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10 things to know about the Bulls

For the second straight year, the Sixers enter the playoffs as the bottom seed. They will take on the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls, starting Saturday in Chicago.

The Sixers and Bulls square off in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. (Yong Kim/Staff file photo)
The Sixers and Bulls square off in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. (Yong Kim/Staff file photo)Read more

For the second straight year, the Sixers enter the playoffs as the bottom seed. They will take on the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls, starting Saturday in Chicago.

Here are 10 things to know about the Bulls:

1 Wilting Rose: Point guard Derrick Rose is the reigning league MVP, but he has had a down year of sorts. Rose has missed 27 games in the lockout-shortened season dealing with groin and ankle injuries. He has been effective when he has played, averaging 21.8 points and 7.9 assists per game.

2 C.J. Watson: The Bulls' starting point guard looks to be enough trouble, but the backup has the Sixers' number this year. The Bulls were 2-1 against the Sixers and in the two games the Bulls won, Watson scored 20 points in both games. He is a three-point sniper shooting at 39.3 percent from that range.

3 They own the glass: The Bulls are the league's top rebounding team, averaging 46.7 boards per game despite no one on the roster being one of the league' top individuals. Joakim Noah (9.8), Carlos Boozer (8.6) and Luol Deng (6.5) are the top three guys on the glass.

4 Luol Deng: Deng stepped up his game in Rose's absence and earned his first invite to the All-Star Game. He averaged 15.3 points this season and is considered one of the team's top defenders.

5 They're stingy: The Bulls set a franchise record for points allowed (88.2). Opponents have shot 42.1 percent from the floor vs. Chicago.

6 Kyle Korver: Korver, who began his career with the Sixers in 2004 and was traded to the Jazz in 2007, is one of the go-to guys off the bench. Korver carved out a career for himself as a three-point threat off the bench and is shooting 43.2 percent from downtown this year.

7 Vegas likes the Bulls: The bookies have put 3-1 odds of the Bulls hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy and 3-2 odds to win the Eastern Conference.

8 Local connection: Bulls shooting guard Richard Hamilton played his high school ball in Coatesville. Rip's production has been in decline in recent years and his 11.6 points average is the second-lowest of his career. He only played in 28 games, but got hot at the end of the season. He has been healthy throughout April and scored around 20 points four times this month, his best stretch of the season.

9 Tom Thibodeau: The Bulls coach is a rising star on the coaching circuit. Since taking the Bulls gig in 2010, his first head-coaching job, he was the fastest to reach 100 wins. He has done so by preaching defense, the calling card of his teams.

10 Evan Turner: The Sixers' guard has given the Bulls some bulletin-board material heading into the postseason. Upon learning his team's matchup, he replied, "That means we're dodging the tougher team," referring to the Heat. Turner also has a history with Rose, the two have a rivalry stretching back to their high school days in Illinois.