NBA: Bulls buck odds, force Game Six versus 76ers

The Chicago Bulls turned back the Philadelphia 76ers to survive for another game, winning 77-69 on their homecourt Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time), extending their first round Eastern Conference playoff series.

 

With last season’s MVP Derrick Rose (ACL) and starting center Joakim Noah (ankle sprain) sidelined with injuries, the Bulls appeared cursed when back-up power forward Taj Gibson went down, clutching his right ankle late in the third period.

 

However, all was well a quarter later, when after Luol Deng canned back-to-back triples, Gibson checked back into the game and scored four straight, to make it 71-58 with 5:39 left.

 

A 7-3 run by Philadelphia brought their deficit under double figures, 77-69, but with less than a minute remaining, neither side managed to add to their tally, allowing Chicago to send the series back to the City of Brotherly Love, Bulls trailing by a game, 3-2.

 

Chicago drew a game-high 24 points from All-Star forward Luol Deng, who went 10-of-19 from the field, 4-of-5 from downtown, while adding eight boards. Carlos Boozer chipped in a double-double of 19 points and 13 boards, and Gibson tallied eight markers, plus four blocks.

 

The 76ers had four players in double-figures, led by Jrue Holiday’s 16, and they got their running game going, with 23 points off the break, but it wasn’t enough as the young team failed to close-out the series.

 

Philadelphia actually led with 1:54 left in the first quarter, on a Lavoy Allen jumper, 16-10, but Chicago scored the last seven points of the period to take the lead for good.

 

Game Six between the two sides will be on Thursday (Friday, PHL time). – Adrian Dy/RSJ, GMA News