NBA Playoffs 2011: Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 1 Live Blog

Welcome to the Bleacher Report Live Blog for the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2011 NBA Playoffs that puts the top-seeded Chicago Bulls against the fifth seeded Indiana Pacers.

You can watch this game on TNT and receive live commentary through this blog. The blog today will be updated by Chicago Bulls Featured Columnist Shehan Jeyarajah. 

The Chicago Bulls come into this game after winning  their first round series 4-1 over the Indiana Pacers. While the games were close, the series was virtually never in doubt. They will have a much harder task since they will face the Atlanta Hawks in the second round. The Hawks come into this series after upsetting the Orlando Magic in the first round 4-2, a huge turnaround after being blown out last year against the same Orlando team. 

For the Bulls, Derrick Rose hopes to bounce back from an off series. He is dealing with the aftereffects of a sprained ankle while power forward Carlos Boozer has been diagnosed with turf toe but should play. 

For the Hawks, Al Horford and Joe Johnson both hope to bounce back after an inconsistent first round series. Horford should be helped by the fact that he is not trying to post up on Dwight Howard anymore.

This is the first game of the best-of-seven second round matchup.