After missing the previous game due to sprained ankles, Derrick Rose made his return last night to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 95-86. The Bulls were once again without starting center Joakim Noah as he continues to deal with illness. The win improves the Bulls record to 4-1 on the season.
In old-Thibodeau fashion, the minutes distribution in the game was heavily skewed in favor of a few players. Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler were both on the floor for over 40 minutes of game time while Pau Gasol saw 36 minutes of action. Despite the overload of minutes on the tail end of a back-to-back stretch on the road, the trio made the most of their time on the floor. Gibson and Gasol made mincemeat of Milwaukee’s big men as the repeatedly took advantage of soft post defense. Butler cooled off somewhat scoring wise but still managed to contribute heavily on the offensive end by distributing the ball efficiently. Additionally, Butler managed to wreak havoc on defense. At one point in the third quarter, Butler managed to create three turnovers in the span of just over three minutes.
The game was a fairly easy win for Chicago, as expected. Though the Bucks managed to keep pace in the first half, Chicago finally clamped down defensively only allowing 33 points in the second half. Though there is a clear difference in team ability, it is nice to see the team shut down their opponents as a unit, something that has been seldom seen thus far this season. As the team continues to gel, the defense should return to the previous, suffocating form that we have all become accustomed to seeing.
The Bulls continue their circus road trip on Friday, November 7th, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite saying he wasn’t at 100% and that he may have tweaked his ankle in a collision in last night’s game, Rose believes he will be fit enough to suit up for the game.
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