Who says defense can’t be thrilling? Two of the Bulls’ stars, Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol, each flexed their defensive muscles on Monday night while visiting the Atlanta Hawks, but it was their offense that eventually failed them.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Rose perfectly executed transition defense by denying Jeff Teague at the rim. Teague even changed direction at the final second in an effort to avoid Rose, but the former MVP quickly recognized Teague’s intention and skied up to powerfully swat his attempt away.
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In the eight-minute mark of the third quarter, it was Gasol’s turn. Paul Millsap, who was already rejected at the rim by Pau in the first quarter, drove into the lane and attempted to toss up a running hook shot. However, the Spaniard had other plans in mind as he spiked Millsap’s shot directly to Rose to start the break.
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Despite Chicago’s defensive effort on Monday, their offense failed to ignite, with the team shooting just 37.6 percent from the field. At the end of 48 minutes, the Hawks walked away with their 17th win of the season, 93-86, winning the battle of Eastern Conference playoff teams.
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