Practice had just ended Tuesday morning.
Bulls coach Scott Skiles talked about how he planned to use one of those high-tech contraptions that could transform his laptop into satellite TV so he and his staff could monitor all of Tuesday night’s action from his New Jersey hotel room.
Then, a scenario was pitched: What if the Cavaliers lost, ensuring the Bulls the Eastern Conference’s second seed, and the Wizards did too?
That would have meant a Bulls loss Wednesday night in New Jersey would have handed the Nets the sixth seed and set the Bulls up with a first-round matchup against the crippled Wizards, anybody’s preferred matchup.
One almost could hear the Nets’ public address announcer: “At guard for the Bulls, Andre Barrett! At forward, Viktor Khryapa! At center, Michael Sweetney!”
“I’m not touching that,” Skiles said. “You have to be careful what you wish for. My inclination is you always play to win.”
It’s a good inclination, especially after the Cavaliers won in Philadelphia to take the race for the second seed down to the season’s final day.
Simply put, if the Bulls win in New Jersey for the first time since April 17, 2001, a span of 10 games, it doesn’t matter what the Cavaliers do at home against the Bucks. The second seed — and home-court advantage for at least the first two rounds — is the Bulls’.
If both the Bulls and Cavaliers lose Wednesday night, the Bulls fall short of their loudly proclaimed goal of 50 victories but still snag the No. 2 seed.
If the Bulls lose and the Cavaliers win, break out the sunscreen — and not because the Bulls would have home-court advantage in a first-round series with the defending champion Heat. Skiles’ postgame analysis might singe.
“If you want to be a championship-caliber team, you start thinking like a champion,” Skiles said. “Even in the beginning of the season, you start thinking about home court and how if you get No. 2, you don’t have to face No. 1 until the Eastern Conference finals. You think like that.”
The Bulls are assured of either the second or fifth seed and home-court advantage in at least the first round. Their opponent? That’s another story.
If they drop to fifth, the Bulls will play the Heat. But the Wizards’ home loss to the Magic means that those two teams plus the Nets are possibilities if the Bulls snag the second seed.
Confused?
“I don’t even understand all the scenarios,” guard Chris Duhon said before the Cavaliers played. “All I know is we want the No. 2 seed. We’re expecting Cleveland to win. And we’re expecting to win.”
This expectation is borne from a confidence that is both prevalent and palpable. A torrid 20-7 since the All-Star break, the Bulls believe they’re playing their best basketball down the stretch.
Offensively, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni all will set career highs for scoring. All are shooting at career-high marks too.
Defensively, Ben Wallace’s presence has helped the Bulls lead the league in rebounding. His ability to roam defensively has helped the Bulls finish second in forced turnovers.
“From a regular-season standpoint, it’s another step up,” Skiles said. “We’ve now become a very, very good home team, which is a prerequisite for getting to another level. From midseason on, we’ve become a good road team.
“We’ve scored better. Our defense hasn’t dropped off. … Overall, this is a better team [than the last two]. It just is.”
And that’s why, whatever happens Wednesday is just the start. After two straight first-round exits, few, including Skiles, would answer definitively what a successful playoff run will be.
But all the Bulls know what won’t be.
“We’re not playing just to make the playoffs,” Gordon said. “We want to advance and get to the Eastern Conference finals and win. Anything short of that would be a disappointment.”
Bulls? playoff countdown Remaining regular-season games 1 Whom they?d meet if playoffs started today: Wizards (7th seed) Bulls are 2nd seed with a win or a Cavaliers loss Wednesday Wednesday?s game: at Nets (6:30 p.m.) Last meeting: Bulls won 105-74 on April 6 at home. Cavs play Milwaukee.
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kcjohnson@tribune.com
