Bulls at Pacers
THE STORY: It’s been the Derrick Rose show so far, and the Indiana Pacers can't seem to do anything to stop it. The MVP candidate has led the Chicago Bulls down the stretch in each of the first two games of the Eastern Conference playoffs and has shown an ability to get to the basket reminiscent of another Chicago star from years past. Still, the Pacers have come awfully close to winning and have to be confident heading back home. The Bulls will be looking to squash that confidence and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven set when they visit Indiana for Game 3 on Thursday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV
ABOUT THE BULLS: Rose has been sensational so far. After leading a 16-1 charge to end Game 1, the All-Star point guard took over again in Game 2 with Chicago trailing, putting the Bulls up for good with a circus hook shot from the right side of the lane that turned into a three-point play, and then clinching it from the free throw line. He finished with 36 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Carlos Boozer added 17 points and 16 boards. Kyle Korver has been a key to each of the wins as well, hitting a 3-pointer in the final minutes of both.
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana was up by as many as nine points in the second quarter before point guard Darren Collison collapsed in a heap underneath the basket just before the half. He did not play the rest of the game due to a sprained ankle and is listed as day-to-day. Even with Collison out, Indiana still had plenty of chances in the fourth quarter, sitting on top as late as 5:43 remaining after Brandon Rush converted a layup and pulling within 90-88 with 23 seconds to play before falling, 96-90.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Rose is averaging 37.5 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Tyler Hansbrough kept Indiana in Game 1 with 22 points but slumped to six on 2-of-12 shooting in Game 2.
KEY STATISTIC: Rebounding. The Bulls controlled the glass, 57-33, in Game 2. Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts tied for Indiana’s team high with six boards apiece.
LAST WORD: “It’s always good to win in this league,” Rose said after Game 2. “It’s very hard to win. But the way that we’re winning, we’re just trying to sharpen up things, especially on the defensive end, so that we can control the game more instead of us having to play crazy at the end of the game.”