There are many unanswered questions in the universe.
There’s the meaning of life, how they get deer to cross the road at those yellow signs, what disease cured hams had, whether a hearse can drive in the car-pool lane and what the heck happened here Tuesday.
Didn’t the Bulls get the NBA playoff script that said they were supposed to lose this series to the Pistons?
Instead, the Bulls shocked Auburn Hills with a dominating 108-92 victory over the Pistons to pull within one game in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal. Game 6 will be Thursday night at the United Center.
Hey, after 81 straight teams couldn’t overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit, isn’t someone due?
If the Pistons are a snake — and that’s more the ’80s version than this one — the head is Chauncey Billups, the savvy, veteran guard who effectively became the focus of the game for both teams.
“I look for him to be aggressive,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said before the game. “He’s a key factor in what we do.”
There has been much talk about the Pistons’ experience, defense, balance and scoring options with their starting five. But their whole game revolves around Billups, which was clear when he fell into early foul trouble in Game 4 in Chicago.
So Tuesday the Bulls switched up and put Kirk Hinrich, their best perimeter defender, on Billups. That opened things up for Richard Hamilton, who had 15 first-half points, but Ben Gordon finally offset that with his own superb shooting in the first half.
This time the Bulls struck quickly — unlike the first two games here — taking their shots with confidence before the Pistons could set. The Pistons did go to their zone defense, which has bothered the Bulls extensively in the second quarter. But the Bulls’ ball movement was better and they didn’t hesitate with shots.
Of course, no one could imagine shooting above 70 percent at halftime and 67.3 percent after three quarters with a 21-point lead — in a playoff game.
It was more like one of those Clint Eastwood police movies when he’s taking target practice and shoots bull’s-eyes within the bull’s-eyes.
Your offense always looks better when the shots are going in, and so it was for the Bulls.
The Pistons tried a few traps in the backcourt in the second quarter. Their zone rotated, but this time the Bulls showed more patience, moving the ball and working the middle better, where Detroit’s zone is most vulnerable.
Gordon hit 7 of his first 9 from all angles in the first half, Luol Deng 5 of his first 6 with hard drives and pull-ups and Hinrich stepped into jumpers quickly to enable the Bulls to open the game with a rush.
This was more like the finals with the Bulls playing the role of a quick-shot Western Conference team, albeit one with spirited defense.
It was more like what we were accustomed to seeing from the Bulls this season — the hand up in the face against the dribble, aggressive closing on the shooter, closing off the middle and forcing the Pistons baseline for help, the fronts in the post aggressive and relentless, the Bulls quick with the double-team when post players took their first dribble. The Bulls’ defense was the most active it has been in this series.
Yes, yes, you’re saying, where was that the first two games here?
The Pistons, meanwhile, figured to be saying, “Did anyone see that train coming?”
And it kept coming after halftime as the Bulls were opportunistic as well.
When Tayshaun Prince opened the second half with three straight scores, the third on a three-pointer in the deep corner to bring the Pistons within 65-58, Deng took the opportunity to sprint out and was fouled going to the basket.
It was a subtle, crucial play as Billups had to step in to prevent the score with a foul. In quick succession, with 8:40 left in the third on a Hinrich drive and then with 7:36 remaining as the Pistons closed within 70-62, Billups was charged with his fourth foul, an offensive drawn by Hinrich, who continued to play an excellent all-around game.
With the Pistons making a run to get the deficit below 10 before halftime, the general consensus was the Bulls would come back to earth in the second half. But Hinrich opened with his Steve Nash show, dribbling around and away from the defense and then dropping off passes to P.J. Brown for easy scores.
One could see frustration growing on the faces of the Pistons, the team beginning to come apart when Billups went out with his fourth foul in the third.
Rasheed Wallace got a technical foul and Gordon converted three free throws to give the Bulls a 77-64 lead. Wallace then missed three straight long jumpers as the Pistons’ offense became a one-and-done jump-shooting exercise that ran out of energy.
Now the Pistons have some pressure bearing down on them, perhaps as never before. No one wants to make the history to which they now are susceptible.
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sasmith@tribune.com
