Magic Number

The Bulls cut their magic number (for the top seed) to 1 last night with a solid win over the defending Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. And they did it on the same night that Scottie Pippen was honored with his sculpture. Rose had another highlight reel night, blowing past the entire Celtic team several times. On plays like that, the rest of the Bulls didn't have to really bother going on offense! I mentioned before that the team to win this game would be the #1 seed. With the win, the Bulls stretched to a 4 game lead and can clinch with a win against the Cavs tonight. If they had lost the game, they'd had a 2 game lead that can easily evaporate with 2 losses (you can't count on the Celtics or Heat to lose).

Tonight's game isn't one to write off either because the lowly Cavs have been playing the role of spoiler with recent wins against the Bobcats and Heat (I was surprised when I read this one too). Then on Sunday, the Bulls have an afternoon game against the Magic. Orlando will be without Dwight Howard as he serves suspension for his 18th technical foul... not a good move by him at the end of the season. In these 2 games, the Bulls have to make sure they play at their best and not bring themselves down to the level of their competition. They've done a good job of this throughout the season, but occasionally, they do get relaxed. I still feel more confident about them against 2-4 than 5-8.