Game 2: Pacers @ Bulls 04/18/11, 9:30 EST

[Miller4ever]

I was kinda joking. Some calls are definitely in a gray area that can go either way. And refs screw everybody over.

[DuckIII]

this league is rigged b4 the game was over it said bull lead series 2-0 smh

More plausible explanation: Massive corporate conspiracy vs. techy hitting the #2 button in the final seconds just a hair prematurely?

The more Derrick Rose plays, the better it is for the NBA's television revenues. If there was a conspiracy in play, it would be one guaranteeing a 7 game series.

[paulgeorge24]

Nothing's fixed. Biased, perhaps. Human error. Chris Webber was obviously pulling for us.

Chicago fans are complaining about the refs. Only one of us is right.

Why can't we both be right? I was complaining down the stretch about all the awful calls against the Bulls like Noah's block and Prices leg kick/slap at Rose. And then I come to find out other people are saying the officials were biased again the Pacers. It's all the viewers perspective. If you wanted the Pacers to win you saw the calls that went against you and vice versa. Either way, NBA officiating is awful. Nothing is/was necessarily fixed, we just have idiots runinng the show.

Those werent awful calls. One was a makeup call and the other was a foul just called late/on the wrong person. Sadly the refs are probably in the odd predicament of what contact falls under "its the playoffs" vs "thats a foul period".

Bottom line, you guys need to get your act together because the Heat are going to blow the doors off the United Center if you guys expect to play this way and let Rose try to win every game at the end.

The George comment makes me nervous, its good that he takes responsibility, but he was the only one playing defense and everyone of our guys made crucial mistakes on offense, most of them more than him. Without his defense, we wouldnt have been close in this one. Him coming out and saying that though makes me question how he's going to play the rest of the way. He's already timid enough on offense and this is just going to make it worse.

[Payt10]

Bottom line, you guys need to get your act together because the Heat are going to blow the doors off the United Center if you guys expect to play this way and let Rose try to win every game at the end.

The Bulls always play down to their competition. They would not play this way against the Heat if that was our opponent. Your right about one thing. The Bulls do need to play better, point blank. We are making this series way harder than it needs to be.

[j-smooth]

The game is too fast to make all the right calls even with 3 seasoned veteran referees. Basketball is the HARDEST sport to referee because of the speed of the game. I ref rec league games and it is really really difficult to make all the right calls especially with everyone jarring and shouting at you. There were a lot of questionable calls that were made at crucial points in the game. However that doesnt change the fact that the Pacers are playing very well.

[writerman]

Bottom line, you guys need to get your act together because the Heat are going to blow the doors off the United Center if you guys expect to play this way and let Rose try to win every game at the end.

The Bulls always play down to their competition. They would not play this way against the Heat if that was our opponent. Your right about one thing. The Bulls do need to play better, point blank. We are making this series way harder than it needs to be.

As I said on the General Board, I think beyond Rose you Bulls fans are overestimating the talent on your roster. You play really good team defense and have developed good team chemistry, but the overall talent on your roster is far from overwhelming looked at analytically. You will go precisely as far as Rose can carry you in the playoffs, and I personally don't see that as getting to the finals. It's asking too much of the kid, as good as he is.

[blaha112]

Bottom line, you guys need to get your act together because the Heat are going to blow the doors off the United Center if you guys expect to play this way and let Rose try to win every game at the end.

The Bulls always play down to their competition. They would not play this way against the Heat if that was our opponent. Your right about one thing. The Bulls do need to play better, point blank. We are making this series way harder than it needs to be.

I am starting to think this is our problem also. Sometimes it is hard to play against a team that is not good. And right now, the Bulls are playing far from what I would call a good team. Maybe if the bulls starting playing better, we will step our game up and get our first win?

[KushIsMyCologne]

Bottom line, you guys need to get your act together because the Heat are going to blow the doors off the United Center if you guys expect to play this way and let Rose try to win every game at the end.

The Bulls always play down to their competition. They would not play this way against the Heat if that was our opponent. Your right about one thing. The Bulls do need to play better, point blank. We are making this series way harder than it needs to be.

As I said on the General Board, I think beyond Rose you Bulls fans are overestimating the talent on your roster. You play really good team defense and have developed good team chemistry, but the overall talent on your roster is far from overwhelming looked at analytically. You will go precisely as far as Rose can carry you in the playoffs, and I personally don't see that as getting to the finals. It's asking too much of the kid, as good as he is.

I don't think you'll find to many Bulls fans who think we have anything resembling overwhelming talent outside of Rose. What we do have is by far the best rebounding team in the league and a defense that is literally dominant when they play with focus and intensity (which is concerning because I've seen very little focus or intensity outside of the closing moments in either of these first two games). Our defense and rebounding will keep us in every game.

And Rose will win them in the end. He is the best (at minimum top 3) "closer" in the game today. He can be trusted to make the right play, whether it be a ridiculous shot or drawing the defense in and dishing to an open man. Instead of Bulls fans overrating the supporting cast, I think it's you whose guilty of underrating Rose if you don't think this kid has it in him to lead this team all the way. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't get to consistently watch him, but he has an aura about him that gives the fans, his teammates, and himself confidence that no matter the circumstance, he will bring the Bulls out on top. That makes his teammates and the UC crowd go that much harder when it matters because we always feel like we have the trump card in our hand. And it's why he's never flustered.

[KushIsMyCologne]

Btw, not saying the Bulls are guaranteed to go all the way. But if we don't it definitely won't be because "Derrick Rose wasn't good enough". Dollars to donuts, if we get knocked out, it'll be because whoever took us out was able to solve and exploit weak points in our defense.

[23artest23]

Rose a top 3 closer? The best closer?! Thats a stretch considering this is his 2nd season. Let Rose be a strong closer for more than a season or two before deciding he is the best or even near it. When I think of great closers that are to be feared in the final 2 minutes of a game, I'm not considering a player who is more or less still a rookie in the big scheme of things. Give me Kobe, give me Wade, give me Allen, give me Dirk, and ect... to close out a game. Rose is a top talent and is obviously on his way to better things but I would not be so quick to brand a 2nd year player as the top closer in the league. It is an insult to what guys like Kobe and Dirk have been doing for far more than a measly season or two.

[KushIsMyCologne]

Rose a top 3 closer? The best closer?! Thats a stretch considering this is his 2nd season. Let Rose be a strong closer for more than a season or two before deciding he is the best or even near it. When I think of great closers that are to be feared in the final 2 minutes of a game, I'm not considering a player who is more or less still a rookie in the big scheme of things. Give me Kobe, give me Wade, give me Allen, give me Dirk, and ect... to close out a game. Rose is a top talent and is obviously on his way to better things but I would not be so quick to brand a 2nd year player as the top closer in the league. It is an insult to what guys like Kobe and Dirk have been doing for far more than a measly season or two.

1. It's his 3rd season. For someone with such a condescending tone, you would at least think you'd have basic facts in order.

2. Factoring in longevity has it's place, but in the here and now, Rose is without a doubt in the top tier (at minimum) when you're talking about closers. Ray Allen, seriously? Guy is the greatest shooter ever, and maybe the greatest clutch shooter as well, but he's hardly the guy you think of when you say "closer". A closer is the guy whose hands you put the ball in to make plays to win you the game. All of Ray Allen's great clutch moments involve running off screens. Again, great clutch shooter, but not exactly the same thing as a closer. The Celtics typically put the ball in Pierce's hands for a reason when they don't need a three.

[Miller4ever]

We've seen firsthand that he's a top closer. He is, however, not as efficient or versatile as others such as Kobe, Dirk, and Lebron. Pierce used to be top 3, but he's shown some wear. Wade's only advantage over Rose is the 2 inches. Carmelo is statistically very good in crunch time, and he's consistently a good scorer in the 4th. Rose is in the discussion, but I don't think he's top-3 yet. Top 5, I would say definitely.

[23artest23]

I thought it was his 3rd season but did not want to sound like a screwball so I checked ESPN. It indicates that this is his 2nd season if you look under experience. How ironic I come out sounding like a screwball anyways.
http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3456/derrick-rose

Regardless of the 2 or 3 years, does not change my opinion. I could never call Rose (or anyone else for that matter in just their 3rd season) the best closer or even top 3 when guys like Kobe and Dirk were closing out games while Rose was still learning the game as a child.

Say what you please about Ray Allen but there are very few players in the league I would rather have shooting the ball in the final two minutes of a game. With your argument, was Reggie Miller not a great closer because he came off of screens rather than being handed the ball and let run wild? A closer does not necessarily need to be ball dominant. A closer simply closes games and Ray has done that so many times over the course of his career that IF Rose ever gets in the same league as far as being a closer, he has really accomplished something.

As a side note, a player can be both clutch and a closer. Ray Allen is the definition. With 2 minutes left, ice is flowing through this guys veins. He may just kill with a dagger or he may go unhinged for 6 or 8 points. Either way, he is not only clutch but a helluva closer.

[23artest23]

If Rose keeps up with what he is doing now for another 2 or 3 years, he is more than likely top 3. Hard to say though considering that other great players can close and future seasons are not predictable.