The Bulls Should NOT Be Impressed With Themselves.

[celticinorlando]

the bulls and their fans today are absolutley happy about this...they bounced back and won after getting hammered...they are tied 2-2 and have already won in boston...they made all the plays down the stretch to win in double OT.......they are giddy with where they are.....

[endverse]

Our team sans KG with a Game 4 PP is even with Chicago.

The closeness of today's game backs that statement up.

[Rondo_is_better]

to the op's point, that sure is a laundry list of "reasons" why the celtics lost - but guess what they did - If I'm this Chicago team, I'm amped - we're tied with the champs man...

I hope the c's can use this to their advantage - young teams + overconfidence can lead to dramatic falls when the chips don't go their way

that said, give credit where credit is due - excuses are like umm noses...everyone has one

Uhh, what? I'm not making excuses for the Celtics. I'm saying the Bulls shouldn't be too proud of what they did. They eeked out a victory with all of those factors in play. And since you seem to believe there is no difference between a reason and and an excuse, even though that's not the point of my post at all, I reference you to dictionary.com:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/excuse

Definition 2, after the semicolon.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reason

Definitions 1 and 2, and don't try to turn definition two on its head by citing the word justification. Just don't.

[KungPoweChicken]

Why shouldn't they be impressed with themselves? They have played incredible basketball thus far, they have made Paul Pierce look like his head is filled with Jell-O, and they have hit big shot after big shot. You have to give credit where credit is due.

[cdif911]

- Poor game from Pierce
- Poor game from Davis (those layups, my god)
- Poor coaching decisions from Doc (not fouling Salmons on the inbounds, 1st OT)
- Ridiculous shot that a streaky player happened to hit with 4.5 on the clock
- Some of the worst officiating that I've seen to date
- Perkins fouling out, leaving us without a single player over 6'7 (I don't count Mikki Moore as a player)
- Brad Miller somehow not getting a flagrant after he went at Big Baby's head, recieved a flagrant, and had it rescinded and changed to a technical
- Scalabrine getting called for a clear path foul while he was even with Heinrich, and even if you don't believe he was level with him, the clear path rule was designed to prevent non-basketball fouls like Trevor Ariza's vicious swipe from happening, not to screw over a team in the final minute of a game.
- A poor game on the defensive end by the C's. Rose had yards of open space on a lot of his drives. It was maddeningly inconsistent.
- The homecourt factor: calls, momentum, energy, comfort, confidence, familiarity, and lack of pressure for the Bulls

I'm not gonna refer to Websters on this - a lot of these things sound like excuses.  Especially saying the refs were bad - they weren't amazing, never are, but the game was called down the middle imo.  If that's some of the worst officiating you've seen, you haven't watched much basketball.  Homecourt factor - sounds like an excuse again - and guess what the celts beat the bulls on their homecourt - blew em out - the bulls had 2 similar games to this one on our homecourt, pulling one out - hmmmm...Millers lack of a flagrant was actually the right call - it should be a tech on him; we were lucky Baby didn't get the flagrant there - how can one get a flagrant foul after a play is over? its a tech...Ben Gordon hitting a "ridiculous shot" guess what? he's hit those before - when someone continues to do something that may seem ridiculous, when does it become talent?  that's his game man - so yeah, your list sounds a lot more like excuses for the c's losing than "reasons"; but here's the thing - its over, the c's will learn from their mistakes and thats it  

[cordobes]

They're a 7th seed, a young team, with a small rotation with 2 players who have just arrived and lead by a rookie, that is tied 2-2 vs. a 60 wins team and current Champions - doing it by playing gritty, though basketball for 3 games out of 4. They were on the verge of going 1-3 down and they won a big game after 2 OTs.

They have all the reasons to be content with themselves and to celebrate.

[guava_wrench]

I'm looking at you Noah. I'm looking at you Gordon.


You eeked out a 3 point, double overtime win with every star in the universe aligned for you.

- Poor game from Pierce
- Poor game from Davis (those layups, my god)
- Poor coaching decisions from Doc (not fouling Salmons on the inbounds, 1st OT)
- Ridiculous shot that a streaky player happened to hit with 4.5 on the clock
- Some of the worst officiating that I've seen to date
- Perkins fouling out, leaving us without a single player over 6'7 (I don't count Mikki Moore as a player)
- Brad Miller somehow not getting a flagrant after he went at Big Baby's head, recieved a flagrant, and had it rescinded and changed to a technical
- Scalabrine getting called for a clear path foul while he was even with Heinrich, and even if you don't believe he was level with him, the clear path rule was designed to prevent non-basketball fouls like Trevor Ariza's vicious swipe from happening, not to screw over a team in the final minute of a game.
- A poor game on the defensive end by the C's. Rose had yards of open space on a lot of his drives. It was maddeningly inconsistent.
- The homecourt factor: calls, momentum, energy, comfort, confidence, familiarity, and lack of pressure for the Bulls

All of that resulted in a 3 point win for the Bulls--hardly a decisive victory--and really a game that could've gone either way. So really, Chicago, settle down and stop screaming and pounding your chests (Noah). You're about to go into a very hostile environment on Tuesday and get run out of town. That will put you at a 3-2 disadvantage, and you'll choke under the pressure on your home floor for game six. Stop celebrating.

If that helps you sleep at night...

[celticinorlando]

if you told the bulls they would get split in boston, get hammered in game three but yet still be tied before the series started they would have taken it in a minute...the bulls are where they want to be...boston has played 3 of 4 poor games and look tired.

[Rondo_is_better]

"I'm not gonna refer to Websters on this - a lot of these things sound like excuses.  Especially saying the refs were bad - they weren't amazing, never are, but the game was called down the middle imo.  If that's some of the worst officiating you've seen, you haven't watched much basketball.  Homecourt factor - sounds like an excuse again - and guess what the celts beat the bulls on their homecourt - blew em out - the bulls had 2 similar games to this one on our homecourt, pulling one out - hmmmm...Millers lack of a flagrant was actually the right call - it should be a tech on him; we were lucky Baby didn't get the flagrant there - how can one get a flagrant foul after a play is over? its a tech...Ben Gordon hitting a "ridiculous shot" guess what? he's hit those before - when someone continues to do something that may seem ridiculous, when does it become talent?  that's his game man - so yeah, your list sounds a lot more like excuses for the c's losing than "reasons"; but here's the thing - its over, the c's will learn from their mistakes and thats it"

The officiating was pretty bad. I've seen worse. But key calls went in favor of the Bulls, and no calls helped the Bulls too.

That's the homecourt factor. It didn't come into play in game 3 because that was a pasting from the get go. Homecourt factor only comes into play in non-blowout situations. If it didn't exist, why would teams have better records at home?

As for those games happening on our home court--and the Bulls pulling one out--yeah, they overcame the homecourt factor. Its not like I'm saying the homecourt factor rules all--teams don't go 42-0 at home--but it plays a role. An excuse is only an excuse if it is completely fabricated justification that simply isn't true.

I believe the rule is that if you go for a player's head, it is a flagrant foul. Miller went for Baby's head, and didn't make a play on the ball.

Ben Gordon is a streaky player. He has *occasionally* hit those before. Sometimes he just catches fire. He's played well this series, but it doesn't become talent until he becomes consistent like Ray Allen.


And again, I'm not providing reasons for the Celtics losing. I'm saying all of the aforementioned things had to happen for the Bulls to sneak away with a victory, and that that type of a win is not IMPRESSIVE, and so they should not be IMPRESSED with themselves.

[Rondo_is_better]

I'm looking at you Noah. I'm looking at you Gordon.


You eeked out a 3 point, double overtime win with every star in the universe aligned for you.

- Poor game from Pierce
- Poor game from Davis (those layups, my god)
- Poor coaching decisions from Doc (not fouling Salmons on the inbounds, 1st OT)
- Ridiculous shot that a streaky player happened to hit with 4.5 on the clock
- Some of the worst officiating that I've seen to date
- Perkins fouling out, leaving us without a single player over 6'7 (I don't count Mikki Moore as a player)
- Brad Miller somehow not getting a flagrant after he went at Big Baby's head, recieved a flagrant, and had it rescinded and changed to a technical
- Scalabrine getting called for a clear path foul while he was even with Heinrich, and even if you don't believe he was level with him, the clear path rule was designed to prevent non-basketball fouls like Trevor Ariza's vicious swipe from happening, not to screw over a team in the final minute of a game.
- A poor game on the defensive end by the C's. Rose had yards of open space on a lot of his drives. It was maddeningly inconsistent.
- The homecourt factor: calls, momentum, energy, comfort, confidence, familiarity, and lack of pressure for the Bulls

All of that resulted in a 3 point win for the Bulls--hardly a decisive victory--and really a game that could've gone either way. So really, Chicago, settle down and stop screaming and pounding your chests (Noah). You're about to go into a very hostile environment on Tuesday and get run out of town. That will put you at a 3-2 disadvantage, and you'll choke under the pressure on your home floor for game six. Stop celebrating.

If that helps you sleep at night...

It does.

[celticinorlando]

no more excuses....boston should be up AT LEAST 3-1 even without KG...they have played sorry in 3 of 4 games...it is all on boston and them keeping the bulls in the series

[Rondo_is_better]

no more excuses....boston should be up AT LEAST 3-1 even without KG...they have played sorry in 3 of 4 games...it is all on boston and them keeping the bulls in the series

Who is making excuses??

They shouldn't be impressed with themselves. That is all.

They shouldn't be impressed with themselves. That is all.

They SHOULD NOT BE IMPRESSED WITH THEMSELVES. THAT IS ALL.

[celticinorlando]

no more excuses....boston should be up AT LEAST 3-1 even without KG...they have played sorry in 3 of 4 games...it is all on boston and them keeping the bulls in the series

Who is making excuses??

They shouldn't be impressed with themselves. That is all.

They shouldn't be impressed with themselves. That is all.

They SHOULD NOT BE IMPRESSED WITH THEMSELVES. THAT IS ALL.

they are tied with the celtics 2-2. they have already won in boston and believe they can do it again in game 5...they are where they want to be and feel good about it

[Rondo_is_better]

no more excuses....boston should be up AT LEAST 3-1 even without KG...they have played sorry in 3 of 4 games...it is all on boston and them keeping the bulls in the series

Who is making excuses??

They shouldn't be impressed with themselves. That is all.

They shouldn't be impressed with themselves. That is all.

They SHOULD NOT BE IMPRESSED WITH THEMSELVES. THAT IS ALL.

they are tied with the celtics 2-2. they have already won in boston and believe they can do it again in game 5...they are where they want to be and feel good about it

They can't do it in game 5. They will lose. They shouldn't feel so great about where they are, because they should realize that it is unlikely that all of their stars will align again and they'll be able to win twice more. Look at how much they needed to get a victory. If they blow us out later in the series THEN they can feel impressed with themselves, but squeaking out a home victory with tons of things going in your favor? That's nothing to write home about.

That's also looking at the big picture. I was talking about game 4 specifically, not the series. They should not be impressed with game 4.

[guava_wrench]

I believe the rule is that if you go for a player's head, it is a flagrant foul. Miller went for Baby's head, and didn't make a play on the ball.

This is hilarious. Why would he make a play on the ball when it was already a dead ball! Haha. Grasping at straws.

Ben Gordon is a streaky player. He has *occasionally* hit those before. Sometimes he just catches fire. He's played well this series, but it doesn't become talent until he becomes consistent like Ray Allen.

Again, if that helps you sleep at night. I'm sure you can come up with justifications for everything.

And again, I'm not providing reasons for the Celtics losing. I'm saying all of the aforementioned things had to happen for the Bulls to sneak away with a victory, and that that type of a win is not IMPRESSIVE, and so they should not be IMPRESSED with themselves.

Please research "confirmation bias".

Funny how you don't give the bulls credit when Gordon hits a shot. Illogical Bulls fans can do the same by not giving us credit when Gordon misses.

If this is what you have to do to be able to accept a loss, do what you have to do. Pretend there are real and fake wins.