Bulls vs. Sixers: Game 6 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

For the second time in as many years, a No. 8 seed has defeated a No. 1 seed.

The No. 8-seeded Philadelphia 76ers fended off the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls, 79-78, on Thursday night at home, winning the best-of-seven series 4-2.

After going up by double digits in the third quarter, the Bulls recaptured the lead for the majority of the fourth quarter. Up a point with seven seconds remaining, Bulls point guard C.J. Watson inexplicably passed the ball to Omer Asik, a 44 percent free-throw shooter, who was promptly fouled.

He bricked both, and Andre Iguodala grabbed the rebound and went full speed ahead down the court, drawing the foul on Asik with two seconds remaining. "Iggie" calmly drained both, and that was all she wrote.

While most critics will write this off as the series that was missing Derrick Rose, credit the incredibly young 76ers for handling the ultra-physical Bulls without losing their cool and taking care of business.

The Bulls went on a 20-4 run to end the third quarter and begin the fourth that sucked the air out of the Philadelphia crowd. It looked bleak.

Instead, head coach Doug Collins has won his first playoff series since 1989—when he was a coach for the Bulls. This is the first time Philly has advanced to the second round since the 2002-03 season, when Allen Iverson was still in town.

Video Highlights

This, like the rest of the series, didn’t provide us with a ton of jaw-dropping highlights, but you have to love the outstanding body control of Lou Williams on this fast break between two defenders.

Here's the infamous play that will go down in 76ers history. Hats off to A.I.

Twitter Reaction

Luol Deng had one of the greatest performances of his career, and you have to give this guy major props for being one of the toughest players in the league.

Not only was he playing the majority of the season with torn ligaments in his wrist, but he suffered another painful injury on Thursday, as ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell points out: 

"

Deng is cut and appears to be bleeding from his face.

— Nick Friedell (@ESPNChiBulls) May 10, 2012"

Deng ended up playing 41 of a possible 48 minutes.

With the Bulls down 12 in the third, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wondered if they could even match that total for the remainder of the game:

"

Question might not be if #Bulls can erase 12-point lead. Might be: Can they score 12 more points?

— K.C Johnson (@KCJHoop) May 11, 2012"

There were plenty of jokes regarding the lack of offensive in this series. Bulls.com beat writer Sam Smith couldn’t help but get in on the fun as well:

"

76ers with 42 points with 4:34 left in half now being asked they be referred to as Showtime

— Sam Smith (@SamSmithHoops) May 11, 2012"

Richard Hamilton is an old, wily veteran in this league, and one of the best tricks in the book is launching a half-court buzzer-beater just after the horn sounds to save your field-goal percentage. ESPN’s Henry Abbott wonders why the heck he’s doing it in a playoff game:

"

Even now? Even tied in an elimination game Rip Hamilton does the "save my FG% launch the halfcourt shot carefully after the horn" routine?

— Henry Abbott (@TrueHoop) May 11, 2012"

Diehard Bulls fan and ESPN personality Michael Wilbon knew that foul shooting would ultimately doom his favorite team:

"

Have said all season that stinky foul shooting would cost the Bulls in the playoffs and it cost them their season...

— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) May 11, 2012"

Grades for Key Bulls Players

Luol Deng: A

This guy did everything in his power to keep his team alive.

Since Derrick Rose went down, Deng has taken the leadership reins and did a spectacular job. He finished with 19 points, an eye-popping 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

He left it all on the floor tonight. 

Carlos Boozer: D-

Boozer was a complete offensive liability on this night.

He shot a putrid 1-of-11 from the field for three points. He also committed three turnovers.

The only saving grace for Boozer tonight was that he pulled in 13 rebounds. Other than that, he was a disaster. 

Taj Gibson: B

Once again, he provided the grit, hustle and energy the team needed and was a catalyst for the second-half comeback.

Gibson finished with 14 points and five rebounds while blocking two shots, but it was his ability to replace Carlos Boozer that really made him valuable on this night.

Grades for Key 76ers Players

Andre Iguodala: A

Iggie has never taken his team past the first round and did everything in his power to change that on Thursday. His 20 points and seven assists were huge, but it was his coast-to-coast sprint to the basket with time running out that won his team the game.

With the series on the line, he could have choked miserably. Instead, he calmly drilled both, and the 76ers are now moving on because of it. 

Elton Brand: F

More like Elton Bland, huh?

Bad jokes aside, this series has shown us how mediocre of a player Brand really is, and it makes you wonder what the heck Philly was thinking when it tossed so much money at him.

Five points and three rebounds in a closeout game? Really? 

Lou Williams: B+

He came off the bench and did a little bit of everything for his team. He scored 14 points, dished out three assists, registered three steals and grabbed two boards.

It was a great stat-stuffing night for only playing 25 minutes.

Deciding Factor: Three-Point Shooting

The Bulls played with more effort and energy—plain and simple. When you outrebound the opponent 56 to 33, it’s not luck; there is a clear effort disparity. Chicago pulled down 15 offensive rebounds to only five for Philly.

However, it didn’t matter because the 76ers shot much better from three-point land. They shot a rather average 6-of-16 (37.5 percent), but that was much better than the 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) brick-fest the Bulls put up.

The guards weren’t creating open looks, and it doomed them in the end.

Game MVP: Andre Iguodala

He struggled with his free-throw shooting all year, but came up aces when it mattered most. Iggie has been a member of the franchise for eight seasons now, and if there was ever a player to win this game for this franchise, it was him.

You couldn’t write a better script.

What’s Next

The 76ers will meet the Boston Celtics—who just edged out the Atlanta Hawks in similar fashion—in the conference semifinals. Philadelphia advances to the second round of the postseason for the first time in almost a decade.

The Bulls enter the offseason with the dreaded “what if?” cloud hanging above their heads.

I guess we’ll never know how far this team could have gone if Rose didn’t tear his ACL.

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