FTAGOD
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ATLANTA – The Chicago Bulls were turned down by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Now, they'll have a chance to beat 'em.
With MVP Derrick Rose in more of a supporting role, the Bulls cruised into the Eastern Conference final with a 93-73 rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, wrapping up the series in six games.
But Rose will surely play a leading part in the next round, when the Bulls take on Miami's super trio of James, Wade and Chris Bosh. Game 1 is Sunday in Chicago.
"It's going to be a great matchup," Rose said. "We're fine with being considered the underdog."
The Bulls made a serious bid to sign James and Wade last summer, hoping they'd team with Rose in their own version of the Big Three. Of course, those two wound up in south Florida with Bosh, a group that knows anything less than a championship will be considered a failure.
But, first, they'll have to get by the Bulls.
Chicago, it turns out, won more games than anyone during the regular season with one star and plenty of guys around him who play their parts to perfection.
That was never more apparent than the series-clinching win against the Hawks.
Carlos Boozer scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out five assists. Luol Deng hit some big baskets early and finished with 13 points, plus five steals. Joakim Noah scored 11 and stifled the Hawks with three blocks. Omer Asik chipped in with two swats of his own. Keith Bogans made only one basket, but it was a big 3-pointer as the Bulls put it away in the third quarter.
Now, they'll have a chance to beat 'em.
With MVP Derrick Rose in more of a supporting role, the Bulls cruised into the Eastern Conference final with a 93-73 rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, wrapping up the series in six games.
But Rose will surely play a leading part in the next round, when the Bulls take on Miami's super trio of James, Wade and Chris Bosh. Game 1 is Sunday in Chicago.
"It's going to be a great matchup," Rose said. "We're fine with being considered the underdog."
The Bulls made a serious bid to sign James and Wade last summer, hoping they'd team with Rose in their own version of the Big Three. Of course, those two wound up in south Florida with Bosh, a group that knows anything less than a championship will be considered a failure.
But, first, they'll have to get by the Bulls.
Chicago, it turns out, won more games than anyone during the regular season with one star and plenty of guys around him who play their parts to perfection.
That was never more apparent than the series-clinching win against the Hawks.
Carlos Boozer scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out five assists. Luol Deng hit some big baskets early and finished with 13 points, plus five steals. Joakim Noah scored 11 and stifled the Hawks with three blocks. Omer Asik chipped in with two swats of his own. Keith Bogans made only one basket, but it was a big 3-pointer as the Bulls put it away in the third quarter.
