76ers vs. Bulls: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Odds and More for Opening Series

The Chicago Bulls enter the 2012 NBA playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year, but their reward for having the best record is a tough first-round series against the young Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers were an Atlantic Division leader for most of the season but fell to the eighth spot after struggling since the All-Star break.

Chicago will hope that star point guard and reigning league MVP Derrick Rose doesn't have to deal too much with the nagging injuries that forced him to play in just 39 games this season. Although the Bulls did well without him, they cannot win the NBA championship without Rose.

Let's look at everything you need to know about this Bulls versus 76ers first-round series.

Where

United Center, Chicago, IL for Games 1, 2, 5, 7

Wells Fargo, Philadelphia, PA for Games 3, 4, 6

TV Schedule

Game 1—Sat. April 28, Philadelphia at Chicago, 1:00 p.m., TNT
Game 2—Tue. May 1, Philadelphia at Chicago, 8:00 p.m., TNT
Game 3—Fri. May 4, Chicago at Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m., ESPN
Game 4—Sun. May 6, Chicago at Philadelphia, 1:00 p.m., ABC
Game 5*—Tue. May 8, Philadelphia at Chicago, TBD
Game 6*—Thu. May 10, Chicago at Philadelphia, TBD
Game 7*—Sat. May 12, Philadelphia at Chicago, TBD

*If necessary 

Live Steams

NBA League Pass

ESPN3 (for select games)

Listen

ESPN 1000 for Bulls

97.5 FM for 76ers

Odds

TBD

Key Injuries

Bulls have no injuries to report

76ers have no injuries to report

What They're Saying

Carlos Boozer talked about the 76ers ahead of their first-round matchup, telling the Chicago Tribune:

"

Very versatile team. They got a lot of guys who can play two, three, even four different positions. They’re a team. They don’t have one guy they go to who will take 25 shots. They have a bunch of guys who can give you 15 points. We have to do a good job. They’re deep. They play well together. They have good chemistry. They’re fast too. They gamble a lot and get a lot of steals and are dangerous in transition. They pose some challenges for us.

"

Most Important Player to Watch: Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls

Rose is the best scoring point guard in the NBA and will be out to prove himself in this year's playoffs. He did not perform to the best of his abilities in the conference finals last year against the Miami Heat, and is determined to get back there and earn the Bulls a spot in the NBA Finals.

Since he sat out a good portion of the season with an injury, he won't have the wear and tear many players have right now after a grueling shortened season filled with back-to-backs.

If Rose can prove his health will not be an issue in the playoffs, Chicago could win its first title since Michael Jordan's Bulls in 1998.

Key Matchup: Carlos Boozer vs. Elton Brand

The matchup at power forward will be very important since the 76ers don't have a ton of scoring inside. Brand is one of the most experienced 76ers stars and if he can win his battle with Bulls star Carlos Boozer, then the 76ers will have a chance to win a few games in this series.

Boozer was a disappointment in the playoffs last year and got outplayed by Chris Bosh in the Eastern Conference Finals.

I expect Boozer to come into this year's playoffs with something to prove, because if he fails to produce in the postseason it's going to be a difficult summer for him.

Whoever wins this matchup will give their team a big advantage in the series.

Prediction: Bulls in Five

Chicago will dominate the 76ers because they have too much size in the frontcourt and are more experienced than Philadelphia.

The 76ers also have no one who is able to defend Rose well consistently.

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