The Chicago Bulls beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 77-69, on Tuesday night to force a Game 6 in the first round Eastern Conference series. The Sixers will have another shot to advance to second round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs when both teams head to Philadelphia on Thursday.
Both team struggled from the floor, though Philadelphia more so. Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala went 5-for-17 and 4-for-19 shooting for 16 and 11 points, respectively, as the Sixers shot 32.1 percent for the game as a team. The Bulls were sharper at a 41.5 percent clip, but didn't earn nearly as many scoring opportunities from the free throw line. Philadelphia went 17-for-24 from the stripe compared to 4-for-11 for Chicago.
Carlos Boozer led the way for the Bulls, scoring 19 and hauling in 12 rebounds. Luol Deng also had a nice night with 24 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Taj Gibson was quiet, scoring eight points in 24 minutes on the court, but gave fans a scare when he rolled his ankle midway through the fourth quarter.
Gibson was able to return to the game, but Bulls fans were understandably worried considering their recent string of bad luck on the health front.
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