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Noah grabs 15 rebounds and series edge against ex-Gator teammate Horford
Saturday, May 7, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Bulls and Hawks shifted to Atlanta on Friday night, but that did little to swing the momentum back in favor of former Gator Al Horford in his head-to-head battle with ex-Florida teammate Joakim Noah.
The Bulls took a 2-1 series lead with a 99-82 win over the Hawks as NBA MVP Derrick Rose scored a career playoff-high 44 points to give Chicago its first advantage in the series. The Hawks upset the Bulls in Game 1 in Chicago.
As for the Horford-Noah battle, Noah once again got the better of his good friend. Noah scored only two points Friday – making just one of eight shots – but he grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and added five blocks, often defending Horford in the low post early in the game.
Horford finished with 10 points and eight rebounds but struggled as the Hawks fail behind early, missing his first six shots. Horford recovered to make five of his next six shots, but for the series, he is averaging only 8.3 points, a little over half his season average (15.3).
Since the Hawks won Game 1, Noah has provided the Bulls with his usual high-energy play, going for loose balls and creating a lot of chaos when the Hawks try to go inside. Noah
The series resumes in Atlanta with Game 4 on Sunday night at 8.
Quotes of Note:
“Very tough loss. We didn't have the energy we needed to win. We are staying strong and Will be ready on Sunday.” – Horford on his Twitter account shortly after Friday's loss.
“Derrick was in attack mode, obviously. He was attacking from the start. When he's attacking, and not dancing with the ball, he's impossible to stop. He caught it on the run and kept going. ... he wasn't playing around or letting them catch up.'' – Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on Rose's performance.
“I saw an energy level that, right away, I knew we were in trouble. When you play against an explosive guard like Derrick Rose, you have to make a commitment to getting back and making sure you try to keep him out of the paint. When I called the timeout, I knew right then and there that my team had not made that commitment like we made in Game 1.'' – Hawks coach Larry Drew.
