• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bulls try to even series against Pistons

May 17, 2007 - 1:23 PM Detroit at Chicago 8:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference Semifinals Game Six

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- There is life yet in Ben Gordon and the Chicago Bulls. Now they can force a decisive Game Seven with a win on Thursday night.

After losing the first three games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, the Bulls have won the last two, including a 108-92 victory at Detroit on Tuesday.

Game Six is Thursday night at Chicago.

Gordon led the way, scoring 28 points, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range in Tuesday's win. The third-year guard was huge in the third quarter, helping Chicago expand a nine-point halftime advantage into a 19-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

Gordon nailed a 27-foot shot from the arc with 2:44 left in the third quarter to give Chicago its first 20-point advantage and then nailed another 3-pointer with 1:44 left in the period to increase the lead to 90-67.

Gordon was assisted by Luol Deng, who has remained the one consistent scoring threat for Chicago. Deng scored 20 points in Game Five, equaling his average for the series.

Chicago, which shot a miserable 34 percent (74-of-220) from the field in the first three games, has been sizzling in the last two, connecting on 53 percent (78-of-146), including 15-of-28 from 3-point range.

The Pistons were in cruise control after three games only to lose the last two games by an average of 15.5 points. The backcourt duo of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton has struggled in the last two.

The pair of two-time All-Stars, who combined for 38.3 points on 46 percent shooting in the first three games, shot under 37 percent (19-of-52) in the last two games of the series.

However Detroit does have history on its side. No team trailing 3-0 in an NBA playoff series has ever come back to win in 81 chances, including three times in 2007.

Chicago has a chance to become just the third team in NBA history to tie a postseason round after losing the initial three games.

The 1951 New York Knicks, the 1994 Denver Nuggets and the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers all trailed 3-0 only to tie the series at 3-3 before each lost Game Seven.