At forward from Duke, 6-9, No. 5, Carlos Boozer!

A 6-8 forward from Mt. Zion Christian Academy, No. 6, Tracy McGrady!

The man in the middle from Florida, 6-11, No. 13, Joakim Noah!

At guard, 6-7 from Connecticut, No. 32, Richard Hamilton!

From Chicago, a 6-2 guard, No. 2… Jannero Pargo?

And off the bench, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, Mike Bibby and Sasha Pavlovic?

Perhaps at least until Derrick Rose and Luol Deng come back from injuries, Rose from his ACL tear and Deng assuming he has surgery on his left wrist.

And they will be back, which is the good news. The encouraging news Tuesday during a press conference with Bulls physician Dr. Brian Cole at Rush University Medical Center was that Rose has an excellent chance of returning to play at his previous exceptionally high level, though Cole estimated the time frame Rose would be out as eight to 12 months.

“The surgery (last Saturday) went extremely well, no surprises,” Cole said. “I’d say (the surgery) was pretty routine. At this point we’re very optimistic. If you think back to where we were 20, 30 years ago, this was clearly a career-ending injury.

“While hopefully he’ll be at a very high level at 12 months, it still may take slightly longer to be at his preinjury level,” Cole added. “That’s not uncommon of athletes of this caliber. It’s impossible to predict tomorrow. Statistically, he should be that player and then some. That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. It’s a whole lot better than we were accustomed a few years ago.

“The good news is he’s an incredible athlete, he’s an incredible hard worker and he wants this more than anything,” said Cole. “We’re not going to rush it. People do get back after six months, but it is not common because the downside of not being fully prepared is we want to zero out the risk.

“Every athlete has a different story and every injury is different,” said Cole. “Suffice it to say he probably will get back and if we think he’s safe next season, he’ll go back next season. Even if he’s not at the same capability the expectation is he’ll get there over some near term time.”

So it’s not going to be a long-term disaster for the Bulls, though it is heartbreaking for the team to watch these Eastern Conference mud wrestling events and imagine how easily the Bulls could have blown through these playoffs with Rose. Heck, the way it looks with both series even and no one basically able to score 80 points that the Bulls could get to the Finals even without Rose assuming they had Noah. Yes, as coach Tom Thibodeau likes to say, it would have been more than enough.

By the way, GM Gar Forman attended the press conference and in answer to a query about Thibodeau’s contract said his contract option would be picked up. Which, of course, was obvious as the Bulls only wouldn’t be picking it up if they were firing him. Forman said the team plans to resume extension conversations with Thibodeau this spring and summer. Thibodeau also attended and said no one would be skipping steps. Or, at least, I thought he did.

Anyway, while the immediate interest was about Rose and it all sounded pretty positive given the massive depression the injury caused, the answers also raised a lot of questions.

With that eight to 12-month timetable, that means somewhere between the last week of December and the last week of April. We know Rose is going to put everything into this and want to get back quickly. And Cole did say part of accelerating his recovery was getting back to playing. Though the Cole added “not 40 minutes.”

Oh, no, another minutes limitation?

We know from Bulls history that hasn’t worked out very well.

Rose certainly would want to play as soon as possible. But we also know, and Cole confirmed, that athletes after this sort of surgery don’t truly regain their level of play until that second season back.

This reminds me a bit of Michael Jordan’s broken foot in 1985.

It was obviously a much less severe injury. But Jordan was just short of 23 at the time, about the same as Rose. The Bulls were concerned about long-term consequences as they were building their future around Jordan and didn’t want to risk anything.

Similarly, Forman said Tuesday, “Putting this team together, everything was looking at the big picture, long-term. I think it’s our job to stay focused on that and to continue to look at what we feel is a long window of opportunity to have success. And that’s how we’ll approach it. Have we taken a hit in the short-term? Without question. Will we make decisions based on the short-term? We won’t.

“All our decisions will be based long-term,” said Forman, “and a big part of that is Derrick, who we feel is going to be a special player for us for the next 10, 15 years.”

The Bulls felt the same way in 1985 with Jordan. So they basically told him to take the year off as they were going nowhere, anyway, and why risk injury? The famous conversation was the Bulls’ doctors telling Jordan he had a 10 percent chance of a career ending injury if he played. Jordan responded it meant it was 90 percent he didn’t, so he was playing.

Jordan finally did, though there was the minutes limitation which became controversial. Jordan would score 63 points in a playoff game, but the Bulls would be swept in the first round. So what if Jordan had stayed out and the Bulls got into the lottery and got a higher draft pick? What if they got Brad Daugherty, Chuck Person or Ron Harper? Would it have taken five years to get to a title as it did after they drafted Brad Sellers?

What would have happened to the Spurs if David Robinson didn’t miss almost the entire 1996-97 season and then Sean Elliott opt for season ending surgery in February? They had won 59 games the previous season and went to 20. But that got them into the lottery and they lucked into Tim Duncan even though they didn’t have the poorest record. And then Robinson won his only two titles.

And what if the Bulls do miss the playoffs and get into the lottery and then sitting there is big man Nerlens Noel from Kentucky or guard Shabazz Muhammad from UCLA? As good as the Bulls are, they don’t have that second star. Maybe that is the best and only way to get him. And here’s a chance next season. Do you take it?

Is it worth bringing Rose back and getting to eighth place?

Maybe sixth or seventh as you’d then presumably avoid Miami and with Rose back for a few months maybe you make a surprise playoff run. And maybe you land one of those late season buyout guys with Rose coming back and someone seeing a chance to make a run.

But then are you endangering Rose because you know he’ll push hard in big games? The Bulls’ doctors and trainers never would let him play if they weren’t confident he was recovered. But what happens if you extend yourself then? Who knows the answer? I don’t.

And what will the season be like with the spectre of a Rose return hanging over the players every day. Can you concentrate appropriately with all the questions about Derrick and what day and each daily scoop of it being three weeks, four days, seven months, it has been learned. Until it hasn’t been.

As for Deng, there’s been this question of whether he should compete in the Olympics for England, where his family sought asylum from civil war in Sudan. Or whether he should have surgery now to be ready for next season with Rose out at the start?

Forman was vague and said, “With this going on we haven’t had a chance to sit down with Luol. We will next week. Our biggest concern with Luol is his health. To get with Luol and see where he’s at and come up with a plan going forward. It would be premature to speculate on anything. We know it’s important to him and want to support our players. The biggest thing is his health and that it’s important he’s healthy.”

Deng said unequivocally he plans to play and I don’t see any way the Bulls could or should stop him. He said he’ll decide on whether he needs surgery after the Olympics.

The NBA made an agreement with FIBA not to block its players from competing, so the Bulls are not even permitted to suggest to Deng not to go. They could file an arbitration claiming he was injured, but they’d certainly lose that as they let him play for months after the injury. And then you’d probably forever alienate one of your captains and top competitors. Deng has made no secret this is a lifeline dream.

And then if you forced him some way not to play, how in good conscious could you then trade him, which is always possible given the uncertainty with Rose out? You can’t block that possibility for any player on the roster.

Deng is going to play and should play given what that country has meant to his family. Plus, it is the host country, and from what I’ve seen of their team they won’t be playing long.

So it comes to next season, and it seems to me Forman made it clear even without saying anything specific that this is about the long term with Rose and that makes sense to me. Who loses the league MVP and then is a title contender while he recuperates?

No one. It isn’t done.

The bigger point is you can’t risk what you have going forward with Rose to try to squeeze out a few higher places in the standings while he is out.

“Obviously, short-term we’re going to take a hit,” Forman said. “Our thinking in general long-term won’t change at all. Short-term, you don’t replace Derrick and what he brings to the team and the production. We’re going to have to fill that spot and scrape it together with our other guys in the mean time.”

It then comes to payroll, which ranks now among the highest in the NBA. I know the fan poll suggests using amnesty on Carlos Boozer. It’s not happening because it only would hurt the team, for one thing.

The Bulls payroll with cap holds if they want to try to resign Omer Asik and offer an extension to Taj Gibson and room for a No. 1 draft pick is around the $70 million luxury tax figure. If they let go of Boozer — they’d still have to pay him — they’d go down to just below the cap and have maybe $2 million or $3 million to sign one player. And you don’t get much for that. Think of your Eduardo Najera. And then how do you replace Boozer’s scoring? I would assume there’s no way the Bulls are even thinking of this. Because it would be stupid. Boozer will be crucial next season without Rose and perhaps Deng early.

The Bulls have few options other than waiting out the summer and seeing what veterans cannot get deals and are willing to take a chance on a minimum deal and maybe even get a starting spot for a while to show their worth and then get a bigger deal in a year.

I’ve never been a fan of the post-injury, post-Houston McGrady. But Thibodeau coached him and we know if he coached a player that player has a chance to be on his team or staff. If President Obama loses, I assume he’ll be lobbying for Arne Duncan.

But McGrady showed some decent form in Atlanta, and the Bulls like to bring back guys who know their system. So Pargo could fill in at point some. This is assuming the Bulls don’t return some of the current reserves. But no decisions apparently have been made on any.

But if they are looking at point guards, they aren’t looking at higher salaried guys for short term pre-Rose like Steve Nash, Ray Felton or Andre Miller, all of whom are seeking substantial deals and likely will get them. The point guards most likely to be available include the likes Nate Robinson, Bibby, Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Carter, Mike James and Keyon Dooling. Maybe guys like Marquis Daniels or Pavlovic if they are looking for a Deng fill in depending on what position the Bulls see for Jimmy Butler.

This is going to be tough.

The Bulls do have a competitive core in Noah, Boozer, Gibson, Hamilton, Asik and Butler and I see no reason why they can’t compete for a playoff spot with that main group and Deng coming in at some point in a month or two. Heck, watching these playoffs that group ought to be able to win a round. Sure, scoring would be an issue. But who’s scoring in these Eastern playoffs?

And then perhaps you get lucky. Chicago and the Bulls with Rose out, say for a few months, is a heck of a stage for someone to get noticed and perhaps enhance their career.

I’ve got questions. I don’t have many answers. Rose will be back and should be good, which is the best news. It should, at least, be interesting to see what occurs until then.

Dr. Brian Cole was joined by Bulls general manager Gar Forman and athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi to discuss Rose’s surgery at Rush University Medical Center on Tuesday. Head coach Tom Thibodeau was also on hand.

“You should all be pleased to know that Derrick is doing great,” said Dr. Cole, who was the lead on Rose’s surgery Saturday morning. “The surgery went extremely well. Really no surprises.”

Dr. Cole said Rose’s surgery to repair his isolated ACL tear suffered during the Bulls’ Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on April 28 was “pretty routine.”

More importantly, Dr. Cole is very optimistic about Rose’s recovery. As for when Rose might be back on the court, the Bulls are hopeful it will happen at some point in early 2013.

“You think of it as a return to sport and ultimately that’s the end game here,” said Dr. Cole of Rose’s timeline. “We think of recovery as a long process that is in stages. The short answer is the timeframe that we believe an athlete of this caliber generally requires is about eight to twelve months. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.”

Dr. Cole added that he believes Rose will regain all of his abilities he possessed prior to injury.

“It’s impossible to predict tomorrow,” Dr. Cole said. “Statistically, he should be that player and then some. That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed.”

As for Rose’s rehabilitation, the process has already started in Chicago, where it will continue for the time being. In past summers, Rose has spent time working out in Los Angeles. Regardless of Rose’s location, the Bulls plan to be involved every step along the way.

“Wherever he is and whatever he’s doing, we’ll be there,” said Tedeschi.

As Rose worked with Cole and the Bulls’ staff in the days following the injury, several steps were taken prior to the surgery.

“The goals initially are to get his motion back, minimize the swelling, have him walk with a normal gait, be able to activate his quadriceps, get some single leg activities [and] really to get him functioning as normal as possible, making sure his motion is perfect,” explained Dr. Cole of why surgery was not performed immediately after the injury. “We met all those objectives.”

Moving forward, for many of the same reasons Rose has enjoyed so much success on the court, the Bulls are optimistic his rehab will go just as well.

For starters, Rose’s youth is certainly on his side.

“Age is absolutely in his favor,” said Dr. Cole of Rose. “The best part about it is that he’s 23 and he has outstanding healing potential.”

Additionally, Rose’s work ethic figures to be invaluable as he works his way back.

“He’s a fierce competitor as we all know,” said Thibodeau. “But he’s also very coachable. Whatever he’s being asked to do, he’s going to do it and he’ll do it well. He’ll do fine. He’s in great spirits right now and he’s very determined.”

“Derrick is obviously a wonderful kid. Those of you who know him know he’s terrific to deal with on a daily basis,” said Tedeschi. “As a patient, he’s done everything I’ve asked and more. You ask Derrick to be there at 11 and he’s there at 10:30. Once you get him there, he does exactly what you ask. He’ll be terrific in this, I have no doubt.”

Rose’s character, coupled with his support staff, will also be key elements over the next year. But so far, despite the injury, Rose has maintained a positive outlook.

“The time I’ve spent with him, his sprits seem really good,” said Forman. “In his mind, he’s determined to attack this rehab and get his game back to the level it was.”

“Like everything, he’s diligent in his approach,” added Thibodeau. “I think he prepared for the surgery well and now he’s going into the next phase. He’s very upbeat.”

And while sooner than later, the Bulls will have to address the offseason and prepare for the 2012-13 season, for now, the priority is Rose.

“The most important thing for us right now is his health,” said Thibodeau. “We want to focus on that. As we said during the season when it happened, it’s a new challenge for us. We’ll get through it. We want him to prioritize his health right now. When he’s ready to come back, he comes back. There will be no pressure on him to come back soon. When he’s ready, he’s ready. We’ll move forward from there.”

While Forman admitted that the loss of Rose hurts, he said it won’t change the way the Bulls are operating with respect to the big picture.

“Obviously short-term, we’re going to take a hit,” said Forman. “Our thinking in general long-term won’t change at all.”

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah will prepare for the Olympics and most head to their homes around the country, while Derrick Rose waits for surgery on his torn knee ligament.

While most players drove out of the Berto Center without speaking to reporters, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer stopped to offer their day after thoughts after the Game 6 and series loss to the 76ers Thursday night.

Noah:

“Learn from it and move on. You put all this work to come up short, it’s tough. But God works in mysterious ways, I guess.

“It’s tough (being hurt). There’s always things you can do better. I’ve go to strengthen my ankles. I’ve had ankle injuries through the years. It’s frustrating because I really feel I worked hard on trying to keep my body right. The ankle injury was unfortunate. Going full speed like that onto somebody’s foot, that could have happened to anybody. It’s frustrating, but nobody died. Learn from it and move on.

“Yeah, I’m gunning for it (the Olympics). We just lost yesterday. I’m kind of lost right now what I’m doing. I’m hoping I’ll be healthy and be able to play.

“I’m always going to be optimistic and I always want to play, but I couldn’t finish my warmup (before Game 6). And that’s (just) warmup (so Game 7 likely was out). You’ve got to be able to make plays, be productive, or it hurts the team. There’s nothing more I wanted to do than be on the court. That hurts.

“I think the unfortunate part of this year is we didn’t measure up against the teams we wanted to measure up against. I personally believe this group can compete against anybody, the Heat, anybody. We had tough breaks throughout the year. That’s unfortunate, but it’s also part of the game. You learn from being injured, from the hard times. It will make the good times even better.

“As a player you can only control what you can control. It’s important (now) for everyone to regroup mentally and make another run at it. Derrick is going to come back. It’s adversity, but just another challenge for us. Like Thibodeau always says, ‘We are very privileged people doing what we love to. Let’s go out there, get better this summer. Come back hungrier than ever and make a run.’”

Boozer:

“Disappointed it’s over the way the game ended, the way the season ended. Obviously, we didn’t reach our goal. I’m still proud of our guys, proud of our season. I think we’ve established ourselves as being a contender when we’re healthy. That’s our motivation, to reach our goal and win a championship.

“Everytime you lose and don’t reach your goal, it makes you more determined. Hopefully, everybody will have a great summer. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of guys who have to get healthy. We’re dinged up. So we hope everyone gets healthy. We’re saying our prayers for Derrick as he approaches his surgery, and next season we’ll probably start the season without him for a few months, probably. So hopefully everyone comes back with that hunger, hit the ground running and start new.

“They’ve done a great job of putting a very, very good team together. They always make sure we’re ready to go, and I assume next year will be no different. That’s not my job (personnel). I’m still formulating (my plans). It’s all kind of sudden. Generally, I’ll be back home in Miami with my kids and my wife, work my butt off, come back next year in great shape and ready to go again.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of shoulda, coulda, wouldas. Every team goes through that when you lose. We were dinged up this year. We were like a car missing a few parts at the end of the season, but we were still ticking and going and fighting. We just fell a little short. Those games in Philadelphia were winnable, but we fell short.

“You have no idea how we’d like to have that shot (at Miami). But that’s home for me. I’d rather still be playing. But unfortunately we fell short. Last year (the taste of defeat) lasted all summer. To see them jumping on the scorers’ table, that stuff lasts with you for awhile until you get to play and compete again and show everybody how good our team is.

“They’re all tough (off seasons) when you lose. I haven’t won a championship yet. All 10 years have been tough in the offseason. But we’ll get healthy and we’ll be back and we’ll be very good and very hungry and hopefully we can stay healthy. Wouldn’t you guys love to see us at full strength and completely healthy when the playoffs start. We haven’t had that yet. Hopefully, we’ll get that last year. We’ve got the best fans. They’re always riding with us, supporting us.

“I just want to come back a better player all around, inside and out, offensively and defensively, a better leader. Continue to improve as a player.”

Sort of the way this whole season went.

The Bulls had lost Derrick Rose, were still without Joakim Noah, had Taj Gibson playing through a sprained ankle, saw Luol Deng leave early in the game for stitches and were facing their second straight playoff elimination game, in Philadelphia this time and trailing by a dozen points midway through the third quarter.

But with a remarkable physical effort that summarized the team in the end, more toughness and dedication than talent, the Bulls with plus-24 in second chance points, plus-33 in rebounds and plus-10 on inside points seemed to have the 76ers out: Three point lead with 38.8 seconds.

“The game was right where we wanted it to be,” said Richard Hamilton, who along with Luol Deng led the Bulls with 19 points. “I thought we had it. You couldn’t tell me we were going to lose that game. But that sums up the last month of our season right there. The game was won. You can’t ask for a better situation than that at the end, 25 seconds, up three, playing on their court. The only thing they can do is foul.”

So here’s the situation after Thaddeus Young drives and puts in a finger roll with 12.8 seconds left. No need to foul then with a three point lead. Play defense as the Bulls did in holding the 76ers below 40 percent shooting yet again, though Young scored. The 76ers won scoring 79 points for the second time in this series. The last time the 76ers won a playoff game scoring fewer than 79 points was in 1954 before the shot clock.

So game over: They’ll foul. You make free throws, right?

It was as shocking in a different way as the Bulls blowing that 12-point lead in Game 5 to Miami last season in the conference finals. But that was the conference finals and the Heat. This was just a horrid 76ers team, an eighth seed being the fifth ever to defeat a top seed, if you can call the Bulls that without Rose and Noah.

I don’t often believe Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau when he says the team has enough to win. I did for this series. Even without Rose. Or Noah.

This ending sequence will be discussed for a long time and have to raise questions about the return of C.J. Watson, whom the team has an option on for next season, even though the only other Bulls point guard is John Lucas. And Thibodeau yanked Lucas during the game for Watson after misplays. Watson did have 10 assists Thursday after a slow start. But he was two of 11 and 24 percent shooting in the series, an eventual 4-2 76ers win.

After that Young layup to bring the 76ers within 78-77 with 12.8 seconds left, the 76ers had to foul. They appeared to try and also go for a steal. But there was no call as Watson dribbled into the front court. Now the 76ers were in trouble, so the play was to keep dribbling, to dribble down the time with neither team having a timeout left or stop and get fouled and shoot free throws. Watson was second this season to Rose in free throw shooting at more than 80 percent.

Instead, Watson threw ahead to Omer Asik, the team’s poorest free throw shooter at 35 percent, and the 76ers Spencer Hawes fouled Asik. Hard. Hawes grabbed Asik around the neck in what might have been a flagrant foul. The Bulls certainly thought it was.

(See my earlier story for comments from Thibodeau and Watson about the non call and Watson’s decision making).

The officials let it go as a regular foul and Asik, predictably, missed two, although he was terrific in the game and kept the Bulls in it with his defense. Asik and Hamilton had the best plus/minus stats of the game for the Bulls with the 76ers’ biggest run, 14-2 in the second quarter, when Asik was out. Luol Deng also had a terrific closing effort with 19 points and 17 rebounds.

But while Watson had a classic brain freeze, so did the defense. With Asik shooting, you figure at least one big man and maybe two stays in for the offense rebound. You get it and the game’s over. Of course, you also get the flagrant call and the game is over with free throws and possession. But both guards have to be in the backcourt with Asik shooting free throws and a one point lead. Instead, Hawes boxed Deng out and Andre Iguodala ran full court with only Asik between him and the basket.

So Asik shoots the free throw and he’s the only one back? Did he also have to drive the bus?

“I told Omer it’s not his fault,” said Gibson. “He played a great game, solid down the stretch, being real physical. We had a lot of confidence in him. We still had a shot. But we’ve got to get back on defense. We’ve got to get a stop and unfortunately we didn’t get the call we wanted.”

Asik’s foul call on Iguodala could be questioned as well, though the free throws were pretty even Thursday. Thibodeau did question the flagrant, but not the officials.

“I thought we had three great officials,” said Thibodeau, apparently not wanting to be fined until he gets an extension. “Those plays are tough. I thought there may have been a foul in the back court with (Jrue) Holiday. They were trying to take the foul. Obviously they didn’t see it that way. You are running the clock down. You can probably dribble out the clock. They got to foul. They’re out of timeouts. They have to go the length of the court. Didn’t happen. Hopefully we learn from that, but sometimes that is what happens in a game. There were a lot of other things before that that put us in the position that we were in, but I did like the fact that we fought back and we put ourselves in position to win. We didn’t do the things that were necessary in the last minute to pull off the win. Free throw, rebound, dribble the length of the floor and from my viewpoint it looked like Omer had the ball (blocked). I don’t want to put it on the officials.”

It’s not you, it’s me?

“Right now, I’m still in shock,” said Gibson. “You don’t want to go out like this. To lose like that, it sucks. Especially when it’s a physical game and it’s late. It’s playoff basketball and it sucks.

“I felt like a lot of guys stepped up and put forth a great effort and especially in the fourth quarter it was one of the best fourth quarters we had in this series, and then to lose like that, 2.2 seconds on the clock. I’m at a loss for words.”

That was one of your stealing defeat from the jaws of victory ones. And then it should have been Game 7 in the United Center, and you know this Philadelphia gang that shoots so crooked wasn’t winning that one. And then Boston doesn’t have the size and there’s creaky Kevin Garnett and maybe Joakim Noah is back for that one. He did warm up, though it seemed clear he still was limping from his sprained ankle.

“Disappointed right now,” Noah said after the game in breaking his silence since the Game 3 injury when the Bulls lost a 14-point fourth quarter lead when he went out. “It hurts. I tried everything I could (to play). It was not enough to play a basketball game.

“We fought hard,” Noah said. “It was disappointing because I knew how much we put into this. I think Omer played a great game. He works really hard. I hate to see any of my teammates down. We win together and we lose together. We learn from the experience. This one really hurts, though. The season’s over. That’s tough. We’ve got to take this summer and understand the lessons and come back strong.”

Yes, so what next?

This wasn’t in anyone’s mind even Thursday. There was an air of confidence even with the deficit. The Bulls felt they did have enough and had shown it all season when players were out. And this was going to be the season. There was the best overall record again, and this time with Rose missing 27 games. Miami wasn’t so intimidating anymore, and they had nowhere near the rebounding and size. The West was mixed and the Bulls had won relatively easily in San Antonio. No one had the depth and there was Hamilton coming back. That had to be a big improvement over Keith Bogans. It seemed everything was in place for a real championship run. This time they did believe it. It wasn’t just hopeful talk, anymore. Why Deng didn’t opt for that surgery after his wrist injury. They all felt this really was that special year. And now it’s about next so quickly and suddenly. It still seems surreal that it was just over a week ago Rose was flying through the air and on the way to a triple double and an easy first game playoff win.

The team holds options on Watson, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver, the latter playing just five minutes without a shot as Hamilton played the entire second half and Thibodeau pretty much went with seven players with Lucas getting nine minutes and seven points.

It should have worked as Thibodeau opted for the defense, and if, if, if…

If Carlos Boozer only had a better game. But he was one of 11 for three points, though he did have 13 rebounds and cover from Thibodeau.

“I thought he played hard. It wasn’t going his way offensively,” said Thibodeau. “That happens and when it is not going your way you have to do other things. I thought his rebounding was terrific. Carlos had a terrific year for us, (but) didn’t play well offensively. I thought he passed the ball well, didn’t shoot the ball well, but I thought his rebounding was excellent.”

Thibodeau did lift Boozer with 4:07 left in the third and the Bulls cutting into the 76ers’ 12-point lead and now trailing by seven. Boozer didn’t play again and the Bulls did lead 70-65 with 7:32 left. But Iguodala, who led the 76ers with 20, hit a big three to tie the game at 70 with 5:50 left, passed to Lou Williams for his three to make it 73-72 76ers with 4:01 left and got that last big rebound and made the two free throws even as he’d shot under 50 percent on fourth quarter free throws this season. Iguodala said he got a tip from teammate Tony Battie earlier in the series to relax when shooting so Iguodala says he pretends he’s talking to his son and showing him how to shoot free throws to take his mind off the pressure. Hey, he made them.

“I just missed,” said Boozer. “Some nights are like that. Some nights you are on fire. Some nights you are not. Tonight I wasn’t, but my teammates did a great job of making shots. My teammates said to stay aggressive and confident and keep shooting. They just didn’t go in.

“I feel like we should have won that game,” Boozer added. “We fought like dogs, but not to lose. Climbed all the way back. Had a one possession lead and just came up a little short. We all feel bad. We feel we should still be playing. It’s going to be a long, tough summer. But we’ll be back. This team the last two years we (just) haven’t been healthy at the right time.”

Boozer with a long contract will be back as likely will Hamilton with one season left and then a buyout in a third season. Asik is a restricted free agent and the Bulls are allowed to match offers for him. Gibson has one more season to become a free agent, but is up for an extension. Lucas and Brian Scalabrine are on minimum deals for this past season and Jimmy Butler is on his rookie contract.

Hamilton was very good, though injured much of the season. Still, he was healthy in the playoffs but only averaged 28 minutes against the 76ers.

“Twenty five seconds left, up three and losing the game. It happens,” said Hamilton. “That’s the game. It’s tricky sometimes. To win a world championship, everything has to be on the same page. I felt good. I just wanted to keep pushing. Give us the best opportunity to win and bring it back to Chicago. I thought we had it.”

So did just about everyone including a subdued home crowd until the last seconds.

In some respects, Deng might be the most tradeable given his value. But he again came up big in a big game. He did say he would be playing in the Olympics and then would consider afterward whether surgery on his wrist ligament tear was necessary.

“I’m going to play the Olympics,” Deng said. “I’m excited about it, something I wanted to do since I was a kid and I’m going to prepare myself for it. I’ve got to see how my wrist feels throughout the Olympics, how it feels from now going into the Olympics and right after the Olympics, I’ll make the decision, whether my wrist is good enough that I don’t need the surgery or if I need it, so I haven’t really ruled out not getting the surgery or getting it. I just haven’t made that decision. Since I was a kid growing up, it’s something I always wanted an opportunity to be a part of and the fact that it’s in my hometown that I grew up in, in a country that gave me the opportunity to even be here. I’m looking forward to it.

“We fought hard for the game,” Deng added. “Really just came down to the last few minutes. Some calls, got to look at it again and see what happened, but overall, just played hard. Played as hard as we can.
We stayed positive, just like we’ve been all year. Kept yelling at the bench that we’re going to make our run and once we started making our run, guys saw it. Finish line was right there and we just kept going with it. We picked up our defense, our intensity was a lot better and just started playing the way we play. What really hurts about this loss was just everything that we’ve heard. That’s really what hurts more than anything. The fact that we had guys down, people doubted us and we just played hard. We wanted to show everyone that we have a team that can do it and Derrick going out, everyone counted us out. We came here, we were up and then Jo gets hurt, and then Taj playing hurt tonight. Go back to my wrist, playing with a torn ligament. I’ve never done anything like that, playing pretty much most of the season with one arm. But overall, I just thought our spirit and our belief was amazing. Every time we had somebody go down, we just looked at each other in the locker room and whoever we’ve got, we really believed we were really going to get it done, and just went out fought every night.

“We had the best record and we were going into the playoffs with the best team,” said Deng. “Unfortunately, other things happened. (Now it’s) up to Pax and Gar (GMs John Paxson and Gar Forman). I really love everyone in that locker room. I love my coaching staff. Each night, we had each other’s back. It was more than just basketball. We cared about each other. When someone was down, we picked them up. We really became a close group. You don’t really don’t have the best record in the NBA in the regular season if your team is not a close group. It just felt like that everything that wasn’t supposed to happen, happened.”

And then it happened again in the last seconds of the last playoff game of this season. There just can’t be any basketball gods given the way this season went for the Bulls. None apparently interested in fairness, anyway.

The result was a stunning 79-78 Philadelphia 76ers win with Andre Iguodala, a 45 percent fourth quarter free throw shooter this season, converting two with 2.2 seconds left and the Bulls out of timeouts. C.J. Watson’s half court heave bounced away, and the game, and this Bulls season with so much hope and promise was over in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

“Tough loss,” said Luol Deng, who was terrific with 19 points and 17 rebounds with most of his time out of the game taking stitches after an elbow to the face. “We fought hard for the game. It came down to the last few minutes. Some calls, got to look at again and see what happened. Played as hard as we can.

“Derrick going out, everyone counted us out,” said Deng. “We came here, we were up and then Jo (Noah) gets hurt, and then Taj (Gibson, with 14 points in 29 minutes Thursday) playing hurt tonight. My wrist, playing with the torn ligament. I’ve never done anything like that, playing almost all season with one arm. Our spirit was amazing. Every time someone went down, we just looked at each other in the locker room and felt we’d get it done and went out and fought every night.

“I really love everyone in the locker room,” said Deng. “I love the coaching staff. It was more than basketball. You don’t have the best record in the NBA without being such a close group. It felt like everything that wasn’t supposed to happen happened, really. You never go into the season thinking I’m going to have a torn ligament, Derrick is going to have ACL, Jo is going to have his ankle, C.J. with the elbow earlier. So many things you never think about. You can’t prepare for stuff like that. But every time something happened we kept making up for it.

“We really made people believe when Derrick was hurt earlier in the season. Everyone stepped up and we got the best record because we kept fighting no matter what we had,” said Deng. “Whatever you want to say at the end of the day whether it caught up to us or not, Philly was a better team in this series and they beat us.”

It sure looked like it as the 76ers took a 48-40 halftime lead, a late three pointer by Gibson reversed during halftime as coming too late and turning out big in the end. The 76ers, led by Iguodala with 20 points, looked like the home court would carry them as they surged out to a 59-47 lead with 5:03 left in the third quarter.

But Watson, who later would be involved in the big late sequence of the game, hit a three out of the timeout and it seemed to energize the Bulls. Deng got a steal he turned into a three point play with a fast break and the Bulls worked themselves back into a 63-63 game at the end of three.

More than the score, it was a testament to undermanned effort with Rose and Noah out, Gibson limping from his sprained ankle and coach Tom Thibodeau riding Deng, Omer Asik, Richard Hamilton (19 points) and Watson virtually the entire second half as all played 24 minutes or just below. Only Carlos Boozer among the starters was out after a poor first half and one of 11 for three points and 13 rebounds for the game.

Even still, the Bulls were dominating the 76ers on the backboards and in second chance points, an amazing 29-5 edge in second chance points with Deng and Hamilton repeatedly following their own misses and the Bulls with an overall 56-33 edge in rebounding.

“I don’t know how we won that game,” 76ers coach Doug Collins said afterward as his team scored 31 points in the second half on 31.7 percent shooting. And there was one of their poorest late game free throw shooters on the line with 2.2 seconds left and the Bulls leading 78-77.

One 76er said he was hoping Iguodala would make one to send the game to overtime.

“I don’t know how you could write a better script that Andre Iguodala getting a rebound, driving the length of the floor. Struggled all year at the foul line,” Collins noted, “and stepped up and made two free throws to win a playoff series and get to the second round for the first time.”

Though the Bulls felt it shouldn’t have come to that in so many ways.

“From my viewpoint, it looked like Omer had the ball,” said Thibodeau of the block attempt with Iguodala racing to the basket with no timeouts. “I don’t want to put it on the officials. We didn’t do what we should’ve done, which was close out the game.”

And much discussed will be a Watson brain freeze in the closing seconds that might have sent the Bulls back home to a seventh game.

The 76ers had taken a 73-72 lead with 4:01 left on a Lou Williams three after the Bulls seemed in control earlier in the fourth quarter. But scoring remained so difficult with Rose and Noah out.

The Bulls had a huge possession emblematic of this game and much of the series after taking a 74-73 lead on a Deng score. Hamilton missed and four offensive rebounds later in the same possession Gibson finally was fouled and made two for a 76-73 Bulls lead with 2:03 left.

It wasn’t clear if the 76ers could score again. They finally got a reverse from Spencer Hawes with 43.8 seconds left to trail by one. The Bulls then took their last timeout and came out with a great pick and roll with Omer Asik rolling in for a big time dunk and 78-75 lead with 25.8 seconds left.

The 76ers took their final timeout and got Thaddeus Young driving inside for a score to bring the 76ers within one, but with just 12.8 seconds left.

It should have been foul shooting the rest of the way.

But Watson made the apparent mistake that will go down in franchise infamy.

The 76ers were trying initially to knock the ball away with fans screaming for a foul as time was wasting. With no call, Watson saw Asik streaking ahead as the big man continued to run the court like no one else. Too good this time as Watson threw ahead to him, the poorest free throw shooter on the team.

Hawes fouled him hard, which could have been considered a flagrant, though there seemed no apparent intent. Should Watson have just pulled up to be fouled? After all, he was shooting 75 percent in this series and 80.8 percent on the season.

“Those plays are tough,” said Thibodeau. “The play in the backcourt where I thought they were trying to take the foul, I have to get more clarity on what a flagrant foul is because I don’t understand that. Sometimes that’s the way it goes. Free throw, rebound, dribble the length of the floor.”

As for Watson, he said he saw two points with Asik, who had been playing brilliantly and was off the floor when the 76ers made their biggest run of the game. Teammates said Asik was in tears afterward about the missed free throws, though they said to a player they’d have lost badly without him. He had 10 points and nine rebounds.

“We didn’t expect to lose this game,” said Watson. “We came out very aggressively. We got down, came back, kept fighting and were in position to win the game.

“I did (think I had him for a dunk),” Watson said of the pass to Asik. “That’s what I thought. He was finishing the whole night. I put him in a bad position. Spencer Hawes came up close enough to where I felt I could pass it to Omer and he could dunk it. I thought it was a questionable call and it could have been a flagrant. I didn’t think about pulling up. I thought, ‘Two on one. Going to the basket. Getting Spencer Hawes to commit an dump it off to O.’

“We had this game,” said Watson. “It was winnable. A couple of questionable calls down the stretch. It’s a tough way to go out. It was a good season. We had injuries the whole season. We kept fighting through, playing hard. The next man always stepped up and that’s all we can ask for. I was just trying to get to the basket. I thought (Asik) had a clear dunk. I think O’s fine. If anything it’s on me. Not O. I put him a bad position, but I thought he had a clear dunk.”

But he didn’t.

Asik missed both free throws, and then perhaps because of fatigue or brain lock, no one got back. Iguodala got the rebound and headed down court with only Asik chasing and making what seemed like a pretty good play on the ball.

But it would not go the Bulls way, just like about all of this seemingly cursed 2011-12 season.

But the notion is without Derrick Rose, gone for the playoffs with a torn ACL and Joakim Noah, out perhaps several more games with a severe sprained ankle, the Bulls cannot win a championship.

Maybe the 76ers get tight and already a poor shooting team — 21.5 percent on threes in this series — loses at home Thursday and then faces Game 7 in Chicago Saturday that they’d probably lose? You know the venal Philadelphia media and community would love to pounce on them if they were to lose to the Bulls without Rose and Noah.

No city celebrates the misfortune of others like Philadelphia. Perhaps they don’t know it was settled by Quakers and Philadelphia translates roughly to brotherly love. Perhaps if they were Cain and Abel?

Anyway, so it goes that if the Bulls somehow become the ninth team to recover from a 3-1 playoff deficit and even beat Boston or Atlanta, what chance is there against Miami? Sort of a why bother view, which strikes me as ridiculous.

This really is great stuff for the Bulls now as long as it lasts. Of course, we all hate that Rose is out, mostly for him, but also for everyone’s opportunity to see this great showman and talent of the game.

But sports, despite what many seem to say, isn’t only about championships. Sure, everyone’s goal presumably is the ultimate success, at least for each season. But it’s truly not an all or nothing business.

In some places, and Chicago has become one of them because of the success of the Bulls in the 1990’s, there seems to be this feeling that if you are not playing for a title, it is a lost season, or one not worth watching. That you become spoiled with the success, as the notion seems to go now without Rose.

That should be far from actuality. Yes, the Bulls spent the season as the league leaders and among the favorites for the title. Appropriately not any longer without Rose. No one loses the league MVP and goes on to win a title.

But what’s wrong with watching them try? I was on WGN with David Kaplan Wednesday night and joked if it were only about titles, why would the Cubs start any season? Hey, I was kidding!

But that’s the point. There’s much more to see in sport than the final game and party. Maybe the Bulls can pull some upsets as the sudden underdog. A lot of sports is about watching what players do in these moments, who excels and who disappears, who rises to the moment and who lets it overcome them. It also helps you decide whom you want to keep going forward.

And what if the Pacers pull an upset? Get up 10 late like they did on the Bulls in Game 1 last year, and this time know they can win instead of wondering whether they can. I’m not suggesting this Bulls team is championship material. But as long as you are playing, you have a chance to play more. And there’s great fun and entertainment in that.

For the Bulls, it suddenly doesn’t look all that daunting this week. Yes, Rose is gone and Noah likely won’t play Thursday. But Taj Gibson probably will, as he said after Tuesday’s win his ankle had hardly swollen up that much. Of course, the question is the level of his effectiveness, which won’t be known until he’s in the game making those quick moves and stops.

He is important to the Bulls against a team like the 76ers because he is one of the Bulls’ better athletes to match the more athletic, if less skilled, 76ers players.

It’s tough to expect the 76ers to produce another all-time stinker like they did in the United Center in Game 5 with 69 points and 32.1 percent shooting. The starters shot 29 percent.

The 76ers want to stay out of another defensive taffy pull with the Bulls, who have to play that way now to compete. It’s not aesthetically appealing other than the potential final result.

The 76ers need to stay out of the halfcourt, which is difficult in the playoffs. So maybe they pressure the Bulls’ guards, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III, even more to create turnovers. Similarly, they did that with Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng when they put the ball down. Yet the duo had their best game with a combined 43 points and 21 rebounds, they contributed seven of the Bulls’ 15 turnovers.

The Bulls need to swing the ball more quickly on offense, which they haven’t done as well in this series, though Rose and Noah are their best passers. The Bulls had success Tuesday with bigger Ronnie Brewer defending the 76ers’ guards, and I might pair him more with Richard Hamilton, who has played point guard when he was in Detroit. The Bulls need more from Hamilton, and need him on the court more than the 18 minutes he got in Game 5.

But the defense is where the Bulls will succeed, and though Omer Asik had just four points, I thought his defense was one of the main reasons the Bulls won.

He’s also why extended stats don’t tell the whole story. Other than the obvious shot blocking with three, he changed numerous shots in the lane as the 76ers would beat the perimeter, as usual, and then be faced with Asik’s long arms and Gibson’s quickness. They are a terrific defensive pair. Asik came out on perimeter jump shots as well and is so quick sliding across the lane to help. It doesn’t register as stats, but as he’s played more the 76ers shooting percentage has declined.

I always see him directing players on offense as he seems to know the offense well even if he doesn’t participate much as he still has trouble catching the ball and seems to rush his shots as a result. And in a second language.

“They are great defensive players,” says Kyle Korver, who quietly ranks among the Bulls wounded with knee and foot problems he’s declined to discuss. “They play so well together. Taj is such a unique post defender. He can switch onto the point guard and switch onto LeBron. He’s such a rare piece to have on a team. Omer is enormous. He’s always in the right spot, he is really smart and knows how to use his length.”

A Bulls team never has recovered from this sort of playoff deficit before. Can they? And what of Boozer and Deng? For real? Who’s good enough to be back? There are plenty of questions and storyline to go.

“The pressure will go on them as the series goes on for sure,” added Korver.

Right, how can you lose to that team without Rose and Noah? It should be very entertaining to see.

“I’m feeling better,” Noah told Chuck Swirsky on BullsTV. “Just trying to get out there for the next game. I feel like we played really hard tonight. It was a great win. Guys are giving everything they’ve got. Let’s bring it back to Chicago for Game 7.”

Noah, a team captain and the Bulls’ emotional leader, missed his second consecutive game on Tuesday after suffering the injury during the third quarter of Friday’s Game 3. It was a painful sight to see, but since then, Noah has progressed. He’s shed the crutches and air cast, and was spotted shooting free throws at the end of his team’s shootaround Tuesday morning at the Berto Center.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau did not hold practice on Wednesday as the team travelled to Philadelphia on an afternoon flight.

“It’s hard,” Noah told BullsTV of missing back-to-back postseason games. “This is what we live for is to play in games like this. So not to be out there with your teammates is hard. But we won and we live to fight another day. It’s going to be a big Game 6 and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to play.”

When asked if he was optimistic about that happening, Noah replied, “Yeah.”

“I just want to be out there with my guys,” Noah added.

In Game 5, Omer Asik again started in Noah’s absence, finishing with four points, six rebounds and a pair of assists in nearly 28 minutes of action. Taj Gibson provided his usual spark off the bench, recording eight points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 25 minutes, along with shaking off an ankle sprain of his own. And in his usual starting role, Carlos Boozer tallied 19 points, 13 boards and six assists in 42 minutes.

“Omer had a huge game for us,” said Noah of Tuesday’s win to make it a 3-2 series. “Taj sprained his ankle and he came back. Carlos [Boozer] played huge for us. Omer has just been like a wall on defense. It’s a great experience for him and he’s playing great for us. He helped us win that ballgame.”

Should Noah be able to play in Game 6, Thibodeau knows the Sixers will be ready.

“I’m sure they’re prepared whether he plays or doesn’t play,” Thibodeau said prior to Game 5. “You go in and you know the personnel of the team. You know the strengths and weaknesses of each guy. They’ll be ready either way.”

Philadelphia coach Doug Collins, when asked before Game 5 about the possibility of facing Noah, agreed, adding, “If he plays, we know he’s going to bring great emotion. I would think probably he’s not going to be at 100 percent. His big thing is the mobility and the energy that he brings to this team.

“When he was starting out there with [Derrick] Rose, I always considered him their second best playmaker. And they miss that,” added Collins. “When Omer is in the game, you can do a few things defensively to help a little more simply because he’s not going to look to make that play as much as Joakim would.”

With or without Noah, the Bulls return to Philadelphia facing elimination for a second straight game. And while it’s easier to respond to such adversity at home—which they did on Tuesday—Thibodeau believes his group is equipped to meet the challenge once again, even if it means doing so in a hostile environment.

“Just because of their character,” Thibodeau explained when asked about his team’s resiliency. “I think their attitude and approach is the right one. Sometimes, things aren’t going your way and you have to battle through it and find ways to get things done. Things change quickly in this league. They can go from bad to good very quickly and good to bad very quickly. We can change it around.”

The Sixers’ Collins is keenly aware of that dynamic, having discussed it with associate head coach Michael Curry on Tuesday in Chicago. Curry should know—as a player, his top-seeded Pistons fell behind 3-1 to the eighth-seeded Magic during the 2003 NBA Playoffs before rattling off three wins in a row and ultimately advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Three weeks ago, the Bulls were sitting here with a great chance to win a championship and we didn’t know if we were going to be in the playoffs or not,” said Collins. “That’s how quickly things can change. And that’s how quickly they can change the other way too. We know that.”

“I don’t want it to come to a Game 7,” 76ers coach Doug Collins said after the Bulls pushed the lid on their playoff coffin open a bit Tuesday in the United Center with a grueling 77-69 victory.

The 76ers now lead 3-2, and, yes, Game 6 is in Philadelphia 6 p.m. Thursday. But if it is a firing squad the Bulls are facing Thursday, they have to be thrilled Andre Iguodala (four of 19 Tuesday), Evan Turner (two of seven) and Jrue Holiday (five of 17) are the main shooters.

The 76ers don’t have the kinds of players who cannot spell “horse.” No, they could be in an empty gym trying to make layups and not finish out the famous H-O-R-S-E shooting game. Better C-A-T for them, or N-O. Or, oh no!

And now it’s one more home game to end it for the 76ers or back to Chicago for Game 7 Saturday.

If they think those rims looked small before, wait until they have to make shots now.

“We were in a situation where we knew if we lose we go home,” said Luol Deng, who came up big with 24 points, including three four quarter three pointers. “After tonight’s game, they are going to feel some pressure. We have to go out and take it a game at a time. They’re going to feel a little pressure in trying to close it out.”

What’s that thing about pressure bursting pipes. And twisting someone up into a Philly pretzel?

This is the No. 8 seeded 76ers’ team that now is supposed to win. The Bulls lose their two best players, they lose home court advantage. They’re starting Omer Asik, for gosh sakes. The 76ers were leading three games to one. They’re going to blow it to a team with a center averaging two points and the point guard shooting 25 percent?

That’s what Thursday suddenly is about for the gang that can’t shoot straight.

It hardly seems possible, but the 76ers get worse every game with their shooting, 32.1 percent Tuesday after 39.2 percent in Game 4 and 34.2 percent in Game 3. And they won Games 3 and 4.

They may be sending this series to Springfield, but the one where the Simpsons live.

It was 35-26 Bulls Tuesday at halftime. The 76ers were shooting 28.6 percent. Really, is that possible? They set a record for fewest points ever in a playoff half. Going into the fourth quarter, not a single 76ers had scored in double figures. There were soccer games with more scoring. OK, that’s not true. But you get the idea.

But this was not completely the 76ers’ own doing. Actually, the Bulls had an awful lot to do with it.

“That’s the kind of game we have to play if we want to win the series, grind it out, physical, blocking shots,” said Kyle Korver. “When we won without Derrick, when we beat good teams we played that kind of game. That’s how we won, high energy, big defensive plays, protecting the rim, making them take jump shots. That’s how we need to play.”

And suddenly the task doesn’t seem quite as daunting. Win a road game. Yes, it’s not easy without Rose and Noah and now Taj Gibson having sprained his ankle in the third quarter, though he returned and seemed mostly OK. The concern is with ankle injuries, you often are better right after the injury and then it swells overnight. Gibson also was involved in a bit of a skirmish with Elton Brand with both getting technicals late in the second quarter. It appeared Gibson elbowed Brand in a scramble for the ball and the TNT TV announcing crew suggested Gibson could be suspended. Gibson seemed shocked when that was brought up to him post game and Brand pretty much dismissed it as hard play.

And there was plenty of it with the Bulls meting out most of it to the point Collins deftly added to his post game comments that, “I have to read the memo on freedom of movement again.”

Collins apparently felt the officials allowed too much contact and the Bulls to hold up the 76ers guards cutting. Spencer Hawes displayed a big cut across his face of another sort when he appeared at the post game press conference.

“That’s the way these games have been going,” said Hawes, who had 11 points and 14 rebounds after back to back 20-plus points games in Philadelphia. “It’s a physical series. If that’s how it’s going to go, we can play that brand of basketball.”

And if the 76ers do, the Bulls just might advance to the conference semifinals.

Because physical isn’t the 76ers’ game, and already Collins was warning them against it.

“It’s not what we do, to go out there and play smash mouth basketball,” said Collins. “We’ve got to stay with what we are doing. You can’t let one game get you spinning in the wrong direction, We did not expect to beat the Bulls four straight. This is a damn good team.”

The Bulls were good, or at least as good as they could be without their two most important players. They’re not going to be fancy or very exciting to watch. Paint drying could draw a larger audience if the color were right. But they’re going to protect the middle and the rim, and Gibson and Asik did with a combined seven blocks. Gibson had just eight points and seven rebounds, but Collins called him the most vital Bulls player. That’s because Gibson is one of the few true athletes the Bulls have, and he’s effectively throttled the 76ers’ Thaddeus Young, who was zero for three and scoreless. Young is averaging just seven points in the series, diminishing the 76ers usually effective bench. One of the 76ers’ key points was to deny Gibson inside position, and when Gibson sealed Young once and got a nice bounce pass from Asik for a slam dunk, Collins angrily yanked Young.

Though Asik had just four points, his defensive presence in the middle has frustrated the 76ers’ guards, who were blowing past the Bulls perimeter and to the rim. Thibodeau finally went back to Brewer, whom he’d benched in Game 3 in saying it just was a matter of more minutes for other players. But Brewer was huge Tuesday with six points, eight rebounds and three steals as Carlos Boozer said it was Brewer who was the key player in “changing the whole game with his activity.”

But Boozer was equally important. He had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and all those calling for him to be the 20/10 player he was with the Jazz, well, this was that Boozer. That’s because he played 42 minutes, perhaps 13 or 14 more than he usually does with Rose and Noah. And the Bulls now had to go through him more in the post for offense. They’ll need to do it even more in Game 6 as I still thought they ran too much pick and roll on the perimeter instead of getting it into Boozer to work more.

“Booz knows he’s going to get the ball the whole game now,” said Korver. “Jo and Derrick were our two biggest guys to go through. Now we need him more in the post and to shoot jump shots and create offense. A lot of people here didn’t watch Booz in Utah. That’s how he played. He got the ball almost every time down the floor. He did not have to force anything or rush anything and he is playing really good basketball now.”

I know it’s been local sport to blame Boozer for every blown help, missed garbage pickup and construction delay. As if Watson and Brewer and Richard Hamilton and Deng don’t miss any assignments. Boozer had 23 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4 and a questionable drive non call that went against him that may have turned the game. Again in Game 5, his all around game was excellent with a career equaling playoff high in assists.

“Coach is always the same,” said Deng. “He just wants us to play hard. The main thing we need to do is defend. He approached this game the same as any of the past ones. We all knew we had to win it. We just played better defense tonight. We made shots and had a mindset to go out and score and then stop them. We did a good job of keeping their guards in front of us. Their guards have really been hurting us, getting into the paint. Tonight the bigs did a good job keeping the guards in front of us, having them take tough shots. We’re in a situation where we know if we lose we go home. After tonight’s game, they are going to feel some pressure to close it out.

“Taj has been great all year,” Deng added. “Ronnie was great tonight. Even last game, in Philly, when we were watching the tape, coach kept talking about how great Ronnie was defensively. Tonight he did it again. He has a knack of stealing the ball and really getting to players and affecting their shots. Defensively he’s one of the best. I really believe that. And then when Taj went down, it was, ‘Not again!’ I was screaming for him to get up and be in pain later.”

Yes, it always seems something with these Bulls now. But more than anything, they now seem back in a series. And one they finally seem to have the game plan enough to win. Can the 76ers keep missing shots like this? Why not? Brewer was an addition to help thwart the 76ers’ guards penetration as both Watson and John Lucas were having all sorts of trouble keeping them in front and Turner was bullying Watson when the Bulls were on offense.

“It was a win or go on vacation type situation,” said Brewer. “So a lot of guys had to step up. We had to come with a lot of energy and that’s what we did. Thibs told me I need to bring energy on both ends. We needed to slow down some of their guards. They’ve been killing us the whole series. We tried to contest their shots and get some easy baskets in transition.”

And keep the 76ers from running too much, though they did have 23 fast break points. But they weren’t the flying, break open the game type dunks and the Bulls did a much better job of sprinting back in transition and covering in the backcourt when someone was hitting the offensive boards or driving to the basket and the 76ers tried to leak out.

The game plan remains the same against Philadelphia. Slow the game, keep them in the halfcourt and beat them up. It’s worked quite a bit, though the second quarter of Game 2 and the fourth quarter of Game 3 were fatal for the Bulls and left them in this hole despite mostly outplaying the 76ers even without Rose and Noah. It showed how one sided this series would have and should have been if the Bulls were healthy and that four or five games was the maximum.

I thought ESPN had an interesting stat about the 76ers that supported the Bulls game plan philosophy: The 76ers shot 28.8 percent in the half court during Game 5, the lowest for any team this postseason. The 76ers had 80 half-court plays during the game and they were unable to score a point on 58 of the 80 (72.5 percent).

It’s who they are, and why Collins quickly waved off media suggestions his team needed to retaliate and stop getting pushed around. Media, fans and Republican candidates love a war, but Collins knows he doesn’t have the troops for one.

“You have to give them credit,” said Collins. They are a great, great defensive team. The more that you get into the playoffs, the more physical they get. They just got into us physically. We just need to go home now and be more efficient. I didn’t think we lost any composure out there, even with that scrum at the end of the bench. It was just a very physical game. That’s one reason they are able to win with injuries. Their defense always gives them a chance. They’re big, they’re strong.”

And it was the Bulls kind of game throughout.

It was 17-16 Bulls after one quarter with Deng off to a fast start with nine points. Many wondered about Deng in the fourth quarter of Game 4 and in previous games as he averaged eight points in the three previous games. But for much of Game 4 he was left to stand in the corner while Watson and Boozer ran a two man game, very unusual for Thibodeau’s coaching. Though Thibodeau was calling the plays, as he does every one.

So it seemed clear Deng had enough and just went.

“I felt like I didn’t shoot the ball enough,” he admitted. “Tonight, I was more aggressive. Sometimes when having Derrick out, we’re just playing a little differently. Tonight I just wanted to be more aggressive from the start.”

The Bulls began to stretch it out to a 35-26 lead at halftime. Heck, through three quarters the 76ers had just barely outscored Kobe Bryant.

Gibson came in late in the first quarter and even without scoring was a factor thwarting Young and the 76ers on the interior. Both he and Asik are terrific help defenders, and when they play together the Bulls defense is at its best. Adding Brewer to the mix helped in Game 5.

Late in the quarter, Brand, who now is struggling and had just five points, grabbed a ball and fought for it with Gibson, both going to the floor in front of the Bulls bench. Both drew technicals.

“I didn’t intentionally try to elbow him,” Gibson said. “I was just trying to play hard for my team. It was guys just being aggressive and going hard for their team. It’s playoff basketball.” Gibson said he’s always been a big fan of Brand’s, and said when they got up, “He looked at me and said, ‘Are you good?’ I said, ‘I’m fine.’ That’s it. Move on.”

The Bulls did to that nine point halftime lead and maintained it through the third quarter with Boozer carrying the team with 12 points as Gibson went out with what looked like a bad sprain after he stepped on the foot of Lavoy Allen.

“I was a little in shock (about the sprain), Said Gibson. “But I’ll be OK. Things like this happen. I was just hoping it wasn’t too bad that I couldn’t put pressure on it. I’m thinking, ‘I’m going to do everything in my power to play. It’s win or go home. I’ll be fine. I know myself. Prepare to be a warrior again and try to get another win. I said the only way they’re gong to take me of this court if I get hurt again. It was do or die. Nobody wants to get eliminated at home. You battle until you can’t battle no more. I was going back in regardless. I was only worried about riding until the wheels came off. I’ll do everything in my power to play (Thursday). I have all summer to lay back, so I’m going to lay it on the line. It’s all about heart and will, and that’s the way I play,”

And then Deng took care of the rest in the fourth with those three big threes, twice with the shot clock on its last tick.

Deng, bristling after the losses in Philadelphia, laughed when he was asked whether Gibson’s little incident with Brand changed up the team.

“I just came out of the game and I was a little tired so I just sat down,” Deng said with a smile. “I just kind of enjoyed my time on the bench. A lot of time when a fight breaks out, no one ends up really fighting.”

“It fired us up,” he said laughing, realizing reporters were looking for a different answer. “I sat there and enjoyed it. I had two heat packs and was feeling great.”

“It was a big game tonight and we won it,” Deng said. “Now we’ve got a big game in Philly and have to go there and try to get it.”

And then they’ll really feel great. This could turn out to be something after all that.

Perhaps just one game left in this most remarkable and unusual — if not ultimately fulfilling — Bulls season ever. The Bulls after Sunday’s 89-82 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers trail 3-1 in the opening round playoff series. Game 5 is 8:30 p.m. CT Tuesday in Chicago.

Cue the NBA music, perhaps a dirge for the Bulls. It is now at win-or-go-home time.

“A couple of shots drop, a couple of calls and it would have been a different game,” Kyle Korver said with a sigh. “We’re not in this for moral victories. We’re trying to win championships. It’s not the way we thought the series would go a week and half ago. It’s a different situation, but that’s the way it goes. The attitude has always been that we’re going to win. We’ve been short on people all year. That’s not an excuse. I thought we’d win this game, go home 2-2. But it didn’t happen.

“We’re down two, but we’re not out,” Korver went on. “Teams have come back from 3-1 before. We’re going to have to play really well, have a lot of guys step up. We’re not going to quit. Everyone is upset, obviously. But by Tuesday night we’ll be back, have a good mindset and be ready to go.”

Reporters continued to linger, there were pauses, a question about Omer Asik starting, Joakim Noah being gone along with Derrick Rose. Finally, there was a long silence as reporters stared at Korver.

Korver shrugged and finally said, “I don’t know, man.”

Nobody really knows what to say. No one’s ever been through anything quite like this–a great, if uneven, season, the league’s best record despite numerous injuries, the regular starters playing in fewer than 10 games together. And then everything finally seemed to be coming together, when everyone was playing. But it all collapsed with the loss of Rose in Game 1 and Noah in Game 3. Both are gone for the playoffs, though the Bulls hold out hope for Noah’s sprained ankle.

Yet despite the bumps and bruises, and it continued again in Sunday’s loss with Luol Deng taking a hard fall on his injured left wrist, optimism remained. The Bulls beat the rival Heat even without Rose. They went more than a year without losing two straight. They led the league in virtually every vital statistical category or were in the top five.

They opened in Los Angeles with a dramatic win over the Lakers and displayed size and depth rare around the league. The pieces seemed in place for a legitimate title run. It wasn’t like there was anyone to fear that much. Sure, there were very good teams. But the Bulls had beaten just about all, the Spurs in San Antonio as well. Really, is that all they’ve got?

They’d had some slipups, like in Oklahoma City, but always bounced right back. And they’d have Rose healthy and Noah and Carlos Boozer was coming on and the reserves, so battle tested now, could return to their roles with the edge of having started at big times in big games.

Now, just a week into the playoffs, the Bulls linger on the verge of going home until next season. And a very uncertain one at that, with Rose and perhaps Deng not likely to open the season with the team, though there’s time to consider those possibilities.

For now, it’s as Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau likes to say, one game, one play a time. Win Tuesday, try to make it 3-2 and then perhaps put some pressure on one of the worst perimeter shooting teams in the league, the 76ers, and who knows. They are certainly as bad a shooting team as I can recall outside my backyard.

The 76ers shot below 40 percent and won the last two games, shooting worse than the Bulls in both. The 76ers lost 21 of 26 during the season when being outshot. They lost 12 of 14 when shooting below 40 percent. They were the league’s worst team in close games.

Three to one down isn’t as impossible as 3-0. And the Bulls with a spirited fourth quarter after falling behind by as much as seven Sunday showed they hadn’t given up, that they still wanted to compete even if there was plenty missing. They’ll get a warm, encouraging home crowd Tuesday, and then who knows.

“They did a good job taking their home court,” said Deng, who had 11 points and five rebounds. “We get home and we’ve got to get that game and come back get the one they took for us. We still believe. We’ve just got to get that one game to get going.

“They’ve outhustled us a little bit or the ball went their way,” said Deng. “But I know we are playing hard. It’s been a tough injury year. The last week or so has been one after another. At the same time we are playing hard and we still believe even though we’ve just lost three games in a row. So now we try to get one and come back here.

“It’s going to be another of those type playoff games, fourth quarter getting stops and we’re not doing that,” said Deng.

It’s been a couple of brutal finishes in Philadelphia, the blown 14-point lead after Noah severally sprained his ankle (he was on the sideline wearing a boot Sunday) and Sunday within a point or two down to under two minutes and not being able to make the big play on either end.

It’s such a chore for the Bulls to score now. With Asik starting, the 76ers laid off into the lane and closed it down. So the Bulls shot jumpers early, they mostly missed and they were down 24-15 after one on 28 percent shooting. The 76ers never are much better and invent the oddest shots. Evan Turner dribbles around way too much and Andre Iguodala settles for long, arcing bombs that almost dent the backboard.

The Bulls finally went to Gibson, who is one of the rare players against the 76ers who gives the Bulls an athletic matchup advantage as Gibson outworked Thaddeus Young and had 10 straight Bulls points to get the Bulls within 31-30.

Jrue Holiday continued to chase either Hamilton or Korver, and given neither is a post up type player who can beat you off the dribble they weren’t able to take advantage of Holiday’s slight build. Turner muscled Watson until Watson finally got going after halftime, though he shot too much. John Lucas III did try to move the ball and find the right shooters in the right places, but it was mostly in the first half as the Bulls were within 44-42 at halftime after Hawes ended it with a three on a nice called inbounds play.

But the Bulls were beginning to look like they could muscle this thing enough with 63 percent shooting in the second quarter behind Gibson.

The Bulls did have a nice run to open up a 56-50 lead early in the third with Boozer hitting jumpers and both Deng and Watson adding threes. But the 76ers got back with a few jumpers. Hamilton couldn’t get anything going and Thibodeau left him out the rest of the way after one of four shooting in the third. The 76ers reclaimed the lead late in the quarter with a pair of fast break scores after a Watson airball and Deng missing a tip as he went for the offensive rebound and no one covered back for him again.

It was 64-63 76ers after three, and then it seemed to be getting away from the Bulls again in the fourth after Boozer caught a Korver airball and laid it in. The 76ers continued to go at the rim. The Bulls were playing good defense, but offensively they were mostly going with a Watson/Boozer pick and roll. They’d gotten the 76ers into the penalty with almost seven minutes left but weren’t taking enough advantage and kicked the ball around some and had a pair stripped by the active 76ers’ players’ hands.

Holiday then hit those two unlikely threes, at least the way he was shooting to put the 76ers ahead 80-73 with 3:34 left.

Boozer, who led the Bulls with 23 points and 11 rebounds but had five turnovers, then made a big three point play and Watson, who had gone six straight quarters without scoring until the second half, hit a jumper to bring the Bulls within two with 2:41 left after two big Holiday threes.

Holiday was five of 20 at the time. The 76ers’ three top guards finished 12 for 45. And, yes, they won.

“I look at our shooting and we were four for 25, I think, at halftime from Lou [Williams], Jrue, and Evan [Turner], and we were up two. And so that was pretty amazing. Spencer [Hawes, 22 on nine of 11 shooting after 10 in the fourth quarter in Game 3 once Noah went out] hit a big shot going into half for us. He’s been playing incredible. But the guy I’m really proud of today is Jrue Holiday. He’s got a coach who’s got no conscience when it comes to shooting, and it’s the one thing I’ve tried to impart with our team is, if you’ve got a shot, you’ve got to take it. Jrue was zero for the world and hit two huge threes to give us a little bit of a cushion. Don’t fear the consequences. We always talk about, if you miss, you miss.”

But even with those two, one defended well by Gibson, the Bulls still had a shot. Watson, who had been awful for six quarters, made another jumper after a Hawes dunk, and then in the big sequence Boozer rolled in and missed and appeared to be hit.

“It was a key sequence,” Thibodeau conceded, not wanting to question the officiating as he is on his rookie contract.

“It kind of went against us,” he added.

“It was a great pocket pass by C.J.,” said Boozer. “I was trying to go to the hole strong. Obviously, I wanted a layup or dunk. I thought I had some contact. I thought I got fouled, to be frank. The fouls they were calling on the other side, I thought that call could’ve been made. But they didn’t call it. We just kept playing on.”

There was some disagreement as some neutral observers felt it was a good block first before Boozer was hit. Then going back the other way Watson was called for a foul on seemingly limited contact. There perhaps was contact. But there had to be on Boozer’s, you figure. Sort of call it the same way both sides. Though Boozer insisted the officiating didn’t cost the Bulls the game.

“It was our fault we lost the game,” said Boozer. “We gave up 25 points in the fourth quarter. That’s too many points. We lost because we didn’t contain their guards in the fourth quarter. Even today with all the things going against us, slow start, shots not going in, not getting calls we thought we should get, we still felt like we could have and should have won the game.”

The Bulls have been right there, and, sure a few plays here and there. They didn’t give up or give in without Rose and Noah, and it has to be difficult not to. But it’s also not the same team, and not just because they are missing their best scorer and passer, their best rebounder and interior playmakers, the two guys who stand tallest at the toughest times.

It’s not to suggest others didn’t try, but you do detect a difference. Like when your big brother isn’t there, or maybe when he is. You feel a little more confident, a little more self assured, a bit more of a strut than a struggle. The Bulls don’t seem to have that as much now as they search for scoring, hope for someone to make a big play. The guys they have make the effort.

But it’s not just what the guys who are missing do but who they are and where they have been. Rose played for nothing but championships in high school and college. Noah won a pair in college. Yes, Richard Hamilton did with the Pistons, but he’s been more sometime player and again sat out the fourth quarter for all but a few seconds after playing big minutes in Game 3.

Boozer did have a good game, though Deng was in and out again after another tough fall on his bad wrist. Anyway, he’s not the type of player you call on to bail you out when the offense is awry. He never has been.

Gibson came up big with 10 straight second quarter points to enable the Bulls to recover from a poor, quick jump shooting first quarter. But he’s been a reserve as has been Watson and John Lucas, the latter running the offense well early but then pulled quickly after a few early fourth quarter miscues.

I was talking to a longtime NBA veteran executive watching the Bulls lately and he said this series proved to him Rose had been the best player in the league. No offense, he insisted, but look how much he did for that team when it mattered. And how much more he meant to them when things didn’t go well.

You can nit pick and second guess things, and I was surprised to see so much two man game with Boozer and Watson in the fourth quarter, the duo taking 11 of the 17 shots. Korver played more than 11 minutes and got two shots. Deng had one. They stood on the weak side and mostly watched in an unusually stagnant Bulls offense without as much weak side action as we’re used to seeing. Again, we didn’t see Mike James as Thibodeau said he’s confident with his rotation. Perhaps the Bulls could have tried some zone given how badly the 76ers shoot, but how much worse than their 39 percent could they have been?

A guy who’s shooting 25 percent hits a pair of threes. The 76ers pull away in the fourth shooting 37.5 percent.

Yes, there’s been an incredible free throw discrepancy in the series. The 76ers have had at least 30 free throws in three of the four games. Part of that is their guards dribble around way too much into the lane. The 76ers have made 84 free throws in this series and the Bulls have attempted 79 (the 76ers have attempted 110).

“Be more aggressive,” said Gibson. “The calls are going to go whatever way. It depends on how aggressive you are on defense and how you are going to play. The calls depend on how hard you what it. We have to set the tone early.”

The 76ers attempted 30 free throws in just four of 66 games this season and overall averaged 18.2 per game, almost the fewest in NBA history.

But free throw shooting also is about aggression and officials are human. If they don’t see one team as aggressive, they’re going to penalize them. There is a difference between working hard and being self assured when you are. The Bulls seem to lack a bit of that latter trait, though who could blame them given this past week of season catastrophe?

“We did not have one of our emotional leaders, but Jo was on the sidelines,” said Gibson. “Guys have to step up. We’ve been in this situation before. Nobody on this team has their head down. Everyone understands what has to be done. There are so many things you can point to that have happened and give yourself an excuse. We have to go out and do our jobs, take responsibility and get the job done.

“It’s tough, but we still have more ball to play,” said Gibson. “We’re going back home. Look, we worked hard all year long. The situation now is tough. But we got ourselves in this situation. We can’t blame anyone else. So we have to go out and continue to keep fighting.

“And when it comes down to who wants it more we have to want it a little more,” said Gibson. “We have to show more will and more toughness. The 76ers are a tough team. It came down to will and they showed that have the toughness and will to overcome. Next time it’s got to be us. Go back home, play hard and get a win.”

Well said, if not done nearly as well done of late. No one can blame them now, especially after what has occurred. Sometimes you try as hard as you can and there is something missing in you. Sometimes you want to go on but if you feel it’s not leading anywhere can you be the same fighter?

“We’re fighting, but we can do better,” said Thibodeau. “We can do a lot better. In the end it comes down to will, to making a play, three stops in a row, whatever you may need to get done. Mental toughness and physical toughness. One thing our team has is we have great character and I think the fight will be there.”

It’s either all the way down or a step ahead at a time.

That’s because with Sunday’s 89-82 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bulls fell behind 3-1 in the first round playoff series. Game 5 is in Chicago Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.

If the Bulls lose they would become just the fifth NBA top seeded team to lose to an eighth seed in the opening playoff series. Though none has experienced what the Bulls have with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah both going out with injuries.

“Now it’s must win,” said Carlos Boozer, who led the Bulls with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Taj Gibson was big off the bench with 14 points and 12 rebounds and C.J. Watson added 17 points after a slow start, but on five of 18 shooting.

“We’ve got to fight like dogs in Game 5,” said Boozer. “We’ve got to play 48 minutes of great Chicago Bulls basketball and bring it back here for Game 5. Obviously, the series is very different without D. Rose and Joakim. Even with Joakim, I feel we win Game 3 (nine point fourth quarter lead when he went out). But we’re in the situation we’re in. We’ve got guys who can step up and we need that now.”

The Bulls outrebounded the 76ers, who were led by Spencer Hawes with 22 points and Jrue Holiday with 20, the latter with two big three pointers late in the fourth quarter. The Bulls again shot better than the 76ers, had more assists and an 11-10 edge on fast break points. But the 76ers were 22 of 31 on free throws while the Bulls were 11 of 14.

“Listen, we’re not going to sit here and blame the referees for our loss,” said Boozer. “It was our fault we lost the game. We gave up 25 points in the fourth quarter. Again, that’s too many points in the fourth quarter. But the discrepancy is huge. I thought we were being pretty aggressive. We got (them) in the penalty early (in the fourth quarter at 6:26). But we didn’t get as many free throws as they did, which is tough. But that’s not why we lost. We lost because we didn’t contain their guards in the fourth quarter.

“It’s been tough because both games in Philadelphia we felt we should have won,” said Boozer. “Even today with all the things going against us, slow start, shots not going in, not getting calls we thought we should get, turnovers. We still felt like we could have and should have won the game. Last game we had a lead late. So from that perspective it’s frustrating.

“But we’re still going to attack,” said Boozer. “I thought Lu was super aggressive. C.J. was aggressive. We’ve got to continue to have our confidence and believing we can go in there and win.”

The Bulls got off to an uncertain start with Noah sitting on the bench in a suit and wearing a large walking boot. He likely is out for the series even though coach Tom Thibodeau lists him at day to day.

The Bulls were relying too much on jump shots early and fell behind 24-15 with Omer Asik getting his third start at center. Asik had one point, six rebounds and three blocks in 23 and a half minutes.

Gibson got the Bulls back in the game with 10 straight points to open the second quarter and the game went back and forth with the 76ers guards firing miss after miss, though the 76ers led 44-42 at halftime.

The 76ers hung onto a 64-63 lead after three quarters with the 76ers guards, Evan Turner, Holiday and Lou Williams off the bench a combined nine of 38 through three quarters.

“Holiday, he’s tough,” said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. “I thought he played him well, and Holiday has the ability to make tough shots. He’s clever with the dribble and you have to rely on your team defense. You have to finish your defense.”

That hurt on Holiday’s two fourth quarter threes, though Gibson provided good help on one and Holiday just got it off, and on the other Watson got screened off by Hawes.

The 76ers pulled ahead 80-73 with 3:37 left on that second Holiday three. But the Bulls fought back with a Boozer hard drive for a three point play, good defense forcing a 24-second violation and Watson with a pull up jumper to get within 80-78.

Hawes then had a dunk on a nice Williams pass, but Watson responded with an 18 foot step back to bring the Bulls within 82-80 with 1:47 left.

Then came the key sequence, which went against the Bulls.

Boozer drove and seemed to get hit, Hawes seemingly hanging on his arm. There was no call and play went the other way as Holiday drove and Watsonwas called for a bumping foul against Holiday. Holiday made two free throws for an 84-80 76ers lead with 51.5 seconds left.

“We have to find a way,” said Thibodeau. “At the end, it’s going to be hustle plays, tough plays, hard nosed plays, second shots, multiple effort. That’s what it comes down to. You got to make them. We’re fighting, but we can do better. We can do a lot better. You always think that you can do better. For the most part, 21 assists on 34 baskets, that’s pretty good. But we got to score better. We got to get some easy baskets late and you got to make them miss and you got to be able to rebound and run. Then you have to ask yourself, “Are you getting the shots you would like?” Quite frankly, I thought that we had some good hard drives where we didn’t get calls. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes, and when that happens you just have to go harder, I guess.”

Boozer then committed a costly turnover losing the ball on a drive. This was the time to either foul, which was way too early, or play good defense. The Bulls did and the 76ers had Andre Iguodala taking a wild shot with the clock about to run out. But he was fouled by Asik, which effectively ended the game when Iguodala made both free throws.

“I thought I got fouled,” said Boozer about the drive at 82-80. “I thought there was a block up top, but I thought there was a lot of contact. The way they were calling it on our side (against the Bulls) I thought there was enough contact to get a call. But no call. You keep playing. You get upset, but you’ve go to keep moving forward.

“Luol maybe could have fouls (called) 10 more times, CJ could have gotten five more. But you’ve got to keep playing. Bottom line we have to play a better defense without fouling. You can’t cry about the referees This is the playoffs. Sometimes you get calls; sometimes you don’t. If we hold them to 17, 18 points in the fourth quarter maybe we win this game.”

If the Bulls want to continue to play after Tuesday, there cannot be any more maybes.