Scott Skiles reveals secrets about as frequently as Dr. Phil practices underexposure, so it’s no surprise the Bulls coach turned positively cryptic Wednesday when asked if Kirk Hinrich would start again on Chauncey Billups.
“It’s possible,” Skiles said after a brief Bulls film session. “We may actually go back and cover it the other way too.”
That so much attention is being focused on the guard matchups seems fitting as the Eastern Conference semifinals return to the United Center for Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Bulls’ starting backcourt of Hinrich and Ben Gordon has been a strength ever since Gordon moved into the starting lineup in January. And Billups and Richard Hamilton are, in Skiles’ words, “arguably the best guard tandem in the league.”
The Bulls are trying to become just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after falling into a 3-0 hole. No NBA team ever has rallied to win a best-of-seven series after facing that deficit.
Portland took Dallas to seven games in the first round in 2003. Denver almost rallied to beat Utah in the 1994 conference semifinals. And the Knicks forced a Game 7 against Rochester in the 1951 Finals.
Having Hinrich and Gordon again outplay their more experienced Pistons counterparts would help. Befitting their position and team-first mentality, Hinrich and Gordon acted, well, guarded when asked about the matchups’ importance.
But consider this: The Pistons are 3-0 in games Billups and Hamilton outscore Hinrich and Gordon. And the Bulls have won two straight now that Hinrich and Gordon have returned the favor in Games 4 and 5.
Billups and Hamilton were a combined 10 of 26 in Game 5 after going 9 of 26 and both fouling out of Game 4.
“In a way, the guards control the game,” Hinrich said. “Whichever guards do a better job is usually the team that wins. It has been that way so far in this series. We’ve been able to have some good efforts these last couple of games and win. The main thing is to get the tempo to where we like it.”
That’s both at the offensive and defensive end.
Hinrich’s ability to pick up Billups full court defensively and push the ball offensively has been pronounced in the Bulls’ victories. Gordon aggressively looked for his shots in transition and did a credible job on Hamilton in Game 5.
If the Bulls start the same way, look for the Pistons to attack Gordon in the post with the taller Hamilton, who has four inches on Gordon.
“We did a nice job of getting down there with help, and [Gordon] stole one from [Hamilton],” Skiles said. “But he also missed some shots he normally makes.”
One possible Bulls strategy would be to return to starting Gordon on Billups and then switch Hinrich onto him for a different look if Billups begins to assert himself offensively. The possibility of Billups experiencing foul trouble for a third straight game is about as likely as Starbucks going bankrupt.
“I’m Kirk’s biggest fan defensively,” Skiles said. “But I also know Chauncey is a great player. Maybe we deserve a little bit of credit that he’s in foul trouble, but we also know that’s not going to happen very often. That has been the biggest factor of what has taken him out of rhythm a little bit.”
Overall, Billups is averaging 19 points and seven assists and Hamilton is at 17.4 points and 4.8 assists in the series. Hinrich is averaging 13.2 points and 8.6 assists with Gordon contributing 16.6 points and 2.6 assists.
Perhaps the Pistons’ statistical advantage is why Gordon replied “not so good” when asked how the Bulls have fared in the positional matchup. But Gordon and Hinrich also know they have been instrumental in getting the pace of recent games to the Bulls’ advantage.
“We have a lot of energy,” Hinrich said. “And we want to keep the game up and down. But if we have a chance to win this series, it’s going to be at the defensive end.
“Anytime you go against a great player, it’s a good challenge just because you get to measure yourself against the best. It’s fun competing against those guys.”
Pulling the switch
The reversal of performances by the teams’ backcourts has brought back the Bulls from the dead. %% KIRK HINRICH IN THE FIRST 3 GAMES (BULLS LOSSES) FG:41% (12-29) 3-PT: 50% (6-12) PPG: 10.0 APG: 6.7 IN GAMES 4 AND 5 (BULLS WINS) FG: 43% (13-30) 3-PT: 33% (4-12) PPG: 18.0 APG: 11.5
BEN GORDON IN THE FIRST 3 GAMES (BULLS LOSSES) FG: 28% (9-32) 3-PT: 25% (3-12) PPG: 12.0 APG: 2.7 IN GAMES 4 AND 5 (BULLS WINS) FG: 52% (14-27) 3-PT: 78% (7-9) PPG: 23.5 APG: 2.5
2 BULLS COMBINED IN THE FIRST 3 GAMES (BULLS LOSSES) FG: 34% 3-PT: 38% PPG: 22.0 APG: 9.3 IN GAMES 4 AND 5 (BULLS WINS) FG: 47% 3-PT: 52% PPG: 41.5 APG: 14.0
2 PISTONS COMBINED IN THE FIRST 3 GAMES (BULLS LOSSES) FG: 46% 3-PT: 48% PPG: 38.3 APG: 11.7 IN GAMES 4 AND 5 (BULLS WINS) FG: 37% 3-PT: 36% PPG: 33.5 APG: 12.0
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS IN THE FIRST 3 GAMES (BULLS LOSSES) FG: 43% (18-42) 3-PT: 47% (9-19) PPG: 18.3 APG: 7.0 IN GAMES 4 AND 5 (BULLS WINS) FG: 38% (10-26) 3-PT: 38% (5-13) PPG: 20.0 APG: 7.0
RICHARD HAMILTON IN THE FIRST 3 GAMES (BULLS LOSSES) FG: 49% (24-49) 3-PT: 50% (3-6) PPG: 20.0 APG: 4.7 IN GAMES 4 AND 5 (BULLS WINS) FG: 35% (9-26) 3-PT: 0% (0-1) PPG: 13.5 APG: 5.0 %%
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kcjohnson@tribune.com
