INSTANT CLASSIC!!

WHAT A GAME!!!

This game was everything that was right about sports! Excitement, energy and a never say die attitude that both teams showed the entire game!

The Bulls on the whole played good defense, even though I could not figure for the life of me how Ray Allen, owner of the sweetest jumper in the game, continually got open. Rookie of the year Derrick Rose was one dime away from a triple double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assist.

Ben Gordon still hits the big shot and has no fear taking them! Noah played some very good defense in the 4th and both OTs, while Heinrich had a great all around game. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were on fire when it counted but they did not have enough for the BULLS in the end.

Just look at the picture, you see Rose elevating over Jackie Moon...I mean Scalabrini of the Celtics. LOL!

This game was one for the ages and I am happy I was able to enjoy it with the Bulls pulling off a win.

I would however like to give some Classic University love to Rajon Rondo who has been brilliant, on both offense and defense, the entire series. Rondo is averaging a triple double in the 2-2 series and should he ever develop a knock down jumper or 3 point shot, he will be a premiere all star point guard and Boston will be unstoppable!

Rookie of the year!

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has been named the NBA's Rookie of the Year, the league said in a statement on Wednesday.

Rose received 111 first place votes from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

He led first-year players in assists (6.3 average) and was second among rookies in scoring in the regular season.

The Bulls Obviously made the right pick in the 2008 NBA draft by getting Rose. Rose is so Very explosive and his game is sooo nice, I just hope the Bulls can get some better people around him.

Paxson (Chicago Bulls General Manager) you have your cornerstone now....now lets build this house back up!!!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!!

The NBA playoffs start at noon:30 today!

Here are my personal Eastern Conference analysis!

There are some very good matchups!!! I am sooo looking forward to more than a few of them! Let’s start with my personal favorite to win it all...The Cleveland Cavaliers against the Detroit Pistons. Trading Billups hurt the Pistons but Stuckey and Hamilton give Pistons nice tandem. However the Cavs have a nice blend of veteran experience and young legs on the bench, not to mention they have this guy…ummm…I can’t remember his name….ummm….oh yeah…Lebron JAMES!!!

Lebron’s leadership and and newly discovered defensive skills have propelled the Cavs to the best team in the NBA with a home record of 39-2. I am a witness! (Literally) Either way, this will be just as quick and painless as the Lakers first round. The Pistons' chances of making their seventh straight East finals end at LeBron's feet. Cavs will win the series in 5 games.

Boston Celtics versus my beloved Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have made great strides this season, with a great rookie PG in Derrick Rose, however even with out Garnett the Celts are just going to be too much for the Bulls. The Bulls have a rookie coach and young players with NO playoff experience. So even though the Celtics are hurting right now, they still take advantage of the inexperience and youth of the Bulls, sad to say. Celtics will win the series in 6 games.

The Orlando Magic versus the Philadelphia 76ers. Are Turkoglu and Lewis healthy? That could be a big factor, but either or, the 76ers have NO answer for Dwight Howard. Van Gundy is a very good coach and the Magic are just too nice for Philly in the end. The Orlando Magic will win the series in 4 games.

Last up in the eastern conference is the Miami Heat versus the Atlanta Hawks. Dwyane Wade has clearly re-established himself as one the NBA's top players and MVP candidate.
The Rookie Michael Beasley is starting to develop into the player he was drafted to be for the Heat. Frankly even though the Hawks have home court advantage, I just would not bet against Wade right now. He has been straight unconscious with it this year, I have to go with the HEAT. Miami Heat will win the series in 6 games.

I personally see no team capable of defeating the Cavaliers in 7 games, but as a wise man once said, "that is why they play the games". If it was that easy we could just give the Eastern Conference to the Cleveland Cavs right now. But no, they will have to take it!!

Rookie of the Year?!?!!

The chicago tribune reports.....

Poll of voters indicates Rose likely to join Michael Jordan, Elton Brand as Bulls' only winners
Many league observers from Vinny Del Negro, who's obviously biased, to Mike D'Antoni, who's not, have said it: Derrick Rose is the NBA Rookie of the Year.Kevin Durant, last year's winner, joined the chorus in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine.But those voices, while obviously informed, don't decide who wins the award from an extremely deep rookie class. Writers and broadcasters do.So the Tribune sought out voters to gauge what they are thinking. And while nothing is official, Rose's chances to win the award appear extremely strong based on feedback from roughly one-third of the 123 voters across the United States and Canada.

In fact, of the 42 people who revealed their balloting decision to the Tribune, all planned to vote Rose first. That's 210 points right there in a scale that awards five points for a first-place vote, three points for second and one point for third."As much as this class is unsung, I don't understand how there's any debate," said Ric Bucher, who covers the league for ESPN and is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine."Without Rose carrying the Bulls through the first half of the season, they wouldn't have been in position to make a playoff run. Then he seamlessly keeps everything rolling despite the introduction of Brad Miller and John Salmons. And does Tyrus Thomas become a factor without Rose as his point guard?

"This may be the best rookie debut from a basketball IQ standpoint that we've seen since Magic [Johnson."That's high praise, but Bucher wasn't alone in offering it."This will be a no-brainer, right?" said Chris McCoskey, Pistons beat writer for the Detroit News."Rose not only put up incredible numbers, helped his team survive a first-year coach and several roster and rotation alterations and got his team into the playoffs, he did it at the hardest position for a rookie to master. He's the guy."Brian Windhorst knows a little about greatness covering LeBron James and the Cavaliers for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

He's voting for Rose from a deep class that includes O.J. Mayo, Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Marc Gasol, Greg Oden, Michael Beasley and others."From almost Day One he looked comfortable, which is rare for such a young rookie playing point guard," Windhorst said. "His speed with the ball and his size instantly reminded me of Deron Williams and Jason Kidd"When I vote, I don't just consider what he did this season but what he'll become. Watching him, he has the tools and talent to be an All-Star.

"Marc Berman, who covers the Knicks for the New York Post, offered some humor while supporting Rose's candidacy: "Rose is the more valuable player now than Mayo and for years to come. And Rose is still a bigger deal in Memphis."Indeed, Mayo seemed Rose's strongest competition as he came to Rose's college town and averaged 23.1 points per game for the Grizzlies in November. But while Mayo still leads all rookies at 18.3 ppg, he tailed off to 14.7 points in March.

That's when Rose won his third Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, averaging 16.9 ppg. Overall, Rose ranks second in scoring and minutes to Mayo (16.6 and 36.9), first in assists (6.2), first in assists-to-turnovers (2.47) and has seven double-doubles.Plus, he's playing the most prominent role of any rookie on a playoff team."I remember when the last Bull to win the award put up some very good numbers in 2000," the New York Daily News' Mitch Lawrence said of Elton Brand.

"But the Bulls won all of 17 games, a mere four-game improvement, so what exactly did Brand do?"To me, the great rookies make their biggest impact on their team's record. Rose has done that, befitting a No. 1 overall pick."The Bulls already have won six more games than last season. Do the math.Any way you crunch the numbers, Rose appears poised to join Brand and Michael Jordan as the only Bulls to win Rookie of the Year.

I am pulling for you young blood!!!