The contrast between Games 1-3 and Game 4 could not be more drastic.
Game 1, blowout. Game 2, blowout. Game 3, evisceration.
Game 4? A bit of Bulls redemption after getting manhandled to date by the Detroit Pistons in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. And given the travesties perpetrated before Sunday, saying a few things changed in Game 4 is like saying Rasheed Wallace has philosophical differences with referees.
It was a fairly broad transformation. But some keys to the victory loomed larger than others and are worth watching in Game 5 on Tuesday night. If the Bulls have any hope to stay afloat — and it isn’t a lot of hope to begin with — most of those improvements must be more than temporary.
1. Luol Deng got aggressive.
The Bulls’ leading scorer in the playoffs was spotted easily in Game 4. All you needed to do was aim your eyes at the rim. Deng cut and slashed and drove into the lane early and often, determined, he said, to create easier opportunities for himself.
It worked. After shooting 38 percent through the first three games, Deng shot 10 of 15 on Sunday. Theoretically, more Pistons zone defense Tuesday — and more dedicated defensive effort, period — would hinder Deng’s ability to scissor into the lane. But if the Bulls can get out on the break, Deng could get more of those easy chances and get into a rhythm again.
Odds of Game 5 repeat: 65 percent.
2. Ben Wallace got active.
Maybe Big Ben just needed to lighten his wallet a bit, for better mobility, and the fine for his tardy Game 3 arrival was just what he needed.
What the Bulls needed was the comprehensive Game 4 performance Wallace gave them. Teammates maintain that his effort in the series hadn’t waned. But his 17 rebounds in Game 4 nearly doubled his average in the first three games. He was clearly the most active player on the floor.
How it goes without an energetic home crowd, and with a more interested Pistons frontline, is the question.
Odds of Game 5 repeat: 40 percent.
3. Kirk Hinrich looked for his shot.
Hinrich’s five turnovers in Game 4 were a bit of a blight, though his 10 assists more than sufficed as a bright side. As important was his early offensive effectiveness. Hinrich did not hesitate to launch jumpers, and that puts an extra onus on either Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton to pay close heed defensively.
A re-energized Pistons’ backcourt might cut down those opportunities in Game 5. Still, Hinrich is likely to find some shots. He must remain confident enough to make them.
Odds of Game 5 repeat: 35 percent.
4. Billups got in foul trouble, and Hamilton looked comatose.
The great, unwritten, indecipherable playing-at-home code suggests that, at minimum, Billups won’t find himself on the receiving end of too many whistles in Game 5. That is crucial for the Pistons, who appear somewhat distressed without their floor leader.
Hamilton conceded he didn’t play with enough verve in Game 4, but his ineffectiveness (4-for-12 shooting) also has to do with the Bulls’ defensive moxie, spearheaded by Hinrich. Hamilton can adjust his own intensity level, but he can’t personally mute the Bulls’.
Odds of Game 5 repeat: For Billups, 10 percent. For Hamilton, 50 percent.
5. The Pistons didn’t care.
For all the good the Bulls did, give anyone a polygraph, and they’ll concede it: The Pistons were lethargic, at best, for most of Game 4. Their nonchalance cost them one chance to close out the series and provided the Bulls at least a smidgen of hope.
It nearly killed Detroit last year against Cleveland, when it went up 2-0 and lost the next three games. The Pistons would do well to remember that.
Odds of Game 5 repeat: One percent.
Maybe if the Pistons hadn’t almost sleepwalked out of the playoffs last year, the Bulls could catch them dozing. But, hey, anything’s possible. Or so the Bulls must tell themselves.
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bchamilton@tribune.com
