Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg motions to his team on the court during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bulls lost the momentum as well as their cool during their Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics. Here are the main takeaways from this contest.
Remember how shocked we were when the Chicago Bulls kicked off the 2016-17 campaign with a 3-0 record? The euphoria from that surprising start did not last very long as they went on to lose their next three games.
Diehard Bulls fans felt that same level of joy after watching their team take the first two games of its first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
But as was the case during the regular season, the Bulls have regressed back to mean and have dropped three straight, putting them on the brink of elimination.
Unlike the last two games at the United Center, the Bulls remained within striking distance for most of the evening. However, thanks to another late-game run by the Celtics (more on that in a bit), the Bulls found themselves on the wrong end of a 108-97 loss.
Do the Bulls have what it takes to bounce back from their recent setback to force a Game 7 back in Boston? The answer to that question remains to be seen.
In the meantime, let's take a look at the main takeaways from this contest.
Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; The Boston Celtics huddle at center court during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Home Team Finally Holds Serve
Before the series began, this matchup was dubbed as an unusual one because the Celtics were not considered the conventional No. 1 seed despite the fact they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The unusual trend continued through the first four contests, with the road team winning each time. Although the teams played a tight game, the home team finally broke through and in a big way.
Following a pair of games in which they shot 48 and 46 percent from the field, the Celtics had their fair of struggles in Game 5, as they converted 43 percent of their attempts, including a woeful 9-for-40 effort from beyond the arc.
Conversely, the Bulls shot 50 percent from the field, but their impressive field goal percentage was negated by the fact that the Celtics outscored them 56-42 in the paint, 15-4 in second-chance points and 23-4 in points off turnovers.
In other words, this was a recipe for disaster and if the Bulls hope to extend their season, they will need to turn these trends around in Game 6.
D. Wade Delivers Solid Performance
If the Bulls had any hopes of coming away with a victory in Game 5, Dwyane Wade was going to have turn back the clock as he did during his final postseason with the Miami Heat in 2016.
As one would expect from a three-time champion and future Hall of Famer, D. Wade delivered on cue. In the first quarter, Wade scored seven of the Bulls' first 12 points, sending a message that he wasn't going to let this team go down without a fight.
When it was all said and done, even though Wade didn't have a spectacular shooting night (7-for-18), his final stat line included 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, Wade was the only superstar who made any kind of impact, as Jimmy Butler contributed just 14 points on 6-for-15 shooting from the field and failed to register a point in the game's final 12 minutes.
The Bulls needed huge performances from their dynamic duo, but it appears only half of the tandem was up to the task.
Apr 4, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Anthony Morrow (11) drives to the basket between New York Knicks center Kyle O'Quinn (9) and Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas (91) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Bulls Get Contribution From Another Seldom-Used Reserve
After not playing significant minutes since December, Isaiah Canaan was inserted into the starting lineup on the heels of his 13-point performance in Game 4.
As was the case in the previous outing, Canaan reached double figures for the second straight game and more than held his own from a defensive standpoint.
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As a matter of fact, Canaan limited Boston's All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas to just 13 points on 3-for-11 shooting from the field through the game's first three quarters.
While Canaan was the first Bulls player to start in a postseason game after not starting a regular season game since Luc Longley did so back in 1995, Canaan wasn't the only unsung hero who deserved credit for a respectable performance.
Fred Hoiberg rolled the dice with another seldom-used player in Anthony Morrow, who had not seen significant floor time since a 21-minute outing back on April 6.
Surprisingly, the decision paid dividends for the Bulls as Morrow scored eight points on 3-for-5 shooting to go along with two rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes.
With their season now hanging in the balance, it will be interesting to see if Hoiberg will call Morrow's number again in Game 6.
Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) lays the ball in the basket past Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fourth Quarter Meltdown
Through the first 36 minutes, the Bulls managed to weather every storm that the home team had thrown at them. And thanks to this three-pointer by Jimmy Butler, the Bulls actually took an 81-79 lead heading into the final frame.
Following a pair of free throws by Wade, the Bulls still had a slim 85-84 advantage with 10:09 left in regulation. From that point on, however, the Bulls simply fell apart.
Butler — who has been the leading scorer for this team over the past three seasons –failed to register a point in the fourth quarter, missing on both of his shot attempts.
By the way, two attempts from your No. 1 scoring option is completely unacceptable.
In addition to that, the Bulls were outscored to the tune of 29-16 and they actually had more turnovers (six) than made field goals (five).
Furthermore, after holding in Thomas in check through the first 36 minutes, the Celtics guard scored 11 of his 24 points. While Wade did score eight points in the final 12 minutes, it wasn't enough to prevent the Celtics from going on a 20-5 run that essentially put the game out of reach.
Simply put, with a chance to steal another road game, the Bulls failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity. And in a series featuring a pair of teams that are pretty evenly matched, the next game will more than likely come down to crunch time as well.
Having said that, If the Bulls can duplicate their performance from the first two games, all will be well for Game 6. On the other hand, if that is not the case, they will suffer their third first-round exit in the past six years.
