In what has been the most unorthodox series of all, the road teams have won all the games. The Boston Celtics looked lackluster in Games 1 and 2, and the Chicago Bulls took advantage. While it looked the Bulls were going to come back home to finish off the series, the Celtics responded with two huge wins at the United Center.
The Rajon Rondo injury situation
On Tuesday, it was reported that Rajon Rondo is preparing to attempt to play in Game 5. However, he had to test out his hand to confirm his status. On Wednesday morning, the Bulls announced that he will sit out once again and will most likely miss Game 6 as well.
Rondo's absence has significantly hurt the Bulls, as they've lost their floor general. In the first two games, the former Celtics point guard had his fingerprints all over, averaging 11.5 points, 10 assists, and 8.5 rebounds. Isaiah Canaan will continue to receive the start in his absence. Unfortunately, none of the other four Bulls guards have been able to fill the void, which has resulted into Chicago's immediate downfall.
Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade must take charge
Without Rondo, Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade have to be relied on heavily. Now that their backs are up against the wall, the two stars must take command of the offense and muster huge performances for the Bulls to be able to sneak out another victory in Boston.
Without Rondo, Butler has had the responsibility of running the offense, but he hasn’t been able to do it as proficiently as Rondo did. However, Butler remains a matchup nightmare for the Celtics because of his ability to score at a high level. He just needs Wade to play up to par to help the team succeed.
The Isaiah Thomas show
Isaiah Thomas put on a show in Game 4 when the Bulls closed the gap in the second half. The little point guard is now finding creases in Chicago’s defense and scoring at will around the basket. It seemed like the first two games, he was bothered by his sister’s death, which is understandable. Since then he has looked more determined and focused, helping the Celtics retake home-court advantage.
The Bulls have tried covering Thomas with a bigger player like Butler, but he has used his speed and craftiness to find openings. He has also used screens to free himself up. The Bulls must find an answer to Thomas before it’s too late.
The rebounding battle
The Bulls have out-rebounded the Celtics in every single game this series, but in Games 1 and 2, it flabbergasted Boston much more than it did in Games 3 and 4. The difference has been Chicago’s offense. In the first two games, the Bulls shot considerably well from the field, but Rondo’s absence has caused a major meltdown on that end of the floor. In Game 3, the Bulls shot 39.3 percent, while in Game 4 they shot 42.1 percent. Therefore, the Bulls must out-rebound and be efficient on offense to overthrow the Celtics.
It’s become very difficult for the Bulls to find quality shots without Rondo because the All-Star point guard was pushing the ball and finding people in transition. Without Rondo, they are not getting fast and easy offense anymore. Let’s see how Fred Hoiberg adjusts. Game 5 will be televised on TNT at 8:30 pm Eastern Time.
