2012 NBA Playoffs: Recapping and Analyzing the 76ers' Game 3 Win over Chicago

Chicago looked like they had made the defensive adjustments they needed to make to beat the Philadelphia 76ers. They were up by 14 in the fourth quarter and they looked poised to go up 2-1 in the series.

Then the 76ers came back on offense and stunned the Chicago Bulls.

Spencer Hawes scored 21 and grabbed nine rebounds, showing that anyone can step up at any time for this Sixers team. Philadelphia was dominated on the stat sheet, but they forced 17 turnovers and came up big in the clutch.

It took a while, but the run we knew Philadelphia would go on took place in the fourth quarter. With the crowd on their side, the 76ers got a spark and outscored Chicago 26-7 in the game's final 10:15.

Hawes scored 10 of his 21 in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead jumper. Jrue Holiday passed the ball to him on the left wing, and from 20 feet away, Hawes drained the jumper. Philadelphia went up 72-71 and never looked back.

The crowd went nuts when Hawes made the shot, indicating that they believe this team can go far. Both Boston and Atlanta haven't looked good in their series (Boston leads, 2-1), so the 76ers definitely can get to the Eastern Conference finals.

Down by three with about 20 seconds left, Luol Deng took a three. Evan Turner, who is known for his superb perimeter defense, got up in Deng's face and forced Deng's shot to miss. Thaddeus Young got the rebound, and two free throws from Holiday iced the game.

Turner scored 16 points and grabbed nine of Philly's 43 rebounds. He made four crucial free throws late in the game, which stretched Philadelphia's lead from one to three (twice). Turner made 6-of-8 free throws, but he made the one that matters, which shows a lot of improvement late in a close game.

Chicago's guards and small forwards shot a combined 23.3 percent (10-of-43). The Bulls shot 37.3 percent as a team, showing a sign of Philadelphia's defense. Turner played great defense, and he and Andre Iguodala forced Deng, Richard Hamilton and the Bulls guards to take bad shots.

I didn't think Turner and Iguodala's defense would be that important, but it was crucial for the 76ers. If it wasn't for the superb, constant defense by those two, the 76ers would be down 2-1 instead of up 2-1.

Philly shot a miserable 34.2 percent, but thanks to the perimeter defense and clutch shots, the 76ers survived. The 76ers know what they have to improve (offense), but their defense is amazing.

It helped them get here, but defense is proving even more important. Philadelphia has a young team, but they showed they know how to rally, keep their heads up and deliver in the clutch.

Thanks to that ability, Philadelphia is up 2-1 and obviously in the driver's seat.