Joakim Noah Injures Ankle as Bulls Fall to Sixers 79-74

After a disappointing loss in Game 2, the Chicago Bulls vowed to come out with an edge when they faced the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference playoffs on May 4^th. Despite an ugly game for both teams, the Bulls were living up to that promise as they held a 60-51 edge after three quarters had been played. But just as the third quarter sunk the Bulls in Game 2, the fourth quarter would be equally unkind to them in Game 3.

　

Holding a 69-56 lead with nine minutes left to play, the Bull's offense went into hibernation. As a diehard Bulls' fan, it was an ugly scene to watch to say the least. Within a matter of moments, my outlook on the game changed from one of hope to that of despair, as I watched the Bulls suffer another meltdown in a game that was there for the taking. Once again, the Sixers played like the team that wanted it more, outscoring the Bulls 28-14 in the final period, en route to a 79-74 win. The victory gives the Sixers a 2-1 lead in the series and leaves the Bulls searching for answers.

　

In my previous article, I stated the Bulls needed to play better team defense and do a better job of getting back in transition. The Bulls nearly executed this to perfection as they held the Sixers to 34 percent shooting, while limiting the number of fast break opportunities as well. However, the 28 points they allowed in the final quarter, 23 of which came in the final nine minutes, negated what had been a solid effort on the defensive end of the floor.

　

Another point of emphasis I mentioned was the Bulls needed to do a better job executing their offense. I don't think they got the memo on this one as they shot just 37 percent from the field and only managed a paltry five points down the stretch. Along with that, the Bulls also missed six free-throws in the final frame. In a low-scoring game like this one, just two or three more baskets would have made a huge difference. However, the Bulls simply could not put the ball in the ocean when it mattered the most.

　

Following this loss, coach Tom Thibodeau stuck to his mantra of having enough pieces to win with. After watching the last two outings, I don't fully buy into that sentiment. First, Derrick Rose goes down with an injury at the end of Game 1. Then, Joakim Noah rolled his ankle in the third quarter of Game 3, leaving his status as uncertain for Game 4. Luol Deng has been a non-factor the last two games and C.J. Watson has not done a good job running the offense. If there is enough to win with as Thibodeau has said, it has yet to be proven so far and unless something drastically changes in Game 4, the Bulls will be coming back to Chicago facing a 3-1 hole.