Bulls season concludes in chaotic fashion
PHILADELPHIA -- Doug Collins is headed to the second round for the first time since 1989. He's just not sure why.
“I don’t know how we won,” he said after his Philadelphia 76ers’ 79-78 win over Chicago in Game 6 of the first-round series.
Eric Hartline/US Presswire Andre Iguodala's free throws with 2.2 seconds left on Thursday ended the Bulls' season. The Bulls season ended in a blur of bad decisions and bad luck.
Playing wonderfully, at that point, in relief of an injured Joakim Noah, Omer Asik gave the Bulls a 3-point lead on a surprising dunk off a pick-and-roll with C.J. Watson with 26 seconds left. The Sixers called their last timeout and scored on a Thaddeus Young layup with 12.8 seconds to make it 78-77.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday was trying to foul in the backcourt to stop the clock, but the referees missed it, so Watson pushed the ball and saw Asik in good position and passed to him. It was a brain cramp of epic proportions, but Asik had been having a near-perfect offensive game.
"I thought he had a clear dunk,” Watson said. “Spencer Hawes came up, I'd been giving it to O the whole night and he's been dunking it so I thought why not give it to him again? I thought it was a flagrant, but it didn't go that way."
Hawes practically wrestled Asik to the ground, but it wasn’t called a flagrant. Asik, dripping with sweat after playing the entire second half, missed both free throws. A flagrant would’ve given the Bulls the ball.
“I’ve got to get more clarity on what a flagrant foul is,” Thibodeau said. “Because I don’t understand that. But you know, sometimes that’s the way it goes.”
Thibodeau added: “I don’t want to put it on the officials. It wasn’t the officials. We didn’t do what we should’ve done, which is close out the game.”
The pass was a confusing decision by Watson, who should’ve kept his dribble. He’s an 81 percent free-throw shooter. Asik is a 45 percent free-throw shooter. He was 4-for-5 from the line at that point, but that just augured for a slip-up.
“It’s a bang-bang play,” Thibodeau said. “I thought there might have been a foul in the backcourt with Holliday. They were trying to take the foul, obviously they didn’t see it that way. You’re running the clock down, you can dribble the clock out, they have to foul. They’re out of timeouts, so they have to go the length of the court. It didn’t happen. Hopefully We learn from that. But sometimes that’s what happens in a game.”
Iguodala grabbed the rebound and the Bulls couldn't stop him. He wound up driving the lane on Asik, who put his hands straight-up but was still called for the foul with 2.2 seconds left. Iguodala made both free throws.
With no timeouts, Watson took off and tried a desperation have that hit back iron. That was how the Bulls season ended. No one could've written that script.

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
#princessNayNay has arrived to her kingdom #holdat http://t.co/fU9nty5AFy
14 minutes ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
No lol RT @mpafitis: I'm going to keep tweeting @nate_robinson until I get a response
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
My walk is great so is my faith🙏amen RT @ghenhoops: @nate_robinson holla at ya boi brotha. Let's catch up in your walk.
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
R u asking me ? where is my 💍lol ?RT @syddharthalund: @nate_robinson marry me
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
U know it #206 #holdat RT @jghuman: @nate_robinson is from Seattle? Damn eh
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
Yup RT @Shiny_3: @nate_robinson hahahahaha you snuck back
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- LuolDeng9 Luol Deng
What we think of Tottenham ______. What we think of ________. Tottenham. @Arsenal
about an hour ago
- LuolDeng9 Luol Deng

- jadande J.A. Adande
RT @MattNickoless: Should've worn the monocle and gone for the hat trick.
about an hour ago
- jadande J.A. Adande

- jadande J.A. Adande
No player has ever won the photo war by as wide a margin as Roy Hibbert did with these 2 http://t.co/rwqTyrhUuA https://t.co/izplnYPP6c
about an hour ago
- jadande J.A. Adande

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
Dnt cry lol RT @jenniferjanexo: @nate_robinson if u follow me ill cry please 🙏
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
LolRT @Shiny_3: @nate_robinson you scumbag
about an hour ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- LuolDeng9 Luol Deng
RT @SJVear: Being updated on the @Arsenal match by @LuolDeng9 4,000 miles away. This guy is a true fan! #GoonerPower #TimezoneReversal
about 2 hours ago
- LuolDeng9 Luol Deng

- nate_robinson Nate Robinson
Seattle what up its good to be home ... I love and I have missed the 206 rain city #holdat
about 2 hours ago
- nate_robinson Nate Robinson

- LuolDeng9 Luol Deng
I know every @Arsenal fan is watching this match and checking the other scores.
about 2 hours ago
- LuolDeng9 Luol Deng

- ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein
Then straight to Spurs/Grizz Game 1 here in SA. Preview w/ @drew_48moh, @therealgraydon, @chipc3 & @PistonPowered: http://t.co/dtllVhReuu
about 4 hours ago
- ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein

- ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein
10A CT/11A ET 103.3 FM: @ESPNSoccerToday! Aston Villa's @bguzan, @swish41 on Champs League & Tim Leiweke on Beckham: http://t.co/FEtU9zmfZh
about 4 hours ago
- ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein

- jadande J.A. Adande
RT @MikeWellsNBA: My man @MattKryger of The Star w incredible photo of @Hoya2aPacer beating up Melo's dunk http://t.co/9gz0sk6qwK
about 5 hours ago
- jadande J.A. Adande

- jadande J.A. Adande
And 0 top 10 TV markets RT @JoeG1984: Of the top 10 team payrolls in the NBA this season, only 1 remains (MIA)
about 5 hours ago
- jadande J.A. Adande

- jadande J.A. Adande
Seeing all of those Pacers at the podium reminded me of the NCAA tournament
about 6 hours ago
- jadande J.A. Adande

- jadande J.A. Adande
Kinda. But more of a statement about a team win RT @samwind318: did all of those pacers have a #podiumgame last night?
about 6 hours ago
- jadande J.A. Adande
TEAM LEADERS
| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Luol Deng
|
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | J. Noah | 11.1 | ||||||||||
| Assists | K. Hinrich | 5.2 | ||||||||||
| Steals | J. Noah | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | J. Noah | 2.1 | ||||||||||




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