Tales from the front office

[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND (GAME 4)

Not a great night. Poor shooting and missed opportunities allowed the Hawks to stave off elimination. It wasn't like Atlanta ran us out of the building, more like we couldn't hit water if we fell out of a boat. Seriously, 9-40 (22.5%) from three?!? Ugly game and I'm glad we can now head back to Chicago and end this series in front of our home town fans. Player of the game, Trae Young, scored 28 points, with 13 assists and 3 rebounds. D'Angelo Russell was the lone bright spot for the Bulls, finishing the game with 37 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds. In other action, the Denver Nuggets defeated the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks in overtime and are now poised to knock out the Mavs in the first round. That would be a huge upset and just as upsetting to the league commissioner, because even he knows what it would mean for the Bulls and Mavericks to once again face off in the NBA Finals. With the Mavericks looking for back-to-back titles and the Bulls looking for redemption, the story simply would write itself, but if the Mavs cannot find a way to win three straight, Mark Cuban can start booking early season tee times.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CHI(1)| 27 | 28 | 17 | 27 | -- |  99 (3) | DAL(1)| 27 | 22 | 29 | 29 | 12 | 120 (1)
ATL(8)| 29 | 25 | 28 | 22 | -- | 114 (1) | DEN(8)| 23 | 35 | 32 | 18 | 18 | 125 (3)      
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CLE(4)| 25 | 32 | 23 | 32 | -- | 130 (4) | LAL(4)| 11 | 29 | 29 | 15 | -- |  84 (1)
NYK(5)| 41 | 19 | 24 | 28 | -- | 123 (0) | MEM(5)| 16 | 21 | 31 | 34 | -- | 102 (3)
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
PHI(3)| 23 | 23 | 20 | 30 | -- |  96 (2) | SAS(3)| 31 | 29 | 19 | 37 | -- | 116 (3)
TOR(6)| 25 | 20 | 36 | 17 | -- |  98 (2) | SAC(6)| 22 | 33 | 22 | 30 | -- | 107 (1)
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ORL(2)| 31 | 16 | 25 | 29 | -- | 101 (4) | NOP(2)| 23 | 34 | 21 | 15 | -- |  93 (1)
DET(7)| 17 | 25 | 24 | 19 | -- |  85 (0) | HOU(7)| 26 | 26 | 23 | 28 | -- | 103 (3)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND (GAME 5)

It is over...and not a moment too soon, with John Collins scheduled to return to the Hawks lineup for game six. Justin McCuthison scored 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Bulls, but it was Giannis Antetokounmpo who was named Player of the Game. The "Greek Freak" scored 24 points, had 6 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds. With the Hawks in our rear view, it's time to get a little rest and get ready to meet the Cavaliers in the second round. Also, Gregory Hawkins recieved a mild concussion and will out seven days. He should be back 4/29.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ATL(8)| 32 | 26 | 32 | 26 | -- | 116 (1) | DEN(8)| 15 | 31 | 34 | 25 | -- | 105 (3)
CHI(1)| 39 | 32 | 40 | 24 | -- | 135 (4) | DAL(1)| 40 | 29 | 28 | 20 | -- | 117 (2)      
                                         
                                                   Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
                                         | MEM(5)| 22 | 37 | 30 | 30 | -- | 119 (4)
                                         | LAL(4)| 25 | 24 | 26 | 24 | -- | 109 (1)
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
TOR(6)| 24 | 24 | 29 | 29 | -- | 106 (2) | SAC(6)| 26 | 37 | 20 | 23 | -- | 106 (1)
PHI(3)| 36 | 25 | 26 | 39 | -- | 122 (3) | SAS(3)| 38 | 34 | 29 | 23 | -- | 124 (4)
                                         
                                                   Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
                                         | HOU(7)| 26 | 19 | 30 | 24 | -- |  99 (3)
                                         | NOP(2)| 23 | 23 | 32 | 28 | -- | 106 (2)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND (GAME 6)

Wow! I can't believe that both the number one and number two seeds in the Western Conference were knocked out in the first round. The Denver Nuggets were predicted to finish 13th in the conference and 4th in their division, but instead they went out and knocked off the defending NBA Champions in the first round as the eight seed. To me the biggest surprise has to be the Houston Rockets. Coming off two terrible seasons of 13-69 and 16-66, the Rockets were predicted to repeat their dismal performance and finish last again in the league. That really wasn't a harsh assessment, as the Rockets haven't had a winning season since 2020 when they went 54-28 under Mike D'Antoni. However, the Rockets fired head coach Billy Donovan (their third HC in four years) and after one season and replaced him with Brad Stevens. Brad turned the team around and the Rockets finished the 2027-2028 campaign with a 40-42 record, which was good enough to earn them the 7th seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Not bad for a team that was predicted to finish last in the league.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
                                                   Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
                                         | DAL(1)| 22 | 23 | 25 | 22 | -- |  92 (2)
                                         | DEN(8)| 21 | 19 | 27 | 29 | -- |  96 (4)      
                                       
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W                                           
PHI(3)| 30 | 17 | 37 | 22 | -- | 106 (3) |                                         
TOR(6)| 35 | 30 | 37 | 15 | -- | 117 (3) |                                         
                                         
                                                   Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
                                         | NOP(2)| 29 | 18 | 28 | 28 | -- | --- (2)
                                         | HOU(7)| 37 | 11 | 32 | 25 | -- | --- (4)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND (GAME 7)

A back and forth series finally comes to an end with the Philadelphia 76ers advancing to the second round to face a well rested Orlando Magic.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W                                           
TOR(6)| 24 | 24 | 26 | 10 | -- |  84 (3) |                                         
PHI(3)| 25 | 36 | 30 | 15 | -- | 106 (4) |

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (PREVIEW)

Three years ago the Cavaliers fired Stan Van Gundy after a dismal 26-56 season and brought in Doc Rivers. Rivers quickly turned the team around, finishing with a 44-38 record in his first season and their first playoff appearance since 2019. The following year the team improved to 44-38, but was once again knocked out in the first round. This season, the team finished 48-34 and swept the Knicks in the first round. The Cavs play a lot of small ball, with Darius Garland 6'1" (3.5 Stars) at point, Collin Sexton 6'1" (3.5 Stars) a true point guard playing at the two position, small forward Sharone Preston 6'-6" (3.5 Stars) who is arguably the best player on the team, power forward Alex Miller 6'8" (3.5 Stars) and Dean Burns 6'9" (2.5 Stars) at center. In a lot of ways this team is similar to the Atlanta Hawks. They are a very good offensively, but they can struggle on defense at times and they tend to get pushed around by bigger teams. However, they can also shoot teams right out of the building, as Garland, Sexton and Preston all average over 18 ppg and Miller regularly adds 15 ppg as well.

TEAM INSIGHTS

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (OVERALL: 48-34 | HOME: 28-13 | AWAY: 20-21)
OFF Rating: 109.6 (#5)
DEF Rating: 107.2 (#24)
NET Rating: 2.4 (#9)
PPG: 112.4 (#2)
PAPG: 110.2 (#29)
FG%: .475 (#2)
3P%: .373 (#1)
FT%: .799 (#9)
APG: 23.6 (#8)
RBP: 44.5 (#17)

NBA Top 50 Players: SF Sharone Preston, PG Darius Garland
($209,650,535 Payroll - 6th Highest / $-56,650,535 CAP Space)

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CHICAGO BULLS (OVERALL: 76-6 | HOME: 41-0 | AWAY: 35-6)
OFF Rating: 112.6 (#1)
DEF Rating: 100.7 (#1)
NET Rating: 11.9 (#1)
PPG: 117.7 (#1)
PAPG: 103.6 (#11)
FG%: .489 (#1)
3P%: .342 (#5)
FT%: .724 (#27)
APG: 25.0 (#2)
RBP: 48.5 (#1)

NBA Top 50 Players: PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF Jayson Tatum, C Justin McCuthison, PG D'Angelo Russell
($173,351,825 Payroll - 21st Highest / $-20,351,825 CAP Space)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (GAME 1)

The Greek Freak was virtually unstoppable and the Cavaliers simply had no answer for him. Giannis went 8-10 from the field, 3-4 from three and 16-18 from the free throw line. His 35 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds earned him Player of the Game honors. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Justin McCuthison's 31 points and 13 rebounds or D'Angelo Russell's 29 points and 12 assists. Truthfully, this game was a veritable shootout. The Cavs shot 50% from the field, 54% from beyond the arc and 86% from the charity stripe. On a normal night, that might be tough to beat, but the Bulls almost couldn't miss, shooting 67% from the field and 45% from three. It will be interesting to see if this game is a trend or simply an anomaly.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CLE(4)| 25 | 38 | 36 | 43 | -- | 142 (0) | DEN(8)| 33 | 24 | 18 | 35 | -- | 110 (0)
CHI(1)| 34 | 37 | 43 | 39 | -- | 153 (1) | MEM(5)| 37 | 27 | 32 | 24 | -- | 120 (1)      
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
PHI(3)| 20 | 32 | 29 | 26 | -- | 107 (1) | HOU(7)| 25 | 30 | 17 | 19 | -- |  91 (0)
ORL(2)| 20 | 25 | 25 | 31 | -- | 101 (0) | SAS(3)| 27 | 28 | 33 | 30 | -- | 118 (1)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (GAME 2)

Giannis was once again named the Player of the Game after scoring 26 points, dishing out 8 assists and grabbing 12 rebounds. That's not bad for a 33-year old player who is well past his prime. Gregory Hawkins returned to the Bulls bench after suffering a mild concussion in practice a few days ago. His plus/minus was an outstanding +14, but he struggled on offense, going 1-7 from the field and 1-5 from three in 34 minutes of play. In my opinion, Hawkins should be the starting shooting guard, but coach Starks thinks otherwise and therefore Hawkins must come off the bench to relieve Nowell. Nevertheless, despite being a rookie and being forced into a sixth man role, Hawkins has been getting the majority of playing minutes and since no one is complaining, I won't either.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CLE(4)| 26 | 31 | 25 | 22 | -- | 104 (0) | DEN(8)| 20 | 14 | 31 | 21 | -- |  86 (0)
CHI(1)| 28 | 31 | 27 | 31 | -- | 117 (2) | MEM(5)| 24 | 35 | 27 | 31 | -- | 117 (2)      
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
PHI(3)| 41 | 24 | 25 | 34 | -- | 124 (2) | HOU(7)| 20 | 23 | 25 | 27 | -- |  95 (0)
ORL(2)| 26 | 31 | 32 | 22 | -- | 111 (0) | SAS(3)| 34 | 28 | 16 | 23 | -- | 101 (2)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (GAME 3)

Player of the Game D'Angelo Russell scored 45 points and added 9 assists in Chicago's 136-128 win over the Cavaliers. This was one of those games that really could have gone either way and the Cavaliers had the Bulls on the ropes when both Jayson Tatum and Justin McCuthison got into early foul trouble. However, the Cavs had their own troubles with fouls and both Dean Burns and Darius Garland fouled out late in the game. Unfortunately for the Cavs, their bench is not as deep as the Bulls and when Garland fouled out, Russell was left unchecked. With the win the Bulls are once again a win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Championship. Is a sweep in the works? If history tells us anything, the answer to that question would be no, but that's why they play the games.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CHI(1)| 25 | 41 | 25 | 27 | 18 | 136 (3) | MEM(5)| 32 | 12 | 22 | 42 | -- | 108 (3)
CLE(4)| 24 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 10 | 128 (0) | DEN(8)| 30 | 17 | 22 | 31 | -- | 100 (0)
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ORL(2)| 37 | 33 | 23 | 28 | -- | 121 (1) | SAS(3)| 31 | 34 | 16 | 31 | -- | 112 (3)
PHI(3)| 28 | 24 | 22 | 35 | -- | 109 (2) | HOU(7)| 18 | 38 | 25 | 29 | -- | 110 (0)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (GAME 4)

A close game throughout, but once again Darius Garland got into foul trouble and when he fouled out late in the game, they had no answer for D'Angelo Russell. Russell scored 44 points, dished 9 assists, grabbed 5 rebounds and was named Player of the Game. With the win the Bulls advance to the Eastern Conference Championship and will face the winner of the Philadelphia/Orlando series.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CHI(1)| 37 | 24 | 29 | 37 | -- | 127 (4) | MEM(5)| 28 | 29 | 20 | 15 | -- |  92 (3)
CLE(4)| 26 | 34 | 33 | 28 | -- | 121 (0) | DEN(8)| 24 | 33 | 29 | 21 | -- | 107 (1)
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ORL(2)| 28 | 31 | 26 | 15 | -- | 100 (2) | SAS(3)| 33 | 33 | 28 | 22 | -- | 116 (4)
PHI(3)| 24 | 13 | 24 | 23 | -- |  84 (2) | HOU(7)| 29 | 28 | 21 | 23 | -- | 101 (0)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (GAME 5)

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
                                                   Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
                                         | DEN(8)| 24 | 24 | 14 | 23 | -- |  85 (1)
                                         | MEM(5)| 18 | 18 | 31 | 31 | -- |  98 (4)      
                                         
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
PHI(3)| 22 | 28 | 21 | 27 | -- |  98 (2) |
ORL(2)| 28 | 30 | 25 | 29 | -- | 112 (3) |

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