Last Thursday evening, everyone had figured the Bulls were on their way to being swept by the Detroit Pistons. Just about every oddsmaker and journalist following the series had begun to wonder why they ever thought this series would go six or seven games, but here we are.

Funny how things can change so quickly. You had to figure the Bulls were going to save face and not allow the Pistons to get the sweep on the Bulls’ home court, however, you also had to figure that the Game 5 in Detroit would be the grand finale for a Pistons team primed to make a championship run. Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, the Bulls came out and completely dominated the entire game. Finally, Ben Gordon became his old self and netted 28 points while Luol Deng added 20 and Hinrich had 17 points with 13 assists. Now, the Bulls come back home to the United Center and essentially can tie the series with a Game 6 win. Easier said than done and history is surely against them.

I’m going to hold the phone here and not make any bold predictions (like I foolishly did with the Cubs), but the recent spurt in the Bulls has to make you wonder. True, they do have to win two HUGE games (one at home and one in Detroit), but the sky is the limit and it seems as if the Bulls have re-engineered themselves and found their old form from the Miami series. The one thing I didnt like about tonight’s win is that even with a double-digit lead, the Bulls still seemed to be rushing shots and not setting up the offense. We’ll see what happens, but here is my take on the series thus far:

Biggest Surprise: Tyrus Thomas. In the first two games, Thomas seemed to prove his rookie ability with mistakes and a lack of foundation, however, the last two games he’s been the sparkplug. Monster dunks and big blocks seem to get the Bulls going and kill Detroit’s momentum. He’s seemed much more disciplined in the last two games and has added depth to the bench.

Biggest Disapointment: Ben Wallace. Besides his late arrival before Game 3 and his seemingly attraction to former teammates, Wallace has been a huge no-show in a series he was picked up for in free-agency. He’s not owning the boards and has nearly been abused by Rasheed Wallace in the low post. If there is an “eleventh hour” for him, this is it…

Stable Performers: No surprise here, but Luol Deng has earned his paycheck the whole series. He’s been the vast leader and without him, the Bulls would have cleaned out their lockers late Sunday evening. I also give a thumbs up to P.J. Brown. If he can just stay out of foul trouble, his playoff experience and ability to rebound could be the factor the Bulls need in the next two games.

How the Bulls Win the next two games and make history: Its easy to say, but do the things they’ve done the last two games. Keep the rebounding equal on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and the Bulls stand a good chance. One other thing too…it seemed that when Chauncey Billups was on the bench early for foul trouble, the Pistons didn’t seem to be concise and organized. The Bulls seemed to take the edge when Billups’ was on the bench and the Piston’s never recovered.

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