Tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET the Chicago Bulls will try to stave off an early exit from the 2014 NBA Playoffs when they tip off Game 5 of Round 1 against the Washington Wizards at the United Center. Watch the game on TNT or live stream it free by clicking this link. Bulls fans can hear the game on ESPN 1000, while Wizards fans can listen to the radio broadcast on WFED-AM 1500.
The Wizards have an opportunity to squash Chicago's veteran club now, and veteran forward Drew Gooden has voiced how important that can be. As a member of the 2003 Orlando Magic, his team went up 3-1 on the Detroit Pistons only to blow the series.
"We had a chance to put 'em down and finish them and we didn't -- and then they started a dynasty in the Eastern Conference for the next five, six years," Gooden said Monday. "That was something I always looked back at. We could've beat that team, being up 3-1, just one (more) game. Who knows? The Pistons would've probably never been the Pistons."
Tonight the Wizards will to their best to avoid that fate, riding a burgeoning backcourt that has tag-teamed the Bulls all series. Shooting guard Bradley Beal has paced Washington with his scoring (20.5 points per game), while John Wall has averaged 7.5 assists.
Fans on both sides should know better than to count out the Bulls though. "I believe we have a resilient group and I believe we'll find a way," coach Tom Thibodeau said. Bulls point guard D.J. Augustin, one of the key members that replaced injured guard Derrick Rose and departed forward Luol Deng thinks he has the formula.
"They're trying to be a bully to us, come out and punch us in the mouth early," Augustin said. "We've got to come out and jump on them early."
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