Smith not expecting Bulls Carlos Boozer to back down

Carlos Boozer vs. Josh Smith has been an interesting matchup in this series. Boozer has been ineffective because he continues to go to his strength even though a toe injury prevents him from doing what he does best. Smith’s downfall has been his penchant for shooting too many perimeter shots instead of doing what he does best. If they switched strategies, they might both be doing much better than they are in this series.

Though Smith blocked four of Boozer’s inside shots in the second half of Game 2 at the United Center, Smith said he still expects Boozer to come at him again in Game 3.

”I think he’s still going to be aggressive,” Smith said Friday. ”It’s my ability to keep stopping possessions and making easy plays. He’s going to try to bully his way down on the block and get inside position. But I think me and Al [Horford] are doing a good job of using our length and matching his toughness down there.”

Though Boozer said his toe injury is preventing him from getting the “lift” he needs on those shots, Smith said he hasn’t noticed the difference.

”It’s pretty much the same [as in the regular season],” Smith said. ”At this point in time, everybody’s hurt. So you really can’t use anything as an excuse right now. You just have to go out there and play.”