Free-throw disparity was one of the hot button issues from the first game. The Bulls out shot the Pacers 32-17 from the line. Derrick Rose himself shot four more free throws in Game One than Indiana's entire team. Whenever one player, and a superstar player at that, out shoots an entire team from line, questions are sure to arise. Is said player receiving superstar treatment? Is (in Indiana's case) the underdog getting the raw end of the deal? To simply look at free throw disparity and assume the Bulls were getting the majority of the calls is lazy thinking. Rose went to the line 21 times because he drove to the basket practically every possession in the second half and forced the referees to blow the whistle. The Pacers, on the other hand, were content to settle for perimeter jumpers. Chicago frequently doubled the post in Game One and left open outside shooters.
Game Two was played differently, and what do you know, the free throw attempts were more evenly dispersed. Chicago still out shot Indiana 34-27, but the higher number of Pacer free throws were the result of less open perimeter shots and consequently more fouls in the paint.
I'm worried about Ronnie Brewer. Brewer sprained his thumb against New York and missed the final game of the regular season against New Jersey. He's playing through the pain and has looked uncomfortable doing so. It has flown under the radar, but Ronnie Brewer has been a non-factor in the first two games. If the NBA compiled an All-NBA Bench Team (which they really should), Brewer would have been the two-guard. He was the defensive spark that ignited this year's most effective bench.
Brewer so far has looked awkward with his shot and entry passes. He's also appeared more passive on the defensive end, which limits the second unit immensely. The second unit as a whole have been ineffective so far this series and Thibs has chopped their minutes as a result. The biggest reason for this, in my opinion, is Brewer's passive play. Hopefully this is a passing phase and not a potential problem heading into the tougher rounds.
The Boozer-Hansbrough match-up has been fascinating to watch. Hansbrough hung 22 on Boozer in Game One, consistently knocking down his mid-range shots when Boozer helped off him. The Bulls pounded the ball in to Boozer in the first half of Game Two this time he had his way with Hansbrough. The two also earned double technicals with three minutes remaining in the game.
Hansbrough and Boozer are prototypical "Make 'Em Mad" players. Boozer because of bobbling head, demonstrativeness, and incessant yelling. Hansbrough because of his Ritalin-like focus, whiteness, and pesky play. Basically, both are annoying as shit. Especially if you have to play against one of them in the playoffs. They've been prodding at each other in both games, like a kid poking a rabid dog with a stick. Eventually the leash will break. The leash will probably be Game Three.
The Pacers held the Bulls to 54.5 percent shooting in the paint. Incredibly, they shot the same number of shots and an identical field goal percentage in the paint in Game One. But the Pacers were tougher around the rim in Game Two. They fouled rather than give up easy buckets. Even the majority of Chicago's made shots were highly contested. Indiana has made Chicago earn it at the line. And they have. The Bulls as a team have shot 80 percent from the line this series (53-66). Derrick Rose has done the bulk of the damage (31-34, 91 percent).
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