a series last year with the Nets. Let's breakdown what the Bucks have to do to win their next two games first.

The Bucks played great. Michael Carter-Williams played probably his best game ever. He had a near triple-double with 22 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. What stood out the most though was on the defensive end. The PG had 3 blocks and 1 steal and kept Rose to just 13 points. They could clean up the turnovers a little bit as MCW had 4. In this game it just seamed like the Bucks just wanted the ball. Everyone on the team averaged over 4 MPH. The other thing is that when the bench was on the court, their offensive pace stepped up.

I hate how everyone is saying Derrick Rose is looking like an MVP candidate again. He had 2 semi-good games in the playoffs. All the others were somewhat okay. Let's put it this way. If Kevin Durant had a 13 point night shooting 0-7 from three point range, would that be an okay night. No, that would be a horrible night for him. Rose couldn't do anything right and he had 6 turnovers. So stop criticizing MCW for having 4. Next was Nikola Mirotic, Tony Snell, and Aaron Brooks who showed minimal effort on the court. The whole reason to have a bench is so they can produce while your starters are resting and can bring effort. They need to show some more effort out there next game if they are to win. It was just a poor game for the Bulls. They have to change something here and soon.