The NBA standings has the Chicago Bulls leading the Milwaukee Bucks 3-2 in their first round series after the Bucks' Game 5 win on Monday night, while the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets are tied 2-2 in their series after an overtime Game 4 matchup and this comes as the Memphis Grizzlies have a commanding 3-1 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Bulls were up 3-0 in the series, but after a late loss and the matchup on Monday, the team now has just a one game lead as they try and close it out. The Cavaliers have already won after sweeping the Celtics and that means they will get rest waiting for Chicago to finish. The Bulls have been looking strong, but they have lost two games in a row and now need to lock things down to keep the Bucks from forcing a game 7.
The Nets and Hawks are now tied at 2-2 in their first round series after Atlanta lost in overtime on Monday night in Brooklyn. The Hawks were up 2-0 in the series before coming to BK and now they have to lock down things at home to advance. The Hawks were the number one seed in the east, but they have played .500 ball the last couple months and that could lead to an early exit from the playoffs.
The team got 20 points and 11 assists from Jeff Teague, while Paul Millsap had 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to win in overtime. Deron Williams had 35 points and seven assists and he looked like his younger self while leading his team to a victory. It would be a major disappointment for the Hawks to lose to the Nets after putting up the best record in the east this season.
The Bulls should win the series, as no NBA team has come back from being down 3-0, but playing seven games could end up hurting them big in the long run. The Cavs have off until the Bulls finish and with Kevin Love injured, every extra day counts. The Cavaliers now have some bad news to deal with, as reports say that Love could be out for the rest of the playoffs.
Love dealt with a shoulder injury against the Celtics and now he could be out for the remainder of the postseason. While the Bulls lost to the Bucks, this is a huge development for the team, as it could open up the Cavaliers in the next round. The Bulls have been able to hold steady with their injury issues and if they hold up a little longer, they could make a deep run in the playoffs.
The Bulls lost despite a 25 point game from Pau Gasol, while Joakim Noah added 13 rebounds and Jimmy Butler had six assists. The team now has the chance to close things out on the road in the Game 6 matchup. The Blazers stayed alive in their matchup with the Grizzlies, as they now are down 3-1 after winning in Game 4. The team got a big game from Damian Lillard, who had 32 points and seven assists in the matchup.
