Hawks stun Bulls, MVP-to-be Rose
Chicago’s Derrick Rose
CHICAGO » The Atlanta Hawks stared down Superman, and they weren’t blinking against the Bulls, either.
Joe Johnson scored 34 points and Atlanta beat top-seeded Chicago 103-95 last night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
As if the loss itself wasn’t bad enough, the Bulls got a scare when Derrick Rose came up limping after he turned his left ankle at the end of the game. Their MVP — yes, MVP — stepped on Jamal Crawford’s foot as he dribbled out the final seconds and was helped off by teammates and a trainer.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed reports last night that Rose is the winner, making him the league’s youngest MVP and only the second Bull along with Michael Jordan to win the award.
That announcement is expected today, with the presentation at Game 2 tomorrow. If the Bulls keep playing like this, that could be their final appearance at the United Center, particularly if Rose is limited.
"I should be OK," he said. "I’ll probably get treatment right now, go home, get some more treatment and be ready to go for Wednesday."
The Hawks went on a 15-2 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters to turn a 69-65 deficit into an 80-71 lead with 10:27 remaining.
Johnson hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points during that stretch, and the Hawks hung on.
| HAWKS 103, BULLS 95 ATLANTA Williams 2-6 1-1 5, Smith 3-11 2-4 8, Horford 4-7 1-2 9, Teague 5-11 0-0 10, Johnson 12-18 5-5 34, Wilkins 2-4 0-0 4, Crawford 8-16 4-4 22, Pachulia 2-2 2-2 6, Collins 2-3 1-2 5. Totals 40-78 16-20 103. CHICAGO
3-Point Goals–Atlanta 7-13 (Johnson 5-5, Crawford 2-4, Teague 0-1, Smith 0-1, Williams 0-2), Chicago 8-18 (Korver 3-4, Rose 2-7, Brewer 1-1, Bogans 1-3, Watson 1-3). Fouled Out–None. Rebounds–Atlanta 45 (Horford 13), Chicago 46 (Noah 9). Assists–Atlanta 20 (Teague 5), Chicago 21 (Rose 10). Total Fouls–Atlanta 17, Chicago 16. Technicals–Noah, Chicago Coach Thibodeau, Chicago defensive three second. Flagrant Fouls–Smith. A–22,890 (20,917). MAVERICKS 96, LAKERS 94 L.A. LAKERS
3-Point Goals–Dallas 9-20 (Kidd 2-3, Stojakovic 2-3, Barea 2-4, Nowitzki 1-2, Brewer 1-2, Terry 1-4, Stevenson 0-2), L.A. Lakers 5-19 (Bryant 4-9, Fisher 1-2, Odom 0-1, Blake 0-1, Barnes 0-1, Brown 0-2, Artest 0-3). Fouled Out–None. Rebounds–Dallas 43 (Nowitzki 14), L.A. Lakers 50 (Odom 12). Assists–Dallas 30 (Kidd 11), L.A. Lakers 21 (Gasol 7). Total Fouls–Dallas 17, L.A. Lakers 12. Technicals–Chandler, Nowitzki, Gasol. A–18,997 (18,997). |
Johnson was brilliant, hitting 12 of 18 shots and all five 3-point attempts. Crawford scored 22 points, and Jeff Teague added 10 while starting at the point for the injured Kirk Hinrich and wound up getting the game ball from coach Larry Drew.
"We’re the team that nobody talks about," Crawford said.
Well, this is a good way to get them talking — shoot 51.3 percent against one of the league’s stingiest defenses and take a series opener.
As alarming as all that was for the Bulls, though, the sight of Rose limping off sent a real shiver through Chicago.
"It’s tough when your best player is limping off the court with an injury that you know he’s had before," center Joakim Noah said. "It’s tough, but right now, we have a game on Wednesday in less than 48 hours."
Rose twisted the same ankle in the opening round against Indiana, but even before he limped off the court, this certainly wasn’t his best night.
He scored 24 points, but he was just 11-for-27 from the field and did not attempt a free throw.
Luol Deng scored 21 points for Chicago, while Carlos Boozer added 14 points and eight rebounds despite a turf toe injury on his right foot. But it was a rough night overall for the Bulls — particularly on defense.
"The intensity wasn’t right," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "The start of the game was poor in terms of ball direction, in terms of challenging shots, in terms of showing help. There wasn’t one aspect of the defense that was good. They’re too good of a team to play like that."
Pushed by Indiana in a tough five-game opening series, they fought through a brutal first quarter to pull within one point at halftime and led by as many as six in the third quarter before this one slipped away.
