As you'll see below, I no longer have to worry about facing the Mavericks in the Finals.
Chicago 103, Detroit 99
Unlike the first three games, I was unable to maintain a large lead as Detroit refused to quit. I feared they would extend the series to a fifth game when they took a 93-90 lead late in the fourth, but I managed to recapture the lead and squeeze out a 103-99 victory to sweep the Pistons and advance to the second round.
Top Performers
Kevin Garnett (POG): 36 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal
Kirk Hinrich: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 16 assists, 7 steals
Jamal Crawford: 17 points, 3 rebounds
Scottie Pippen: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists
Donyell Marshall: 8 points, 6 rebounds
Eddy Curry: 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Chauncey Billups: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists
Corliss Williamson: 16 points, 4 assists
Elden Campbell: 10 points, 9 rebounds
Bob Sura: 10 points,
Ben Wallace: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks
Chicago wins series 4-0
First Round Recap
East:
Chicago defeated Detroit 4-0
New Jersey defeated New Orleans 4-1
Indiana defeated New York 4-0
Philadelphia defeated Orlando 4-1
West:
Golden State defeated Dallas 4-3 (:!:)
San Antonio defeated LA Clippers 4-3
Memphis defeated LA Lakers 4-2
Sacramento defeated Denver 4-3
Second Round Playoff Picture
East
Chicago (1) vs New Jersey (5)
Philadelphia (2) vs Indiana (3)
West
San Antonio (4) vs Golden State (8)
Sacramento (2) vs Memphis (6)
Bulls Top Performers after the First Round:
Kevin Garnett: 31.8 ppg, 19.0 rpg, 3.3 bpg, 7.0 apg
Jamal Crawford: 15.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 spg, 3.0 apg
Scottie Pippen: 14.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 spg, 8.0 apg
Kirk Hinrich: 13.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.5 spg, 11.5 apg
Donyell Marshall: 10.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Eddy Curry: 8.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg,
Tyson Chandler: 7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Hinrich has been simply awesome so far in the playoffs. His 5.5 spg and 11.5 apg lead all players in the postseason. KG's numbers are also fantastic, and he is the leader in PPG and RPG. After a sub-par regular season, Donyell Marshall has also been playing well. My confidence is fairly high for the rest of the playoffs, especially since the Mavericks and Lakers have been eliminated in the first round.