MILWAUKEE BUCKS = NBA CHAMPIONS!!!

[Diogo]

Lol... the bench from both team played very bad... Robinson is showing to everyone his potential and Wade was amazing as well. Now let's see if the Bucks gonna hold the Bulls. Good Luck

[Sac-1]

Great job at not letting the Heat make it go into game 7, wow the scoring in the fourth was 33-21 Heat thyey had a great comeback were 4 points short, like Semsation said what a career night for Robinson with great shooting. Your team took ,ore shots and had a low precantage in Field Goals but MAimi hafd a much higher precantage and you still maintained the win . Good luck against the Bulls in the ECF.

[Keo]

Great job at not letting the Heat make it go into game 7, wow the scoring in the fourth was 33-21 Heat thyey had a great comeback were 4 points short, like Semsation said what a career night for Robinson with great shooting. Your team took ,ore shots and had a low precantage in Field Goals but MAimi hafd a much higher precantage and you still maintained the win . Good luck against the Bulls in the ECF.

Oh my goodness, you should really read over your posts.

[Sac-1]

Sorry i don't usually read over it, i'll try to remember next time.

[COOLmac©]

very good man very good. the bulls as the 7th seed eh? you can do it

nate the great kicks ass, and fortunate turn of events has lowered the deadly antics of terry to devastate your team. goodluck in the eastern finals

EDIT: bible thread up

[bullsfan009]

Terry got into foul trouble and you took advantage. What a career night for Nate Robinson! Nice job taking the series in 6, good luck against the Bulls.

thanks Sensation

Great job at not letting the Heat make it go into game 7, wow the scoring in the fourth was 33-21 Heat thyey had a great comeback were 4 points short, like Semsation said what a career night for Robinson with great shooting. Your team took ,ore shots and had a low precantage in Field Goals but MAimi hafd a much higher precantage and you still maintained the win . Good luck against the Bulls in the ECF.

thanks for the comments, Sac-1- and it's alright you forgot to edit your words here, just don't forget to do it in English class

very good man very good. the bulls as the 7th seed eh? you can do it

nate the great kicks ass, and fortunate turn of events has lowered the deadly antics of terry to devastate your team. goodluck in the eastern finals

EDIT: bible thread up

thanks for the kind words, I also believe I can beat the Bulls, although I don't expect it to be easy...and thanks for the Bible thread post reminder, too

Later y'all

[COOLmac©]

goodbye all, and bullsfan im sadden i wont be part of this cool dynasty of yours. well you can dedicate the entire champioship for me?
anyways goodluck. i'll be gone now

[bullsfan009]

I'm shocked and saddened to see you go COOLmac, take care dude.


As far as the Bucks, I've gotten a newer computer, and so I have to switch my Live 2000 data to the new one in order to continue this season. But don't worry- I'm determined to finish & win the title

Hopefully I'll have Game 1 of the Bucks vs. Bulls, Eastern Conference Finals, up by Monday.


Peace out all-

[bullsfan009]

FINALLY, here's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals!

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 1: Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks

MIL 102, CHI 88
It’s Not How You Start… -Bucks Grab 1-0 Series Lead With Strong Finish

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN- The NBA Eastern Conference Finals tipped off last night, with the visiting Chicago Bulls being hosted by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bulls are the #7 seed in the East, and have surprised all critics and supporters alike with their strong playoff run. The Bucks, the #4 seed, have also played very well. They defeated the #1-seeded Miami Heat in the previous round to get to this point.
So the two underdogs set out to keep their special playoff runs alive with a win in Game 1. The Bulls jumped out to an early 9-2 run, shooting the basketball very well. They were without athletic center Eddy Curry for the game, who was suffering from knee tendonitis, but should be back and o.k. for the rest of the series. No matter, though, the Bulls’ other “Twin Tower,” Tyson Chandler, was dominant. He had 6 points and 7 rebounds in the opening period, and Chicago held a 32-26 advantage after 10 minutes of play.
The Bucks shot a dismal 39.3% in the first period, but shot even worse in the 2nd: 36.8%. The Bulls didn’t shoot much better, at just under 40%, but pushed their lead into double-digits. A Chris Duhon jumper put them up 48-37, with 2:20 remaining. The Bucks fought back and chipped a few points off that margin, but Duhon hit a big 3 pointer with 25 seconds to play, which put Chicago back up by 10 again, 53-43. Two Dwyane Wade free throws cut the lead to 8, but then his counterpart, Stephen Jackson, swished a 20-foot jumper at the quarter buzzer. So the Bulls really tried for a double-figure halftime lead, and they succeeded at that psychological number.
Milwaukee’s head coach Terry Porter tried to get his team to regain their focus, composure, and competitive spirit in the second half. It seemed to work as the Bucks cut their deficit in half at a score of 62-57. But the Bulls ran off 8 straight points, and once again the Bucks were down big. “That was extremely frustrating,” Coach Porter remarked afterwards. “Every time we exerted the energy to get back in the game, we let it slip away.”
The Bucks made one more push in the 3rd. Dwyane Wade was having a really big game offensively, and tacked on a 9-2 run by himself, bringing his point total to 31, and his team to within 5 points again, 75-70, by the end of the period. He compensated for the extremely poor shooting numbers of Grant Hill, who was 0-for-5 in the 3rd, and was 1-for-11 after 3 quarters.
Heading into the fourth quarter, fans at the Bradley Center collectively wondered: would their beloved Bucks fall far behind once again, or could they finally sustain a run and overtake the Bulls? They were happy to see the latter circumstance occur.
Bryce Drew was inserted into the point guard position by Coach Porter, and quickly paid dividends with a layup that made it 77-74, Bulls with the lead. Milwaukee got a few stops, and a Grant Hill lay-in gave the team their first lead in ages, 80-79, with 6:27 to play. Wade followed with a layup of his own, and the Bulls couldn’t score on their ensuing possession. A bricked shot was rebounded by “Flash,” who took the ball coast-to-coast for a monster 1-handed slam dunk that brought the crowd to their feet.
The Bucks now led by 5, and the rout was on. Wade canned a jumper, 94-85 Bucks. Dwight Howard baseline 360-degree jam: 96-85 Bucks. Wade throw-down: 98-85 Bucks.
The Bulls simply fell apart, and were turning the ball over left and right, missing layups, and not getting back in transition as the Bucks were getting tons of easy baskets on fast breaks. The Bradley Center was in a frenzy, as the fans were ecstatic throughout their teams’ 17-3 run to end the game. The final score was 102-88, and the Bulls limped off the court, scratching their heads at this sharp & sudden turn of events.
The Bucks lead the series 1-0, and are now 3 games away from a trip to the NBA Finals!

BUCKS NOTES
Wade scored 12 more 4th quarter points, and finished with a game-high 43, along with 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. Bulls coach Scott Skiles remarked, “Wade was obviously unstoppable tonight. He’s someone we have to do a better job clamping down on if we want to win any games in this series.”

BULLS NOTES
Kirk Hinrich committed 10 turnovers…Eddy Curry returns to the post for the Bulls in the next game. His replacement in the starting lineup, Keith Van Horn, played well with 22 points and 11 rebounds…Tyson Chandler had 20 boards in the game.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Ely: 8 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3-8 FGs
Howard: 16 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 6-8 FGs
Hill: 13 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 5-19 FGs
Wade: 43 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast, 19-35 FGs
Udrih: 5 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
Rush: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-3 FGs
Traylor: 4 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 2-6 FGs
Robinson: 7 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 3-5 FGs
Divac: 2pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-4 FGs
Bowen: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-3 FGs
Drew: 4 pts, 1 reb, 5 ast, 2-3 FGs
TOTALS: 43-99 FGs (43.4%), 14-14 FTs, 47 REB (17 OFF), 18 AST, 10 FL

CHICAGO
Van Horn: 22 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 10-23 FGs
Chandler: 12 pts, 20 reb, 0 ast, 5-12 FGs
Nocioni: 12 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 5-16 FGs
Jackson: 16 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 7-14 FGs
Hinrich: 11 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast, 4-15 FGs
Deng: 2 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 1-5 FGs
Duhon: 7 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 3-5 FGs
Harrington: 2 pts, 8 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
Griffin: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Pargo: 4 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2-8 FGs
TOTALS: 38-101 FGs (37.6%), 8-9 FTs, 51 REB (20 OFF), 19 AST, 11 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 26 19 25 32---102
Bulls 32 23 20 13---88
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 2-9 (Udrih 1-2, Robinson 1-2, Drew 0-1, Hill 0-2, Rush 0-2), Chicago 4-15 (Hinrich 1-2, Duhon 1-2, Nocioni 1-3, Jackson 1-4, Van Horn 0-1, Deng 0-1, Pargo 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 16, Chicago 17. Steals: Milwaukee 13 (Wade 5), Chicago 8 (Van Horn 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 14 (Ely 4), Chicago 7 (Jackson 3).

Images of the Game

Tyson Chandler vs. Dwight Howard is one of the great matchups in this series...

...as is Dwyane Wade vs. Stephen Jackson, whom the Bulls acquired from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ben Gordon.

BUCKS LEAD SERIES 1-0

[Keo]

Wow, you really came on strong in the end and it didn't even look like a close game anymore. Wade is just spectacular, I don't know what to say. Game 2 should be a lot tougher with Eddy Curry returning to the Bulls lineup. They look pretty tough down low with Curry, Chandler who grabbed 20 rebounds and Van Horn who was an exellent replacement. You should definately watch out for that. Good luck in Game 2 and nice push near the end to take Game 1.

[bullsfan009]

Thanks for the great comments Sensation, you've been such a nice follower of this franchise for so long...I appreciate it man.

Yes, Wade's my main man. If I make it to the Finals, he might just have to average 40ppg to beat the Suns or Spurs

[Sac-1]

Great blowout win, Wade really exploded but i was surprised with the poor shooting from both teams but atleast you won, its like the Bulls lost all the talent(kinda of reminds me of Space Jam ). Good luck in game two hope they get their talent back so it would be more of a challenge for you and more interesting for us.

[bullsfan009]

Great blowout win, Wade really exploded but i was surprised with the poor shooting from both teams but atleast you won, its like the Bulls lost all the talent(kinda of reminds me of Space Jam ). Good luck in game two hope they get their talent back so it would be more of a challenge for you and more interesting for us.

I love that movie...yes hopefully the Mon-stars will come out and give me a better game


EDIT: sorry for the slow traffic around here this week, everybody...I blew off one night which I should have played, and the rest I really haven't had the chance to. Been too busy. So I will try to play at least 2 games this weekend. Take care, talk to you all Monday

[bullsfan009]

NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2: Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks

MIL 94, CHI 77
Defensive Dominance: Bucks Shut Down Bulls’ Offense, Take 2-0 Series Lead

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN- The Milwaukee Bucks held the Chicago Bulls to only 77 points on 39.3% shooting in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and by putting up 94 points of the own, Milwaukee currently holds a 2-0 series lead.
For the second straight game, the Bulls were absolutely shut down in the fourth quarter. In Game 1, they scored just 13 points on 26.1% shooting; in this contest they fared only slightly better with 15 points on 33.3% shooting in the final period.
“I’ve never seen our defense as good as it is right now,” Bucks Coach Terry Porter commented. “Each and every guy is playing with pride, saying ‘My man’s not gettin’ by me,’ and when someone does get beat, we’re collapsing beautifully. As the coach and a fan, I’m thrilled.”
On the offensive end, Milwaukee was once again carried by Dwyane Wade. “Flash” followed up his 43-point Game 1 with 33 points in Game 2, to accompany 9 rebounds and 3 assists. He was extremely efficient, too- making over 60% of his shots (14-for-23), and hitting all 5 of his free throws. Supporting Wade was Grant Hill, who scored 8 of his 18 points in the first quarter, and the entire Bucks bench played big in the win. Bryce Drew and Jarron Collins, usually Coach Porter’s 11th and 12th men off the pine, got to start the 4th quarter, and played so well that they finished it too. Drew hit 2 big three pointers, and finished with 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in the game. And Collins had 5 rebounds and an assist in the quarter.
With a sizeable lead, Wade and Hill were able to sit out the final 2:10, and Dwight Howard didn’t play at all in the 4th. The Bucks have won the first two games of this series by an average of 15.5 points. They haven’t been challenged yet; let’s see if Game 3 in Chicago will be any different.

BUCKS NOTES
A big factor in Milwaukee’s win was their dominance of the boards in the fourth quarter. The Bucks pulled down 15 rebounds, including 5 offensive, while the Bulls managed to grab only 4 total in the entire period. For the game, Milwaukee outrebounded Chicago by a 51-39 margin.

BULLS NOTES
Kirk Hinrich rebounded from a poor Game 1 shooting performance to lead his team in scoring with 25 points, while shooting better than 50% from the field (12-for-23)…And Eddy Curry returned to the Bulls lineup, but wasn’t a major factor with just 12 points and 4 rebounds in the ballgame…Finally, Andres Nocioni had a truly forgettable shooting night, going 3-for-15 from the field. Don’t expect to see that poor of an effort from Noce’ in Game 3.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Divac: 2 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 1-2 FGs
Howard: 9 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 4-10 FGs
Hill: 16 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 8-18 FGs
Wade: 33 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 14-23 FGs
Udrih: 0 pts, 3 reb, 8 ast, 0-7 FGs
Rush: 9 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 4-11 FGs
Traylor: 7 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3-6 FGs
Robinson: 0 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 0-3 FGs
Ely: 5 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 2-3 FGs
Bowen: 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Drew: 11 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 4-7 FGs
Collins: 0 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 41-94 FGs (43.6%), 9-11 FTs, 51 REB (15 OFF), 24 AST, 14 FL

CHICAGO
Curry: 12 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 5-10 FGs
Chandler: 6 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 2-8 FGs
Nocioni: 7 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3-15 FGs
Jackson: 19 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 9-21 FGs
Hinrich: 25 pts, 1 reb, 5 ast, 12-23 FGs
Deng: 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2-4 FGs
Duhon: 0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0-2 FGs
Van Horn: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
Harrington: 0 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Pargo: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
TOTALS: 35-89 FGs (39.3%), 4-6 FTs, 39 REB (12 OFF), 17 AST, 10 FL

QUATER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 25 14 23 15---77
Bucks 25 20 22 27---94
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-14 (Drew 2-3, Rush 1-5, Bowen 0-1, Udrih 0-2, Hill 0-3), Chicago 3-16 (Nocioni 1-4, Jackson 1-5, Hinrich 1-4, Deng 0-1, Duhon 0-1, Pargo 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 14, Chicago 12. Steals: Milwaukee 12 (4 Tied With 2), Chicago 6 (Jackson 2). Blocks: Milwaukee 6 (6 Tied With 1), Chicago 10 (Chandler 3, Nocioni 3).

Photo of the Game: none due to disc error this morning floppy doesn't like .gifs i guess

BUCKS LEAD SERIES 2-0

[Sac-1]

OMG two blowout wins in a row, how the hell did Chicago make the ECF.
Wade had a great game and high precantage shooting , your defense is amazing(i suck at it). Good luck in game 3. Hope they actual get within 5 points in the fourth so it would be more exciting to read.

[Keo]

Great example of how defense will win you championships. (Spurs, Pistons) Hopefully you will. Usually it's Wade and Howard's offensive numbers that win games for the Bucks but you showed that the team can play well on both ends of the floor. Impressive rebounding numbers as well, these things are big factors for the team's success. Plus, you have an underrated bench (like mine) that has come up big for you, and Wade and Howard are great leaders. All winning components. Great overall win in Game 2, good luck in Game 3!

[bullsfan009]

OMG two blowout wins in a row, how the hell did Chicago make the ECF

I don't know they were the #7 seed, and they're playing like it right now...

Great example of how defense will win you championships. (Spurs, Pistons) Hopefully you will. Usually it's Wade and Howard's offensive numbers that win games for the Bucks but you showed that the team can play well on both ends of the floor. Impressive rebounding numbers as well, these things are big factors for the team's success. Plus, you have an underrated bench (like mine) that has come up big for you, and Wade and Howard are great leaders. All winning components. Great overall win in Game 2, good luck in Game 3!

thanks for the intelligent & insightful comments, Sensation. I agree with you- defense, bench play & role players- different aspects of the game are the difference between the contenders and the pretenders. I hope to win the title, too, but right now I'm just taking it one game at a time.

[bullsfan009]

NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3: Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls

MIL 78, CHI 73
It Wasn't Pretty, But Bucks Take Win- Hold 3-0 Series Lead Over Bulls


CHICAGO, ILLINOIS- The NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals shifted south from Milwaukee to Chicago for Game 3, held last night at the famous United Center. The Bucks won the first 2 games handily, by an average margin of 15.5 points, and were looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead with another victory.
Unfortunately for the fans in attendance and watching around the world, the Bucks and Bulls looked more like construction crews than NBA basketball teams in the first half of play. Many grand public buildings could haven been erected with all the bricks being tossed by each squad. Of the Bucks’ first 18 shot attempts, 16 were misses, and the Bulls’ terrible 30.8% first quarter shooting was a full 7.2% BETTER than Milwaukee’s 24% effort.
The second quarter was even worse. The Bucks went 6-for-23 (a meager 26.1%), while the Bulls were shooting for brick-mason-of-the-year honors with a 21.4% period (6-for-28). The two teams COMBINED to score 27 points in the quarter, and at halftime the Bulls led 33-32. That’s a first quarter score for most NBA teams.
Bucks head coach Terry Porter was interviewed during halftime, and remarked, “I’d rather this be a 50-to-49 1-point game right now instead of this 33-32 stuff. For the fans, for myself, and for you media guys too I’m sure, this is just brutal to watch…”
Fortunately, both teams picked up their offenses in the third quarter, and the game developed some flow and rhythm to it. The Bulls went on a big run, and took a 53-42 lead on a short jumper by big man Tyson Chandler. The Bucks went on a rally of their own after that, ending the period on a 7-0 run to pull within 4 at 55-51. On the last play of the quarter, Dwyane Wade drove into the lane, and dished out to a wide-open Beno Udrih, who launched a 3 at the buzzer. The shot would have brought the Bucks to within 1, but Udrih is in the midst of a really bad shooting slump (he was 0-for-8 in this game), and the ball clanked off the rim. “In a game that close, I hoped that miss wouldn’t come back to haunt us,” coach Porter later remarked.
The commencement of the fourth quarter brought a fresh wave of energy from the United Center faithful, who were trying to give their team the needed energy to pull out this crucial victory. But despite being in a must-win situation, with the crowd behind them, for some reason Chicago couldn’t match the intensity and energy that Milwaukee brought to crunch-time.
After falling behind by a few points initially, the Bucks grabbed their first lead since the first quarter on a Wade fastbreak layup. The basket made the score 60-59, Bucks leading, with 5:59 left to play. Once the Bucks got past that psychological barrier, they quickly tacked on two baskets in the paint from Dwight Howard, and a Grant Hill leaner. The run was capped by an explosive dunk + a foul by Wade; that put Milwaukee up 71-63, 2:31 to go.
About a minute later, a Bulls’ rally was closed with a long 3-pointer by Stephen Jackson, which pulled the Bulls to within 3, 73-70. But Hill answered with a quick score: 75-70, Bucks up. Kirk Hinrich responded by draining a 3 of his own, and with 44.2 second left it was a 2-point game: 75-73. Bucks coach Porter called a timeout, and made sure his team was on the right page.
The Bucks gave the ball to Dwyane Wade, a move the Bulls forsaw and countered with a quick and strong double-team. But it is Wade’s solid passing and playmaking skills are what make him such a dangerous player. He saw Nate Robinson wide open about 10 feet from the basket, and so Dwyane fired a bullet pass to the little rookie, who caught the ball and didn’t hesitate on a shot. Nate’s defender, Kirk Hinrich, ran so hard and fast to close the gap and contest the shot that he knocked Robinson down just as the shot swished through the basket! The obvious foul was called, and Robinson with 1 shot buried the free throw and the Bulls.
It was now a 5-point Bulls lead, with 38 seconds to play. The Bulls needed a minor miracle to pull out the game, but it wasn’t meant to be as Eddy Curry got whistled for a 3-second violation as he was positioning himself for a possible offensive rebound off a 3-point shot. The Bucks got the ball back, and ran out the clock on the Bulls to steal a great win and take a demoralizing 3-0 lead in the series.

BUCKS NOTES
Milwaukee was led offensively by the consistent scoring of Grant Hill, who scored 6 points in each quarter for a 24-point night….Dwyane Wade rebounded from an 0-for-4 start, and a 3-for-9 first half, with a 6-for-7 combined effort in the third and fourth quarters.

BULLS NOTES
Bulls coach Scott Skiles commented after the game. “If you look at the stats, we had 50 rebounds versus their 39, and held ‘em to 78 total points on 35% shooting. That right there should be more than enough to win, but our offense has been so bad right now that it’s not happening. I’m a defensive coach first and foremost, but I’m going to say right now that unless we start scoring the ball, and I mean A LOT more, we’re going to get swept. Guys have to step it up and put the ball in the hole, it’s really as simple as that…”

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Divac: 4 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 2-6 FGs
Howard: 10 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 3-11 FGs
Hill: 24 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 10-22 FGs
Wade: 21 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 9-16 FGs
Udrih: 0 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 0-8 FGs
Rush: 8 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 3-7 FGs
Traylor: 0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0-2 FGs
Robinson: 9 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 3-9 FGs
Ely: 2 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
Bowen: 0 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 0-0 FGs
Drew: 0 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 0-4 FGs
Collins: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 31-88 FGs (35.2%), 14-14 FTs, 39 REB (12 OFF), 21 AST, 9 FL

CHICAGO
Curry: 12 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast, 5-17 FGs
Chandler: 8 pts, 14 reb, 3 ast, 4-10 FGs
Nocioni: 4 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2-7 FGs
Jackson: 28 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast, 11-24 FGs
Hinrich: 17 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 6-19 FGs
Deng: 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2-7 FGs
Duhon: 0 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 0-0 FGs
Van Horn: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-3 FGs
Harrington: 0 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 0-3 FGs
Pargo: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 30-91 FGs (33.0%), 10-10 FTs, 50 REB (14 OFF), 14 AST, 13 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 17 15 19 27---78
Bulls 21 12 22 18---73
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 2-15 (Rush 2-6, Hill 0-2, Wade 0-1, Robinson 0-1, Drew 0-1, Udrih 0-4), Chicago 3-8 (Jackson 2-3, Hinrich 1-4, Nocioni 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 12, Chicago 17. Steals: Milwaukee 12 (Hill 4), Chicago 9 (Hinrich 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 18 (Howard 5), Chicago 6 (Chandler 2, Jackson 2).


BUCKS LEAD SERIES 3-0

[Keo]

What an offensive disaster! Good thing it picked up in the second half though. Btw in the last paragraph you said 5-point Bulls lead but it was Bucks lead. Just as I expected, the Bulls will likely get sweeped or disposed of real quick. You've done a great job against them though, nothing is easy. Hopefully you can wrap this up in Game 4 and prepare for the Finals! Good luck.

[Sac-1]

Well atleast was close this time, great win. This is your lowest precantage game yet(its all Udrihs fault ), Chicago dominated against you in Rebounds. Good luck in game four, hope you go for the sweep.

[bullsfan009]

What an offensive disaster! Good thing it picked up in the second half though. Btw in the last paragraph you said 5-point Bulls lead but it was Bucks lead. Just as I expected, the Bulls will likely get sweeped or disposed of real quick. You've done a great job against them though, nothing is easy. Hopefully you can wrap this up in Game 4 and prepare for the Finals! Good luck.

Oops my mistake there- good eye, Sensation. I'm going to bring my broomstick to Game 4 But I'm worried that if I win this series too easily, I won't be sharp against whoever comes out of the West (Phoenix/San Antonio)...those are some tough teams...

Well atleast was close this time, great win. This is your lowest precantage game yet(its all Udrihs fault ), Chicago dominated against you in Rebounds. Good luck in game four, hope you go for the sweep.

thanks Sac-1/Town...btw I think you real-life Kings are going to be really good this year...Abdur-Rahim & Wells are underrated, and Peja is in a contract year so he's got to step it up...

NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4: Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls

CHI 83, MIL 64
Tale of Two Quarters- Bulls Dominate Second and Fourth Quarters, Win Big

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS- The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks squared off for Game 4 of the their best-of-7 Eastern Conference Finals series last night at the United Center. The Bucks came in leading the series 3-0, and were threatening to bring out the broom and sweep the Bulls out of the Playoffs with a win. So the Bulls were playing not just for their season in this must-win Game 4, but also for their self-respect.
Milwaukee stormed out of the gates, shooting the ball well and feeding off the great interior play of Dwight Howard. The young big man scored 8 points in the 1st quarter, including 2 authoritative slam dunks, and Milwaukee pounced on Chicago for an early 16-6 lead. The Bulls fought and clawed their way back, though, cutting the lead down to 4 points, and then Keith Van Horn nailed a 20-footer with 2 seconds left to leave the Bucks clinging to a 2-point, 20-18 lead after 1 period of basketball.
“That run made a statement for us,” Bulls coach Scott Skiles later noted. “We kind of put our foot down & drew the line, and said enough is enough…”
The run sparked a 2nd quarter in which the Bulls played simply spectacular basketball. They played the toughest defense the Bucks had seen all season, while maintaining a 45.5% shooting percentage. Milwaukee was completely stifled into scoring just 8 points in the ENTIRE QUARTER. They missed 24 of their 28 field goal attempts, shooting a miniscule 14.3%!!! Howard, after a 4-for-5 start, missed all 5 of his shots in the quarter.
The Bulls dropped 21 points on the Bucks, and led by 11 at halftime to complete a 21-point swing in a 1 ½ quarters. It was very quiet in the Bucks locker-room during the break; no one knew quite what had happened.
The confusion and frustration were cast aside for the third quarter, however, as the Bucks regained their shooting touch. Dwyane Wade, normally a big-time scorer, had only converted on 3 field goals in the first half and had just 6 points. He took it upon himself to lead Milwaukee’s attack in the 3rd, and did a great job: “Flash” put up 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, and hit the boards hard too. Not many of his baskets were of the ordinary variety- SportCenter could have used any of his spinning, twirling drives and thunderous finishes for their nightly “Top 10 Plays” segment.
The Bucks weren’t able to regain the lead, however. Late in the period, Eddy Curry scored 3 straight times in the post on Vlade Divac, and the Chicago lead was back up to 7. But Wade found Hill for an open 3 with 4.9 seconds left, which meant the Bucks trailed by just 4, heading into quarter number 4, in this Game 4 of the series.
The Bucks were pumped heading into the fourth. All they needed was one good quarter, and they were going to the NBA Finals! Everyone in the United Center realized that, and there was a collective nervousness as Bryce Drew buried a corner jumper to tie the game up at 58-58 with 6:25 remaining.
Coach Skiles remarked after the game, “Now if you would have told me that after Bryce’s shot tied the game at 58, that we would only score 6 more points the REST OF THE GAME, I would have laughed and advised you to make sure you have a designated driver to take your drunk butt home.”
It was true, though. The Bucks fell into a funk offensively, and like the 2nd quarter, forgot how to shoot. To their credit, the Bulls played more excellent defense. Tyson Chandler had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks over the last 10 minutes, and played a big part in holding Milwaukee to 17.4% shooting (4-for-23) in the period.
It took a while for the also-cold-shooting Bulls to take advantage on the scoreboard, though. They led by just 2 with 5:00 left, at 62-60, but after that Chicago simply erupted offensively. Stephen Jackson swished in a 3, then another 3, and Bucks coach Terry Porter called a timeout to stop the bleeding. With 4:09 left the Bulls led 68-60, but then another Bulls flurry doubled that margin- Andres Nocioni hit a 3, then Chandler had an offensive rebound + put-back, and Nocioni canned another triple. It was looking bad for the Bucks.
Coach Porter decided to give the game one last try. He called a timeout, and inserted 3-point specialist Kareem Rush. For the next few plays the Bucks tried to get the ball to Rush for 3-pointers, but the Bucks’ awful shooting was apparently contagious: not one three pointer went down. Just the Bucks team went down in Game 4. They still lead the series 3 games to 1, but whether they lost their momentum with this ugly 83-64 loss remains to be seen.

BUCKS NOTES
Dwight Howard 7 had turnovers in the ballgame…The Bucks as a team shot 31.9% overall, but were much, much worse from deep: they hit only 1 of 15 three-pointers, for a microscopic 6.7%.

BULLS NOTES
After 3 quarters, only Eddy Curry had double figures in scoring, with 16 points…By the end of the game, 4 players had double-digits in points…Kirk Hinrich committed 7 turnovers in the game and shot 3-for-12, but still has been much better than his counterpart, Bucks starting PG Beno Udrih.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS UPDATE
The San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns are going at it out West. The Suns just won Game 5 and are currently leading the series 3 games to 2.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Divac: 4 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 2-5 FGs
Howard: 14 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast, 7-19 FGs
Hill: 5 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast, 2-11 FGs
Wade: 27 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 12-21 FGs
Udrih: 2 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 1-4 FGs
Rush: 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1-11 FGs
Traylor: 4 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 1-4 FGs
Robinson: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Ely: 2 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 1-6 FGs
Bowen: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Drew: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
Collins: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
TOTALS: 29-91 FGs (31.9% ), 5-5 FTs, 52 REB (17 OFF), 15 AST, 9 FL

CHICAGO
Curry: 18 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast, 9-15 FGs
Chandler: 10 pts, 16 reb, 1 ast, 5-8 FGs
Nocioni: 17 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast, 6-17 FGs
Jackson: 15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 6-22 FGs
Hinrich: 7 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 3-12 FGs
Deng: 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1-4 FGs
Duhon: 0 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 0-3 FGs
Van Horn: 4 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Harrington: 6 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3-4 FGs
Pargo: 4 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
TOTALS: 37-92 FGs (40.2%), 4-6 FTs, 48 REB (14 OFF), 16 AST, 10 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
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Bucks 20 8 26 10---64
Bulls 18 21 19 25---83
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Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 1-15 (Hill 1-5, Drew 0-1, Robinson 0-1, Udrih 0-2, Rush 0-6), Chicago 5-12 (Jackson 3-7, Nocioni 2-2, Van Horn 0-1, Hinrich 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 19, Chicago 13. Steals: Milwaukee 10 (3 Tied With 3), Chicago 12 (Curry 3, Jackson 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 7 (Howard 2, Hill 2), Chicago 10 (Chandler 3, Jackson 3).


BUCKS LEAD SERIES 3-1

[Keo]

I don't know what to say...I guess you didn't sweep. The game story was sensational (and that means a lot ). I like how you add in the most interesting things which makes your stories unique. And of course in general it's very well-written. You sure know the game. Too bad the team just didn't have it, you started well but it really went down hill. Wade and Howard did it once again but it's a team effort. Other players like Hill (even though he was impressive on the borads) and Rush really need to step up their games. Hopefully you'll bounce back in Game 5 and face a very tough team... I think it'd be better to face the Spurs because they're a defensive team while the Suns are all offensive power led by Nash. I don't think your team would be able to handle all that offensive attack with Nash, Amare and Marion. It'd be better to have Wade and Howard go to work against the Spurs and you play pretty well defensively so Wade, Howard and the team can shut down Duncan, Ginobili and Parker as well. That's just what I think, I'm not saying that you can't beat a team like Phoenix but it sure won't be easy. Good luck in Game 5!

[alexboom]

Looks like it's no longer your offense but your defense that wins games... That reminds me a famous quote *
I think you've really pushed the realism of the game to the max, since you only scored one time more than 100pts in this series... That really makes the reports fun to read, and at last, you will manage to win your Championship in a realistic way too I have to admit that's something I didn't expect. Congrats bullsfan, I hope you'll make another story once you're done with this one


*"Offense wins games, Defense wins championships" Pat Riley

[Sac-1]

Wow just win i thought it was too easy they beat you down on both sides of the court. This was a good reminder for me of the 04/05 Playoffs between the Suns and Spurs like sensation said, atleast Wade sill had a great game. Good luck in game 5 hope the bad shooting isn't permanent.

BTW check my dynasty, its up and running again. i've played two teams and the All-star game is next.

[bullsfan009]

You all are too nice

Sensation- Yes, Wade can't be the only one playing well for the Bucks, others need to step it up too. If Wade ever has an off-game, I might get whupped by 50 And I suppose the Spurs are the better team to play than the Suns, like you said, but neither will be very easy. Tim Duncan is a beast offensively & especially defensively. Dwight Howard will be invisible if he's squared up against the Big Fundamental.

Alexboomthanks for the props, Alex, I'm just trying to keep you all entertained although as I've said this will be the last one...

{Sac-Town}Good to see your dynasty up & running again, and thanks for always checking mine out.


Have a good weekend everybody