"We're Not Done With This Thing"

Photo courtesy of nbcsport.msnbc.com

Last time the Bulls made it to the playoffs, Chicago was the number eight seed in the East.  LeBron James and the Cavilers destroyed the Bulls from start to finish by taking only five games to eliminate the Bulls from the playoffs.

Flash-forward to Friday, April 8, 2011: Derick Rose and the Bulls ironically defeat the LeBron-less Cavilers 93-82 in Cleveland to clinch the number one seed in the East.

However, despite the big accomplishment there was not much celebrating over receiving the best seed in the East.  “It’s a goal that we were chasing and we’re proud to have that goal,” said Carlos Boozer on April 8^th.  “But we have other goals, too.  We’re not done with this thing.”

If the Bulls are going to reach their “other goals” they will first need to go through the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Chicago was 3-1 this season against Indiana, yet their 115-108 OT loss came in their most recent game. 

Derick Rose put up 42 points, including three free throws with 1.2 seconds left in regulation to tie the score, and send the game to overtime.  The scary thing: It still wasn’t enough to win!

Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Granger, the two Pacers that need to be shutdown if the Bulls plan on winning this series, put up a combined 48 points in Indiana’s overtime triumph.

Bottom Line: The Pacers finished the season as the only team in the NBA to make the playoffs with a sub .500 record.

While the Bulls are young and playoff inexperienced, soon to be NBA Coach of the Year, Tom Thibodeau will have this team ready to play.  There is a reason the Bulls turned around from a .500 team the year before and now a 60+ win team this season.  Thibodeau knows how to get the best out of his players night in and night out.

Prediction: The Bulls will win the series over the Pacers in the same amount of games it took to get them out of the playoffs last season (5 games).