Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

It wasn't a sweep, but the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls finally shook off Indiana in a revival of the Interstate 65 Series that started this year's playoffs. Derrick Rose came off the bench for the Bulls and with four fouls hanging over him, managed to put away the Pacers.

Former Razorback Ronnie Brewer sprained his thumb before the series, but promised that he would be on his game for the playoffs. For the most part, Brewer backed up his declaration that included some clutch freethrows that gave the Bulls a victory in Game 3. However, the Pacers' early exit also means that Brewer and some other banged-up Bulls can now take some time to mend and lick their wounds a bit. This won't be a team that gets soft with possibly a week off.

Arkansas fans may find themselves with a conflicted heart if the Bulls meet Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks in the second round. Then again, the Hawks need to get past the Orlando Magic first. In any event, Chicago senses that it has a basketball team to cheer for again, and Ronnie Brewer is a big part of that.