NBA playoffs: Bulls at Celtics, Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
As good as Derrick Rose has been in his first playoffs, Ben Gordon has been the Chicago Bulls’ best player against the Boston Celtics and certainly the most clutch. Gordon nearly won Game 2 by himself with 42 points and is averaging 24.8 points per game in these playoffs, including a very clutch 3-pointer in overtime of Game 4.
My point is that the Bulls can ill afford to be without Gordon – but they might well be in Game 5, and thus Chicago is a 7.5-point underdog on WagerWeb.com with an over/under 198.5.
Gordon strained his hamstring in Game 4’s victory and played through it courtesy of an anti-inflammatory shot at halftime. An MRI on Monday revealed just the strain, and Gordon had assured everyone who would listen that he would be playing in Game 5.
Maybe not.
Gordon, who is averaging nearly 10 points in this series in the fourth quarter and beyond, couldn’t participate in the team’s shootaround on Tuesday morning.
“Not good,” Gordon said to the Chicago Tribune, when asked how the injury felt. “It didn’t get worse, but it doesn’t feel any better.”
Gordon said he’s been icing the injury and using electrical stimulation to try to get the hamstring to respond. He will test what he said is a Grade 2 strained hamstring before Game 5 and was officially listed as questionable.
“It’s my call, but I have to go off how it feels,” Gordon said. “It doesn’t feel good. Hopefully I can play. … Maybe some of the pain and swelling wasn’t there then,” Gordon said. “The swelling got a lot worse. I’m hoping for a miracle.”
Coach Vinny Del Negro said Kirk Hinrich would start for Gordon if he can’t play.
Hinrich is a better defensive player, but this would be a crushing blow to Chicago as Gordon is easily the team’s best perimeter player. Losing him would allow the Celtics to direct nearly all their attention to stopping Rose’s penetration. Hinrich and John Salmons would each have to play out of their minds for Chicago to win Game 5 if Gordon sits or is severely limited.
Last year Boston was tied 2-2 in its series with Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit, going on to beat the Hawks and Cavaliers in seven games and the Pistons in six.
WagerWeb.com Key Trends
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Boston.
* Bulls are 3-8-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
* Underdog is 4-0-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
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