Midday Stampede: Bulls Must Execute, Not Ride Emotion

Chicago's failure to execute on offense and defense in the second half became their undoing in Game 2.

In the NBA, the old adage goes: it isn't a series until someone wins a game on the other team's home court.

The Philadelphia 76ers did just that in Game 2 on Tuesday night. Winning on the road in Chicago and evening the series at one game apiece, momentum is squarely on their side as the scene shifts to Philly for Game 3 on Friday night.

Unfortunately for the Bulls, the pressure is now mounted squarely on their shoulders and after the disappointing loss in Game 2, many have started to wonder if the Bulls can still defeat the Sixers in a series without their star player, Derrick Rose.

Luol Deng (and other Bulls players) scoffed at the insinuation that Chicago may have trouble with Philadelphia without Derrick, saying, in part, “Derrick is not here. This is a different team … We're a team and we'll get it done together.”

It's going to take a lot more than riding an emotional high for Chicago to win the series with Philadelphia. The Bulls are going to have to go back to what got them to the best record in the NBA in the first place: energy and team effort on the defensive side of the ball.

That was something that was clearly missing in the second half of Game 2.

Read on for stories about the struggle Chicago finds themselves in tied 1-1 with Philadelphia, their lack of execution in Game 2, Doug Collins is familiar with Rose's pain and more.

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