Where There's a Will, There's a Way

They say you shouldn't make promises you can't keep.  Even when Joakim Noah guaranteed the Bulls would win Game 7, not many took him that seriously.  With Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich still nursing their various ailments and the deciding game of the series taking place in Brooklyn, the Bulls must have had a 1-in-50 chance at pulling off the upset.  However, Noah was hellbent on not letting his words become an empty promise.  Everyone knew he was an All-Star going in, but this game should have converted any remaining doubters.  He played the game of his life and lifted the Bulls to a shocking 99-93 win to advance to the conference semifinals.  It was the first winner-take-all game the team has ever won on the road.  The Nets' season is over and P.J. Carlesimo is out of a job.

Noah is not your typical NBA player.  Most with plantar fasciitis would rather abide by their minutes limit so they don't do any further damage to their bodies.  Instead, Noah showed the world he would have that foot amputated to let his team play at least another week.  His impressive line in Game 7 was 24 points, 14 rebounds (seven offensive) and six blocks.  What a warrior.  Anybody who thinks otherwise either doesn't appreciate what basketball is supposed to be about or has a very illogical reason for hating him.  The rest of the league now knows what we Bulls fans have seen for the past few years.  It also knows another level of his play that even we may not have fully realized at the beginning of the season.  I don't think Noah is the most talented center in team history.  Tom Boerwinkle and Artis Gilmore are definitely the top two.  He's likely the hardest working ever at that position.  Though I loved when the Bulls selected him, looking back, I really should have felt foolish at the time.  There was no reason to believe he'd be remembered for more than his goofy draft-night outfit.  Now, he's come full circle and as long as he can do what he does, I wouldn't want anyone else as the starting man in the middle.

Oh, yes.  There were other contributors for the Bulls.  Marco Belinelli, who had been forgotten in this series until both Hinrich and Deng were sidelined, tied the game high with 24 points, made all five of his free throws and shot 3-of-6 from 3-point land.  His most clutch shot came before the classic image you see above.  The TNT broadcast didn't show it again, but it quickly made the rounds on Twitter and we have ourselves a moment we'll never forget.  Carlos Boozer scored 17 and Nate Robinson added 12.  As has become custom many times since the second half of the season, Jimmy Butler played all 48 minutes, using his time on the floor to contribute nine points.  The starters obviously knew Tom Thibodeau was going to ride them and they came prepared for it.  A grade-A effort for all.  I said I was going to buy Game 4 on iTunes, but I may just buy this one too even though I was at work and didn't get to watch as intimately as others did.

When Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were injured in last year's Philadelphia series, the Bulls weren't prepared for the sudden losses.  They suddenly looked very vulnerable and were ousted by the 76ers in six.  This year's club has played all season with a chip on its shoulder thanks to Rose's continued absence.  They had a mission this season:  one to show everyone that they could still compete even without the 2011 MVP.  Thibodeau rides his guys hard for the reasons we just saw.  They find ways to win even when the odds are against them.  They should be cleaning out their lockers as I write this.  Instead, they're heading south to play more basketball and I get to keep chronicling the playoffs for a little while longer.  We are currently at one of the most satisfying times to be a Bulls fan ever and I couldn't picture myself following any other team, at least like this.

The train marches on tomorrow as the Bulls begin the next round against the Miami Heat.  I'll have a series preview before the game and a recap after.  We're not ready to leave the playoff party just yet.  Time to give LeBron and company their toughest test of the season.  Nothing will come easy in this coming series, so prepare to enjoy the whole thing.