DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Pushed hard in the opening round, Derrick Rose wasn’t letting out any sighs of relief once the Chicago Bulls found out they’d be facing Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
It’s all well and good that he won’t have to worry about getting flattened in the lane by Dwight Howard after the Hawks knocked off Orlando in six games, but he’s not expecting an easy ride, either, in a series that starts Monday at the United Center.
The Bulls got all they could handle from Indiana while taking out the Pacers in five games, and Rose expects more of the same from the Hawks — except, maybe, the hard fouls.
Rose says this round is “going to be tougher, with all the guys that they have in.”
