Chicago Bulls fans must be apoplectic at this point. Sure they expected their team might be able to steal a game in the quarterfinals series against the Boston Celtics. None of them could have ever dreamed the team would take the first two in the Garden, with Game 2 being a straight 111-97 beat down. At this point people are too shocked to cheer.
Celtics fans no doubt are ready to leap off every nearby bridge. There is a growing possibility their team could become just the sixth #1 seed in NBA history to lose their opening playoff series. They’ve lost home court advantage and have zero momentum with the series shifting to Chicago where the atmosphere is bound to be electric and hostile.
Before what could be a do-or-die Game 3 for Boston, Bulls nation should review some rather shocking facts about what the results of this series might mean.
Bulls have owned Celtics at United Center
As if going up 2-0 in the series with both wins on the road weren’t exciting enough, there is also this. The Bulls now know there’s a chance they might not have to go back. Boston has really had problems playing in Chicago over the past three years. In fact they haven’t won a game in the United Center since November 8th of 2014. Since 2010 the Bulls have compiled a record of 12-2 at home against the Celtics. That’s a clear indication of true home court advantage.
Chicago has never beaten Boston in the playoffs
If there is one stigma the Bulls organization has on their record, it’s an inferiority complex when it comes to playing Boston in the playoffs. The two franchises met four times the postseason prior to this year. All four times the Celtics emerged victorious. Larry Bird and his dominant teams of the 1980s swept all three series during that decade. The closest Chicago ever came to ending the futility was 2009 in that epic seven-game war that featured four games going to overtime.
They could be first #8 seed to ever sweep a #1 seed
Chicago knows a thing or two about 8th seeds shocking 1st seeds. They were on the wrong end of that back in 2011-2012 during the tragic series where Derrick Rose tore his ACL. The 76ers capitalized to stun the Bulls in six games. It would be almost poetic justice if the Bulls were able to pull the same trick on another old east coast power. However, they have one added bit of motivation. Throughout NBA history no 8th seed has ever swept the 1st seed. That would be a special kind of legacy to build on.
