I just got back from game 2 of the first round matchup of the NBA playoffs between the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards. This also happened to be the first playoff game I’ve attended in person. Here are my thoughts.
Entering the Promised Land (A.K.A. The United Center)
Man, the playoffs are popular. The line into the arena goes well out the door, except once it reaches outside it is no longer a line. It is a mess. A lawless land, where the strong gain entrance and the weak perish. (Actually, the huge glob of people outside were quite well behaved, especially considering that most were quite inebriated before the game.) It also doesn’t help that it is around 35 degrees outside, and all I’m wearing is a light(ish) fall jacket? Why do I only have a light jacket on, you ask? Because earlier in the day, the temperature was in the 60s (and the day before, it was in the 70s). Chicago weather confuses and upsets me.
The First Quarter
We just miss the opening lineups, and the lights are coming back on right as we take our seats. We do catch tip-off, and the following 12 minutes are a sight to behold. The Wizards open on a tear. Beal’s hitting his jumpers, Wall’s hitting his guys, and Nene is picking up right where he left off in the previous game. Before anyone knows what’s happening, Dubs are up 15-6, and the arena is silent.
As the Wizards push their lead to as large as 17 in that first period, my mind starts to wander.
First of all, I find it odd that from the opening tip, this was probably the quietest NBA game I’d been to in person. Was this really playoff basketball?
Second, John Wall’s passes are actually wildly inaccurate. His passes don’t hit his targets in the chest, but rather his recipients often have to stretch out to catch them. Didn’t seem like a big issue at the time though.
After the quarter ends, with the Wizards leading by 11, I text my friend, the Wizards fan, that the Wizards are threatening to run away with this one. My friend, the Wizards fan, ignores me.
Things Get Interesting
Things start to get a little chippy in the second quarter. With around four minutes left in the period, Beal and Hinrich get into it, and they get called for double technicals. The crowd erupts after this play. Maybe it was because of the foul, or maybe it was because the Bulls just rallied to pull the game within 7, and are finally starting to play that hard-nose style we know and love and hate them for. All I know is that THIS IS NOW THE PLAYOFFS (yes, that needed to be capitalized). Joakim Noah, the instigator, runs over and tries to instigate things during the dead ball situation. He is by far my favorite Bull right now.
During this spirited run, head official Joey Crawford becomes spirited as well, his calls becoming more and more exaggerated. You can’t always expect good officiating from Crawford, but you can almost always be guaranteed entertainment.
A couple possessions later, the lead is cut down to 4. This is when The Moment occurs.
The Legend Continues
Beal misses a decent look, but manages to secure the rebound. He passes to Wall, who swings back it to Beal, who shoots a three. And sinks it. The crowd is stunned for a moment, before they realize that the play has been waved off. Why do you ask? Because the legendary coach Randy Wittman called a timeout a split second before Beal launched his wide open three, that’s why. Beal just stands there, staring confusedly at his coach. (Let’s ignore the fact that they managed to get two of those points back after the timeout. The story is better if we ignore that)
All joking aside though, it is a rare day indeed that Randy Wittman out coaches Tom Thibodeau, but that is exactly what is happening in this series. Even if he does nothing more that keep his guys calm through the storm (Wall’s inaccurate passes in the first quarter eventually turned into a whole lotta turnovers due to miscommunication, and Bulls went on a huge run to take a sizable lead), the fact remains that the Wizards have twice faced double digit deficits in this series, and were able to overcome both times to win the ball game. Not to mention all the wide-open, confidence building looks that Wittman managed to get Beal in this game. It’s hard to believe, the Wizards have found a way to consistently score against the Bulls’ heralded defense, and it’s all thanks to Randy’s solid coaching job (and Nene and Beal’s scoring. But never mind that for now).
I tell my friend, the Wizards fan and Wittman critic, that Wittman could be getting an extension if they can make it to the second round. My friend, the Wizards fan, is not receptive to this idea.
The Ballad of Kirk Hinrich
After a whole lot of back and forth (mostly forth, in the Bull’s favor), the Bulls lead by 3 with 1:47 left in the game. Then Kirk Hinrich happens. The following is Hinrich’s personal play-by-play for the final minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.
1:06 90-91 Bulls Kirk Hinrich misses 25-foot three point jumper
0:31 91-91 Kirk Hinrich misses 22-foot jumper
End of Regulation
4:39 91-91 Kirk Hinrich misses 18-foot jumper
3:55 93-91 Dubs Kirk Hinrich lost ball turnover (John Wall steals)
3:40 93-91 Dubs Kirk Hinrich misses 4-foot jumper
2:24 97-91 Dubs Kirk Hinrich misses 26-foot three point jumper
Hinrich would also go on to miss a key free throw at the end of overtime that would have pushed the game into double OT, most likely. Not to mention all of the possessions the he personally torpedoed by either throwing a pass that was deflected, or just by running the clock down to the point where the Bulls were unable to generate a clean look. The loss was not entire on his shoulders, but I couldn’t help but wonder, “What if that was Derrick Rose playing, instead of Hinrich?”
Hometown Fans
The Bulls fans seemed pretty cool in general, but as usual there were some fans that were just plain rude, entertaining, or a combination of both.
The hecklers seemed a little less that creative. They cried, “Hey, Nene” in a sing-song, mock baby voice during his free-throws, and shouted “Washington sucks” when it became clear that the Wizards would go up 2-0. I’m all for taunting the opponent, but c’mon guys. Let’s come up with something a bit more imaginative, OK?
There were also the usual good-natured, yet slightly misinformed hometown fans. At one point I heard (no sarcasm), “Get the ball to Jimmy [Butler]. He’s one of the league’s best three point shooters.” He’s not. I checked. These are also the guys that cackle at 50-50 calls that go agains the Wizards, and boo spiritedly when they go against the Bulls (the officiating in general was pretty uneven for this game). My favorite misinformed fan tendency is the customary “Run down the clock” shout when their team up 5 with 5 minutes to go. Play to win the game, or play not to lose it. Who knows?
Post-Game
My friend, the Wizards fan, texts me “Wiiiiiiiin” after the game ends. As he has ignored most of my texts during the game, I ignore him for a bit. Then think better, and respond with “Kirk Hinrich MVP”. My friend, the Wizards fan, ignores this. Ah, well.
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