On Tuesday, May 8, the Chicago Bulls grabbed a much-needed victory and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 77-69. The Bulls are now one game behind in the series and have gained hope to remain in the series.

After falling short in the last few games, coupled with the Derrick Rose and now Joakim Noah injuries, it was time for some other players to show up and get their groove.

Here are a few difference makers from Tuesday’s scrappy win that will be keys for the remaining game(s).

The Starters: Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer

With the shifts in the starters the last few weeks, two seasoned ones finally showed up on Tuesday and appeared to have a rhythm.

Luol Deng had a great game and looked like the all-star player that Bulls’ fans expect. After his eight-point average in the previous three games, Deng had 24 points and eight rebounds. He went four for five in 3-pointers, grabbing three during the fourth quarter.

He emerged as the team’s much-desired leader.

Supporting his fellow starter was veteran Carlos Boozer. He added 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, which ties his career playoff high. In the last two games, he has stepped up with 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Sunday, May 6 game.

While these two starters got the team the win, fellow teammates Rip Hamilton (six points) and C.J. Watson (five points), came up short and can’t do this again if this team is going to have a chance to win.

The Bench Mob: Taj Gibson and Ronnie Brewer

Gibson has been solid off the bench (14 points in Game four) and on Tuesday, he contributed eight points, which was the high for the Bench Mob, and five rebounds. He tweaked his ankle in the game but after sitting out, returned in the fourth quarter to help the Bulls take the lead.

Gibson doesn’t foresee the injury being a problem in the next game. He said, “I’ll be fine. Knowing myself, I’m going to play. I’m not going to sit out.”

Brewer came off the bench and added six points with eight rebounds after being benched in the third game (May 4).

Combined, the two players had 21 minutes of play.

The Bulls will need continued strong play from the Bench Mob and more offense coming from players including Kyle Korver.

Defense

Without Rose, the Bulls need to rely on their defense, which hasn’t always been the case in the series but it was on Tuesday. By holding the 76ers to 69 points, it was the first time they have done so in the postseason since the late 1990′s.

The Bulls also held the 76ers to 32.1 percent shooting, which was a season low for the team.

Next up for the Bulls is Game 6 on Thursday in Philadelphia. They are in a dire situation and know that the 76ers will play like it’s Game No. 7. Noah has said he’d like to return for it but will he be healthy enough by then to play at a high level or will his timing be off?

The Bulls like being an underdog. Has their luck changed in Game 5 or was it just a short-term spurt of good play?

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago resident, the Derrick Rose era has been a good one.