Well, that didn’t go well.
The Bulls came here for four days, had three practices and played two playoff games — and were ahead for a total of 16 seconds.
Who are they playing, the ’86 Celtics?
“Last year, when we won a number of games (64) and go through a season and not go through a lot of tough times, maybe there’s an entitlement to winning when you get in the playoffs,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “We don’t feel that [now]. Our identity is a grind-it-out-team on the offensive and defensive end.”
And it’s the Bulls who have been ground down like rarely before in the last few seasons, thwarted on defense, in rebounding, on offense, shooting, passing, hustling and, obviously, winning.
Suddenly, Chris Webber, hitting 10 of 11 shots for 22 points and chasing Ben Wallace out of the game, is Robert Parish, and Tayshaun Prince, with a game-high 25 points and another smothering effort on Luol Deng, is Larry Bird.
It wasn’t just that the Bulls lost both games here, which was no huge surprise because the Pistons were the No. 1-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, or even the margins, though it was somewhat shocking to be trailing by double digits in virtually all of the last seven quarters.
“I couldn’t have imagined the margins,” Saunders said. “We have a lot of respect for Chicago. They beat us three of four times in the regular season. The last game of the season, we played them in our building and they destroyed us.
“But we played well, executed, shot the ball well and it’s difficult [for them] to shoot the ball when you are down 12, 13, 14. But since we got in the playoffs, our guys are playing at a different level … our approach, our focus.”
It’s the real issue for the Bulls because of the way the Pistons have taken the Bulls out of everything they rely upon to succeed and even lured the Bulls into a game the Bulls don’t want to play.
One thing obvious from the first game was the way the Pistons, familiar playing one man short on defense with Ben Wallace, ignored Wallace. They let Wallace roam off the Bulls’ pick-and-rolls, the Pistons’ big guys crowding into the lane to cut off penetration. It thwarted the Bulls’ drive-and-kick offense, so the Bulls opened Game 2 finding Wallace creeping behind the Pistons’ defense.
Wallace scored 13 points, but his offense has never beaten anyone.
Falling behind 34-18 after one quarter was far more than looking for Wallace. The Bulls’ offense relies on prying the ball loose on turnovers to get into transition. Not just for fast breaks, but quick shots before the defense can set.
And though the Pistons finished with an unusually high 22 turnovers, most came late as the Bulls were hopelessly behind by 21 opening the fourth quarter.
The Bulls also rely on rebounding. They were among the top teams all season. It provides for extra possessions, particularly on the offensive boards, which alleviates the pressure on their perimeter shooters.
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The Pistons dominated the rebounding, 46-38 in Game 1 and 51-30 Monday. Without those loose balls and defensive boards, the Bulls’ speed is negated and they have to play more often against a set defense.
And that’s futile against a veteran team like the Pistons.
“Defensively, we’re in a lockdown mode and rebounding,” Saunders said. “I told the guys, ‘No rebounds, no rings.’ The guys have made a point of rebounding. In fronting the post, they also gave up offensive rebounds. They took away our post play, but it gave us rebounding position.”
The Bulls’ essential defensive strategy is to front the post. But the Bulls’ weak-side help was so poor, the Pistons were constantly in rebounding position.
Likewise, to change the tempo, the Bulls tried to go small, especially with P.J. Brown in early foul trouble. With Andres Nocioni in and seemingly still bothered in mobility with foot problems, the Pistons pounded the Bulls on the backboards, repeatedly shooting long jumpers and getting second shots.
“There’s no question going into the series we needed to generate possessions by turning people over or getting stops,” Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. “We did not get stops; we didn’t rebound the ball. We did a nice job in the regular season, but these two games they dominated us in there.
“We need those rebounds to get in the open floor to play our game.”
The Bulls’ game, as well, is their guard play, which once again was stymied by Richard Hamilton with 24 points and Chauncey Billups with 14, Ben Gordon again in foul trouble and Kirk Hinrich again with just seven shots, missing all of them.
“Somebody has got to step up,” Gordon said.
“[Billups and Hamilton] are All-Stars,” noted Saunders. “Their effectiveness is the people they are playing with. They’re experienced. These guys are eight, nine years in the league. Hinrich and Gordon, those guys are going to be All-Star-type players. They’re going to do the same [in] eight, nine years.
“There’s really no substitute for experience. You get better by going through the experience and playing against good players.”
Though it’s not that much fun.
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