By Bob Cooney, Philadelphia Daily News –
CHICAGO — The Philadelphia 76ers’ Doug Collins hasn’t coached in this city for 23 years after a three-year run with the Bulls. In his final season of 1988-89, he helped Chicago advance to the Eastern Conference finals. It was the last time he won a playoff series.
Collins still is waiting to win another because the Sixers failed to eliminate the Bulls in Game 5 on Tuesday night, unable to overcome a horrendous offensive first half in losing, 77-69.
The Sixers lead the best-of-seven series, three games to two, with Game 6 set for Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center.
“I give the Bulls all the credit,” Collins said. “They came out, and they were incredibly physical. I thought our turnovers hurt us to start the game. We started too fast. The second quarter was disastrous for us offensively.
“We didn’t expect to beat the Bulls four-straight.”
Collins probably was feeling much older than his 60 years when he took his team to the locker room at halftime. To that point, the Sixers had made just 12 of their 42 shots (28.6 percent), turned the ball over eight times and had been outscored by 18-8 in the paint.
All that led to the reason they were trailing, 35-26, at the break. His starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner had combined to make just two of their 13 shots and turned the ball over a combined five times.
“We struggled to make shots,” Collins said. “They’re a great, great defensive team. The more you go into the playoffs the more physical it gets. … We can’t play smash-mouth ball. We need to just stay with what we’re doing. You can’t let one game get you spinning in one direction.”
While the teams somehow found some offensive skills in the third quarter quarter, a 22-22 tie, more bad luck hit Chicago when forward Taj Gibson rolled his right ankle midway through the quarter while getting tied up under the basket with Lavoy Allen. Gibson limped straight to the locker room, and the life seemed to get sucked out of the sellout crowd for a bit.
Gibson, however, returned with 7 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter while the Bulls were holding a 12-point lead. He promptly hit a five-footer two minutes later that helped breathe new life into the fans and into the top-seeded Bulls for the series.
Luol Deng, quiet for most of the series, exploded for 24 points, and Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Holiday had 16 points to lead the Sixers, while Lou Williams added 13. Spencer Hawes and Andre Iguodala each scored 11 and Hawes grabbed 13 rebounds.
“Boozer and Deng were great tonight,” Collins said. “We have to go home and be more efficient offensively. One of the reasons they can win with all their injuries is because their defense gives them a chance.”
The Sixers couldn’t find a rhythm Tuesday. After winning two down-and-dirty clashes in Philadelphia during Games 3 and 4, Chicago was the lesser of the ugly teams Tuesday, stalling the Sixers’ bid to win a playoff series for the first time since 2003.
While Gibson was hobbled for the latter part of the game, he again negated the play of Thaddeus Young, who finished the night without a point, missing all three of his field-goal attempts in a little more than 14 minutes of play. Gibson finished with a modest eight points and six rebounds, but his presence takes away a big part of the Sixers in Young.
“His impact on the game has been terrific,” Collins said of Gibson. “Normally we’re a 21 assist team with 10 or 11 turnovers. Tonight we were 14 and 14.”
“I think the matchup is a tough matchup,” Young said. “Guarding anybody at the 4-spot is tough with my size, my height, and my weight. Anybody is going to be a tough matchup. I just go out there and keep battling. I try to front him in the post, not let him get a lot of touches, and take him out of his game a little bit. I have to play him over the top so they’ll try to throw it over me. I think sometimes in transition he’ll get down low and he’ll get under me, and it’s tough.”
“I didn’t see any give-in by our guys,” Collins said. “I feel good about that. Our guys are resilient. Teams are struggling to get into the 80s. That’s playoff basketball. And we’re not a good shooting team. When we’re good we’re getting out on the break. We’ve got to be able to do that.”
