The NBA playoffs have lived up to the hype in most of the first-round series. Besides the Spurs and Grizzlies series, all others have treated fans to great games. One of the series that caught us all by surprise is the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls series. The Bulls are up 2-0 on the one seeded Celtics, and many wonder if the Celtics can win after losing the first two games at home. What makes this even more surprising is that the Bulls barely made the playoffs and looked like a team that wasn't going to win a game. So how exactly are the Bulls up in this NBA playoff series?

Rondo resurgence

One big part of the Bulls' recent success has been because of Rajon Rondo's amazing play. Rondo might have a little fuel because he is facing his former team, but the Celtics knew that the Rondo wrath was coming. In the two games this series, Rondo is averaging 11.5 points, 10 assist, and 8.5 rebounds per game. He has been a leader of the team, after a season where he butted heads with some of his teammates and coach Fred Hoiberg. Rondo managed to work through those problems and is now playing some of his best basketball since his days with the Celtics. Rondo smelled blood in the water in game two, as Celtics guard Avery Bradley said in a postgame press conference that Rondo said his team "gave up." Rondo has been the piece that has brought the team together this season, and he could be the player who leads them to a series win over Boston.

Trust and adversity

The Bulls are playing with a new kind of trust on the court. They aren't afraid to make the extra pass, sacrificing a good shot for a great shot. The Bulls did not play with this amount of trust in the regular season, and that's what caused their struggles. Jimmy Butler has seen the new changes people are making to make sure they are prepared to play, saying to ESPN: "Everybody's putting in extra work right now, watching film, working on their game, and that's where your confidence comes from." With the Bulls' trust level at a season high, they are looking like a team that isn't an eighth seed.

Adversity was no stranger to the Bulls this season. They had to push through things like teammate disagreements, coaching issues, and injuries to key players. Dwyane Wade citied that their adversity has helped them be stronger in the postseason, saying "One thing I learned about this team is through adverse situations, this team sticks together.

Everyone did it together," per ESPN. The Bulls are a team used to playing through adversity, but they haven't faced any against this Boston Celtics team.

Game 3 will be in Chicago, and the Bulls are looking to have an even better performance in order to take a commanding 3-0 lead against the Celtics. Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo will need to have repeat games in order to carry the Bulls.