What's this? An actual update?
Yes, I felt inspired to go back and play this one again, if only to finish out Season 2, and see about doing something fun in the offseason. From there, I might sim and play this one a bit on the side. If nothing else, I'm so close to finishing the second season, I figure it deserves some closure.
Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2
Philadelphia (84) at Chicago (94)
Bulls defend home court, go up 2-0Tyson Chandler blocks a layup attempt by Andre IguodalaThe Philadelphia 76ers put up a good fight, but at the end of the day, the Chicago Bulls took care of business.
Ben Gordon scored 26 points and added seven rebounds and 12 assists as the Bulls took a 2-0 lead in their Eastern conference Finals series against the Sixers. Allen Iverson scored 23 points for Philadelphia and Jamal Mashburn had 20, but it wasn't enough as the Bulls pulled away down the stretch.
The final score didn't reflect how competitive the game was throughout, as the Sixers managed to keep pace with the Bulls despite the absence of injured forward Chris Webber. Rookie Cory Camara had a solid outing starting at power forward with eight points and 10 rebounds, while putting in an impressive defensive effort against Carlos Boozer, who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
However, anchored by their MVP, as well as a double-double effort of 16 points and 16 rebounds by Tyson Chandler, the Bulls made all the right moves in crunch time, defending their home court and sending the Sixers home down 0-2.
"We know what history says, but we're not thinking too much about that," Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks told reporters after the game. "They got the first two, now we've got two at home. We just want to take things one game at a time, try to even up this series, and take it from there."
Game 3 tips off in Philadelphia in less than 48 hours.
Bulls lead series 2-0Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3
Chicago (108) at Philadelphia (117)
76ers finally end Bulls' streak, take Game 3The Sixers ended the Bulls' incredible winning streak at 64The Philadelphia 76ers were the first team to fall to the chicago Bulls as they embarked upon their historic 64 game winning streak, which spanned the final 54 games of the regular season and the first ten games of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. Therefore, it seems only fitting that they were the team to finally bring the streak to an end.
Allen Iverson scored 31 points and handed out eight assists as the Sixers protected their home court with a 117-108 victory over the Bulls, who lead the series 2-1. Ben Gordon scored 36 points to go along with 17 assists, but it wasn't enough as Chicago lost control of the game in the second quarter and were never able to recover.
After taking a 50-45 lead into halftime, Philadelphia opened the third quarter with a flurry, quickly building a thirteen point lead. Chicago would make several runs throughout the second half, but the Sixers continually recovered. A final push in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter quickly ran out of steam, and Philadelphia cruised to victory.
Jamal Mashburn had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Sixers, while Andre Iguodala contributed 20 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Samuel Dalembert had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng each contributed 16 points and six rebounds for the Bulls in the loss, while Kirk Hinrich had a solid game with 10 points and 7 assists.
Many of the Bulls' players were particularly agitated after the loss, a game in which the Sixers attempted 29 free throws compared to only one for Chicago. "It's an almost unprecedented disparity," Bulls coach Andrew Begley acknowledged after the game. Philadelphia also bested Chicago on the boards, outrebounding the Bulls 48-33.
Several Sixers appeared cocky after the win. "They're mortal," Iverson brashly told reporters in the press conference after the game. "Yeah, they've won a bunch of games, but they still have to go through us. We're not gonna just lie down for them." Iguodala asserted that the Sixers can win the series. "We know we can," he said confidently. "Everyone wants to just hand them the trophy. Tonight we showed you can't just do that. We're for real."
Philadelphia will host Game 4 in two night's time.
Bulls lead series 2-1Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4
Chicago (103) at Philadelphia (89)
Late run puts Chicago up 3-1The Bulls are on the verge of a second straight trip to the NBA FinalsThe comments that Allen Iverson and Andre Iguodala made after Game 3 didn't set well with the defending champions. Bulls centre Tyson Chandler admitted that before the game, "We were feeling pretty [ticked] off."
From the opening tip, the Bulls were clearly determined to send a message. They quickly silenced the chants of "overrated" from a hostile Philadelphia crowd, jumping out to an early 14-5 advantage. The Sixers would manage to find their rhythm as the first quarter wore on however, trailing just 29-21 at the break.
The lead would balloon to 23 by halftime however, as MVP Ben Gordon put together a solid first half with 10 points, nine assists, and three rebounds. Despite early foul trouble, Carlos Boozer had eight points and six rebounds at the half, and Chicago seemed firmly in control of the game. It looked like it would be a long night for the Sixers.
And then, the third quarter began.
The Sixers outscored the Bulls 32-16 in the third quarter, erasing their seemingly commanding lead and catapaulting themselves right back into the game. Chicago looked completely out of sync at both ends of the court, and early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers tied the game at 80.
Chicago would pull through in crunch time though, finishing the game on a 23-9 run to secure a 103-89 victory, and push Philadelphia to the brink of elimination. Gordon finished with 21 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, scoring 9 of his 21 in the fourth quarter to help put the Sixers away.
"We wanted to send a message, but we almost let [the game] slip away," Kirk Hinrich admitted afterwards. "We played a terrible third quarter, and it almost cost us the win. Thankfully, we pulled it together when it mattered." The Bulls received 22 points from Luol Deng, while Chandler had 14 points and 19 rebounds. Boozer also finished with a double-double, tallying 15 points and 17 rebounds.
Allen Iverson was quiet with just 14 points, but dished out eight assists. Samuel Dalembert had a big game for the Sixers in the loss, scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Rookie Cory Camara was also impressive, with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The series now shifts back to Chicago for Game 5, where the Bulls will look to advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight season.
Bulls lead series 3-1Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
Philadelphia (81) at Chicago (120)
Bulls are heading back to the NBA FinalsThe Bulls wrapped up their series with the 76ers in Game 5The Chicago Bulls punched their ticket to the 2007 NBA Finals with a dominant 120-83 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Ben Gordon scored 25 points to go along with 11 assists and two steals as the Bulls ended the series in emphatic fashion.
Philadelphia jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, playing with urgency as they tried to keep their season alive. Chicago soon took control, but neither team made much of an effort on defense, leading the first quarter to turn into a shootout. The Bulls prevailed 38-29, which seemed to give them all the momentum they needed heading into the second quarter.
Chicago received a surprising lift from Monta Ellis, who scored 14 points in the first half to help Chicago take a 61-44 lead. Ellis would finish with 25 points, to go along with six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, in what may be a breakout performance for the second year guard.
Early on in the third, it looked as though the Sixers might make another spirited run to keep the game competitive, but a series of turnovers allowed the Bulls to race away to a 90-65 lead heading into the fourth. Their relentless attack continued in the final period, as they cruised to a 120-83 win.
"They wanted to make a statement, and they did just that," veteran forward Jamal Mashburn commented after the game. "We said a few things after Game 3 that got under their skin. We thought we were in their heads, but we just made them more determined. They did a number on us. Hats off to them."
Allen Iverson was quiet once again with just 13 points, and was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 21 points, while also adding four rebounds and four assists. Carlos Boozer had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls in the win, Kyle Korver added 14 points off the bench, and Luol Deng tallied 18 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
Chicago will now face the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Finals.
Bulls win series 4-1Conference Finals Results