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Chicago Bulls: Confident They Can Force A Game 7

By James D. Tillman III

May 10, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) scores over Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) in the second half of game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at the United Center. Cleveland won 86-84. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) scores over Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) in the second half of game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at the United Center. Cleveland won 86-84. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bulls come into tonight’s Game 6 facing elimination for the first time in these playoffs. And to be honest, things have not gone their way the last few days to say the least.

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Not only have they dropped the last two games, but their play has been erratic, which is putting it mildly. Take Game 4 for example. Chicago led 37-29 in the second quarter, but allowed the Cavs to go into halftime with a 49-45 lead following a scoring drought that lasted seven minutes.

And in the fourth quarter, the Bulls led by seven points and were in position to put a stranglehold on King James and Co. However, thanks to yet another painful stretch in which they produced just two points during a span that lasted nearly six minutes, the Bulls allowed LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to steal a game they should have easily won.

In Game 5, although the final score was close (106-101), the Bulls actually trailed by 17 points halfway through the fourth quarter before trimming the deficit to two points (111-109) at the 1:18 mark. But it was not meant to me, as the Cavs concluded matters, scoring five of the game’s final seven points, becoming the first team to win consecutive games in this series.

So based on these recent trends, are the Bulls capable of extending the series to a seventh game? Well, Joakim Noah certainly seems to think so and offered this assessment, as reported by Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley:

"“These games are coming down to one or two possessions. We feel like we can do a few things better and very excited about [Thursday]. We know they’re gonna throw some punches and we’re gonna throw some punches. It’s just another round.”"

Another reason behind Noah’s confidence could have to do with the fact that Pau Gasol will attempt to play despite missing the past two games with an injured hamstring. Here is what the Bulls forward had to say in regards to his status, per ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell:

"“I made some good progress today. No residual pain from [Tuesday] also works. We’re making progress. At the end of the day, [Thursday] is the game and I’ll do everything I can to help the team. … I’ll be out there. Whichever way I can be, I will be.“I mean right now it’s win or go home. There’s nothing left but [Game 6]. What percentage I’ll be able to play? I don’t know, but whatever percentage I will be that’s what I’ll give.”"

To say the Bulls have missed Gasol’s presence on the floor would be a huge understatement. During the regular season, he averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest. And in nine playoff games, he is averaging 15.1 points and 10 rebounds per outing while shooting a respectable 49.5 percent from the field.

And without Gasol in the lineup the last two games, the Bulls have struggled, shooting 36 and 39.5 percent from the field respectively. That being said, it’s easy to understand why the team values his contributions.

Whether or not the Bulls have enough to force a seventh and deciding game remains to be seen. What is a certainty is that whatever Gasol can give the Bulls will be an upgrade compared to what we have seen over the last two contests.

Next: Chicago Bulls: Will They Finally Beat LeBron James In A Playoff Series?

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