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This was a familiar tale for the Chicago Bulls as yet again the defense couldn’t bail out shockingly poor offense.

Taj Gibson scored a career-high 32 points and it didn’t really matter – no other Bull scored more than 16 points. Gibson finished 13-16 from the field.

Chicago shot 35-78 from the floor including 4-19 from behind the three-point line as they failed to score more than 22 points in three of the four quarters.

Washington was once again dominant, flying out to a 14-0 lead, forcing the Bulls into an early timeout. Chicago failed to score on it’s first eight possessions, missing six shots and turning the ball over twice.

Turnovers were a theme for the night. Washington turned the ball over just six times all night, compared to 16 for the Bulls.

Trevor Ariza scored 30 points. In a playoff game. This really happened. He hit his first six three-point attempts and finished 10-18 from the floor.

Bradley Beal continued to be an issue running around screens set by Washington’s big men. John Wall was his usual self on the fastbreak.

The Wizards went up by 20 in the third quarter before the Bulls went on a run to make the game slightly interesting before the Wizards closed out the game.

Carlos Boozer became a foul machine in the third quarter – collecting five fouls in just 3:30 before collecting his usual zero fourth-quarter minutes.

The Bulls now must head home for a win-or-bust Game 5. Despite the Bulls well-known resilience and will to win, there is no way to fix a simple lack of offensive talent.

Taj Gibson can score a career-high in game five, but if the team cannot reliably score for 48 minutes, the Wizards will once again come out on top.

Performances like tonight’s do little to quell the growing rumors that the Bulls will pursue Carmelo Anthony this summer, and there is very little in the way of on-court evidence to show why they shouldn’t.

Top Performers

Washington Wizards
Trevor Ariza: 30 points, 10-18 FGS, 6-10 3FGS
Bradley Beal: 18 points, 7-13 FGS, 5 rebounds
Marcin Gortat: 17 points, 6-17 FGS, 6 rebounds

Chicago Bulls
Taj Gibson: 32 points, 13-16 FGS, 7 rebounds
Jimmy Butler: 16 points, 5-14 FGS, 2-7 3FGS
Joakim Noah: 10 points, 4-9 FGS, 15 rebounds

The post Chicago Bulls 89, Washington Wizards 98 – Bulls season on the line after loss appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

The Chicago Bulls used a barrage from behind the three-point line and a strong second half to blow past the Minnesota Timberwolves en route to their sixth consecutive win.

Joakim Noah was the standout performer – how many times has that been written this season – as he recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Noah’s triple-double was his fourth of the season, tying Lance Stephenson for most in the NBA. Noah’s 10th assist set a Bulls franchise record for most in a season, besting Tom Boerwinkle’s 397 dimes dished in the 1970-71 season.

The Bulls converted 11 of their 21 three-point attempts, a mark that essentially pulled them clear of the scrapping Timberwolves.

Chicago outscored Minnesota 54-34 after trailing by five at halftime. Kirk Hinrich and D.J. Augustin lit up on of the poorest defensive backcourts in the NBA, converting 15 of their 23 shots to score 37 points combined.

Jimmy Butler shot well on his way to 14 points, hitting half of his six three-point attempts. He and Mike Dunleavy combined for 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Bulls pulled away in the third quarter.

Kevin Love opened the game hot, showing off his versatile skillset scoring both inside and out before appearing to either hurt his hand or hyper-extend his elbow after one of his team-mates ran into his outstretched arm. He would continue in the game in obvious pain only to knock down his next three-point attempt and appear to shake off the effects.

The Bulls trailed 53-48 at halftime, allowing Minnesota to shoot 52 percent in the first half. The Bulls endured their by-now traditional scoring drought through the middle of the second quarter, allowing Minnesota to embark on an 8-0 run as the Bulls missed six straight field goal attempts.

Despite the drought, the Bulls stayed close thanks to hitting six of their 11 first-half three point attempts.

The Bulls improved to an impressive 31-2 when scoring more than 96 points.

Chicago hosts the abysmal Detroit Pistons on Friday while Toronto welcomes the New York Knicks, a team fighting for their playoff lives. With the Charlotte Bobcats moving into the sixth seed and the struggling Pacers occupying the second seed, earning the third overall seed could open up a route to the most unlikely Eastern Conference Finals appearance for the Bulls.

The win allows the Bulls to keep pace with the Raptors for that third seed in the East with both teams tied in the loss column. The Raptors hold the tie-break by virtue of leading the Atlantic Division.

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1. What are your thoughts on the story this week about Noah recruiting Carmelo Anthony?

Peter Owen: Noah’s non-denial of the conversation – via a great teenage girl impression – at least confirms the talks happened. Whether they were talking about it at length with Noah strongly selling the city and the team or if it was a simple passing comment forgotten about minutes later, we’ll never know.

Braedan Ritter: I am all for the Bulls doing everything they can to bring in another scorer for their offense. If that means turning All-Star weekend into a recruiting convention, that’s awesome. With that being said, I don’t really buy it. I’m sure they talked. They probably talked about playing for Thibodeau (with Thibs being connected to the Knicks) but I don’t think it went far beyond that. And despite what some people are saying ‘Melo would fit in with the Bulls.

Caleb Nordgren: I refer you exclusively to the comments Joakim himself made on the subject. Particularly his excellent teenage girl impression.

Trenton Jocz: I think it’s just another indicator of how much Noah is the leader on the team. It’s not often in the NBA that the best player isn’t the main leader, at least on really good teams, but we know that’s not really Derrick Rose’s personality and that there’s a big brother/little brother relationship there. Regardless of what they were actually talking about, it also shows that Noah feels OK talking to Melo. Rivalries are overblown in sports, but I find it much harder to imagine Noah having similar conversations with impending free agents like LeBron or Lance Stephenson.

Avi Saini: If this is true I’m glad to see Noah being proactive and trying to get guys to finally come to Chicago. It doesn’t matter if you’re an NBA player or some average person walking the streets, everyone wants to feel wanted and Noah’s actions could give Melo that feeling. That being said I doubt it helps Chicago’s chances of landing him. As Ken Berger pointed out, Chicago would have to make some big moves and Melo would have to be willing to take a $45 million discount on what should be his last major contract if the two want the marriage even get off the ground. Given both of these requirements it just doesn’t seem likely Noah’s conversation will make a difference.

2. Tony Snell has fallen out of the rotation somewhat lately. Why?

PO: Snell has played well in fits and bursts in a system notoriously unkind to rookies. Jimmy Butler didn’t play often in his rookie year and I suspect Thibodeau’s treatment of Snell continues the decision of trusting his veterans.

BR: Because Tom Thibodeau has set his sights on the next player he wants to run into the ground, so everyone else catches a break? Snell’s totals were all down in February, but his shooting numbers actually improved. My guess is it has to do with Thibs just trusting Dunleavy and Butler more.

CN: I wrote about this a little while ago, but it’s pretty clear at this point that Thibs just doesn’t trust him that much. Thibs is all about being at the right place at the right time all the time on defense and I don’t think Snell is there yet. That said, Snell’s already played almost three times as many minutes as Jimmy Butler did his first season, so that we’re even talking about his falling out of the rotation is something of an achievement.

TJ: Because as we saw with Jimmy Butler before him, Thibs only plays inexperienced players when forced to by injury. It’s his biggest flaw as a coach in my opinion. Snell’s ideal playing time would be about 10-16 minutes, which wouldn’t require more than a role with the second unit. It’s obviously an arbitrary endpoint, but Snell has fallen in that range just four times. For perspective, he has 11 games with at least 34 minutes and 16 games with seven minutes or less. Snell and Jimmer Fredette are useful players in bit roles and I think Thibs would be better served playing the long game and finding them consistent roles to get more comfortable. Of course Thibs doesn’t trust them because he hasn’t put them in position to earn it in the first place. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

AS: Snell thus far has been pretty decent for Chicago, but he’s impacting Chicago’s game negatively by almost every measure. With Snell on the floor the team has a lower field goal percentage, scores 7 fewer points per game, turn the ball over more, get fewer rebounds, and get fewer assists. And that’s just the basic stats. This isn’t to vilify Snell. For a rookie he’s looked good and there are things about his game to like. But that’s just the thing… he’s a rookie. Thibodeau’s system is arguably one of the hardest to learn in the entire league (his former players are on record saying as such) so it’s no shock that Snell isn’t playing out of his mind. He’s just going through his growing pains and he’ll be in the rotation soon enough.

3. What team would the Bulls face in your ideal playoff scenario?

PO: If it were possible, the Knicks. They may well sneak in ahead of the flailing Pistons or slumping Hawks. I expect it to be a rematch of last year’s first round with Brooklyn with a similar result. The worst first round opponent would likely be Washington. The Wizards have played the Bulls very well thanks to two athletic guards whom the Bulls have had no answer for. Also, Nene has played very well against the Bulls frontcourt this season.

BR: Ideally, the Knicks or Sixers. But of the teams that could actually make it…I don’t think any team other than the Heat and Pacers should knock the Bulls out, so I don’t really have an ideal matchup. Brooklyn is probably the biggest threat of the other playoff teams because they have a lot of talent that may be able to figure it out for a seven-game series, but a spare-parts Bulls team knocked Brooklyn out last year and is 2-1 against a more talented (and older) Nets team this season.

CN: In the first round? Probably Atlanta, though that’s looking somewhat unlikely at the moment. I definitely do not want Washington in the first round if at all possible, however. After that, you basically have to face Miami and indiana in some order, so it’s pretty whatever. I think, based on their recent play, you probably want Indiana first, but I’m not sure it matters that much.

TJ: Honestly, I think I’d like them to slide down, face Toronto, and lose in the first round. As fun as last year’s run was, I’d rather not see them lose to Miami again or Indiana, and it would save Jo and Jimmy a lot of wear and tear. As far as I’m concerned, winning a title is the goal, and grinding Jimmy to a pulp with 48 minute nights against Joe Johnson, DeMar DeRozan or Bradley Beal, and then LeBron or Paul George has more costs than benefits. Another miracle run would be fun, but last year will tide me over for the time being.

AS: Any team that sets Chicago up to avoid Miami in the second round. I know Chicago won’t win a title this year but if they’re going to make the playoffs I want them to have as deep a run as possible. And the only way that happens is by avoiding Miami for as long as possible. This isn’t a knock on the Pacers who field a good team, but they don’t have Lebron James.

4. Name the two teams you think will reach the Finals

PO: Can’t pick against Miami when LeBron James is capable of scoring 61 points against good defense. The West truly is wild. Right now I’d go with Oklahoma City though I like how Houston have been playing lately. The Spurs are always a contender and you can pick from Dallas, Portland and of course Los Angeles to put together a run too. A lot could depend on the match-ups.

BR: I’m not betting against the Heat until they give me a reason to, but the Pacers will give them a fight for the East’s spot. On the other side, I think a healthy Thunder squad would have the best shot. Although I’d love to see Tim Duncan and the Spurs make it again for a rematch of last season’s Finals.

CN: Miami and OKC. You could replace OKC with three or four other West teams and I wouldn’t be surprised, but KD and Russ should be the favorites. And Indy’s fallen off recently, but they do always play Miami tough, so they wouldn’t shock me either. But if I have to put money on it, I gotta go with a Heat-Thunder rematch.

TJ: Before the season I picked Bulls/Rockets, which changed to Heat/Rockets once Derrick Rose got hurt, and I’m sticking with that. I like the Rockets because I figured they would need time to gel just like Miami did in Year 1, but that by playoff time they’d be rolling and that’s how it’s shaping up. I’d like to see San Antonio get one more shot, but they’re 0-3 against both Houston and OKC, and they’ve already lost all four home games against them. As for Miami, I thought three grueling series would be too tall a task for a team already worn out by three straight Finals trips. However, now that Indiana is their only obstacle in the East, I think they’ll muster enough to win the title again.

AS: If I’m picking off of performance right now, Miami and Oklahoma City. Durant is playing out of his mind and barring any injuries the team will only get better as Westbrook gets back into groove. With how Indiana’s offense, primarily Paul George, has fallen back to Earth I think Miami just has the edge over the Pacers. If Indiana can get back to playing the offense they did at the beginning of the season, then I think they have everything it takes to knock Miami out in 6 games to get into the finals.

5. Who should win the MVP trophy this season?

PO: I think Kevin Durant will win it thanks to a combination of his stellar play and voter fatigue. That said, I feel like LeBron’s physical dominance will ensure the race comes down to just a few votes. Of course, either player could run off four or five consecutive 40-point nights before the end of the season and streak off into the distance.

BR: LeBron James is the best player in the league, but Kevin Durant has had the best season. That could very well change over the remainder of the year, but Durant has the Thunder on top of the West in a season that Russell Westbrook has missed 30 of their 62 games.

CN: I have no idea. Obviously it’s either KD or LeBron, but I can’t decide. Flip a coin, I guess. It’s hard to go wrong.

TJ: It’s obviously razor-thin between LeBron and Durant, and right now it’s too close to call for me. I’d lean towards LeBron for a couple reasons. The first is that while Durant stepped his game up with Russell Westbrook sidelined, LeBron’s had to do that all season with how Miami is managing Dwyane Wade’s knees. The other reason is when looking at Miami’s roster, it’s clear that OKC is more talented. Considering Ray Allen and Shane Battier aren’t playing near as well, how many really good players do they have? Mario Chalmers or Chris Andersen might be their third best player on nights where Wade sits. If Miami passes Indy for home-court I imagine LeBron becomes a near lock to win yet again.

AS: I think Kevin Durant should win MVP. Lebron has been great but Durant has been every bit as good with a bit more consistency (Lebron has coasted a bit). It can honestly go either way but I also am choosing Durant because I like to be right and I think he’ll get the award mostly because he deserves it and partially because of voter fatigue.

The post 5-on-5: Melo to Chicago, Finals projections, MVP picks. appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Derrick Rose missed the game and by extension missed the entire season, leading at least one writer to describe his much hyped “Return” packaged by Adidas as a hoax. On top of that melodrama, Kirk Hinrich (calf) and Luol Deng (illness) never recovered enough to play a single second round game, which had to be extremely frustrating for the both of them.

Meanwhile, four starters — Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Nate Robinson — logged 40+ minutes, with Robinson sitting for less than a minute and a half and Butler again going the full 48.

The only surprise of the night was the unexpected resurrection of Rip Hamilton. Not only did Hamilton log 35 minutes off the bench in place of an increasingly ineffective Marco Belinelli, he scored 15 points on 12 shots and compiled a game-high plus-minus score of +12.

The Bulls were coming off the worst offensive performance in their playoff history, so virtually anything would have been an improvement, but they were actually pretty effective on offense. thanks largely to strong games from Boozer (26 points, 10-for-19, 14 rebounds), Robinson (21 points, 4-for-7 on threes, 6 assists) and Butler (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), the Bulls scored at a rate of 108.7 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference).

And, believe it or not, the Bulls were in good position to win this game.

Despite a disastrous first seven minutes that saw them fall behind 22-4, the Bulls did what these Bulls have done for the entirety of the Tom Thibodeau era.

They refused to panic.

They fought.

They competed.

By the end of the first quarter, Chicago trailed by only nine points. After outscoring Miami 32-17 in the second quarter, the Bulls took a six-point lead into halftime. That lead expanded to 11 points (75-64) with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. And it seemed like the miraculous was about to happen.

Then Miami cranked up their intensity.

On offense, the Heat went to their old standbys. Shane Battier knocked down two threes thanks to a couple drive-and-kick moves by LeBron James. Norris Cole had a brief hot streak, hitting from 17 feet and then serving up a facial at the rim. Dwyane Wade — who had to retreat to Miami’s locker room between the third and fourth quarters to have his knee re-taped — emerged from his funk to hit two of his patented running one-handers and later had a putback dunk of a missed Cole jumper. And between all those plays, LeBron was directing traffic, driving the ball and drawing fouls.

In all, the Bulls were outscored 24-15 in the fourth quarter but still managed to be down only three points and have possession of the ball with 26.4 seconds left. Unfortunately, Thibodeau had already used all his timeouts, and the Bulls were forced to freelance on that final possession.

It was not a smooth possession by any stretch of the imagination. The Bulls players were running around helter skelter in a frantic attempt to get any kind of clean or dirty look at the rim. Robinson squeezed off a three-pointer that missed badly, but Boozer corralled the offensive rebound. The ball ended up in Butler’s hands. After freeing himself up with a few ball fakes, Butler jacked a triple of his own, which also missed badly. Robinson somehow ended up with the rebound, but there wasn’t enough time left to get any kind of shot.

Game over.

Said Noah: “We kept fighting. And kept fighting.”

Added Boozer: “We grinded it out. We had chances. We just fell a little bit short.”

Just a little bit short in this game. And a lot short in this series.

And yet, despite the loss, Chicago’s performance in this final game far exceeded expectations. Which is something the Bulls had been doing all season.

Said Thibodeau: “Obviously we’re disappointed in losing the series. But I was never disappointed in our team. I thought our team fought hard all year long. There was no quit in them.”

Added Boozer: “We’ve got warriors here. If we’re healthy next season, we’re going to be pretty good.”

Of course. But good enough to defeat the Miami Heat?

ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell doesn’t think so. Not as presently constructed. Of course, the Bulls won’t return next season as presently constructed.

For starters, barring an unforeseen calamity or setback, Rose should return in 2013-14.

Furthermore, Hamilton probably won’t be back — the third year of his contract isn’t guaranteed and I just can’t see the Bulls paying Rip $5 million next season — leaving the former Piston to wistfully consider what might have been.

There’s also a good chance Robinson won’t be back. Although he’d like to be.

Said Robinson: “I would love to [come back]. Honestly, I really would. But knowing the guys that we have here, I know it’s probably limited space for me, but we’ll see how it goes. [I’ll] talk to my agent and stuff like that and figure out what’s the best plan for me. God has blessed me this far [to] continue to play the game that I love. I love this team, I love these guys, and if I could stay here it would be wonderful.”

Although Robinson had a strong season and was often the team’s best offensive player, there are several reasons the Bulls might not bring him back. For starters, there could be a logjam in a backcourt that includes Rose, Hinrich, Butler (at times), Belinelli (if he is re-signed) and Marquis Teague.

Will the Bulls — a notoriously fiscally responsible team (read that: cheap) — want to pay him? Especially if they end up bringing Belinelli back?

And will Belinelli be back? Management likes his skill set, but Marco shot a career-low 35.7 percent from three-point range, and his Effective Field Goal Percentage also dipped to a career-worst mark.

Then too, the Bulls desperately need more three-point shooters. They ranked 21st in three-point percentage and 29th in attempts this season. That won’t cut it in today’s NBA. And anyway, Rose will need shooters to space the floor for his drives, assuming he returns to anything like his old form.

There are big questions and big if’s heading into this offseason. And, for better or worse, most of the improvement will have to come from within. The Bulls don’t have the financial flexibility to sign any high-caliber players, and they still wouldn’t be able to do so even if they used the amnesty provision to offload Boozer’s contract, so you can probably expect Carlos to return for at least one more season. My guess is that the Bulls will amnesty Boozer in the summer of 2014 when Deng and Hinrich’s contracts come off the books.

So while the roster will likely be shifted around and tweaked where possible, management will probably field mostly the same team with an eager eye toward the following offseason. Meaning the Bulls and their fans will have to rely on improved health, internal development and maybe one or two key role players who might be able to contribute.

To what result? Nobody knows.

Said Noah: “It’s hard right now because we just lost. And it’s always hard to sit here knowing that your season’s over but there are a lot of positives. We’re a young team that has experienced a lot at a young age. When you see what a guy like Jimmy Butler brought to the table. … We’re going to come back healthy, we’re going to be able to compete with these guys for a long time and I think that one day we’ll get our shot.”

Only time will tell.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-by-Play, Shot Chart.

The post Game 5 Recap: Bulls fight to the bitter end appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

If you follow this team, you know what they’ve endured. The season-long absence (and continued distraction) of Derrick Rose. The dismemberment of the Bench Mob. Injuries (and re-injuries) to key players. Long minutes. Little rest. Everything short of hordes of locusts and meteor storms.

Through it all, the Bulls have endured. They won 45 games. Earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Beat the Nets in a do-or-die Game 7 in Brooklyn. Won Game 1 of their second round playoff series against the Heat in Miami.

And while the Bulls have talent, even without Rose, they have not been as talented as their playoff opponents. Having Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng out of action has only widened the talent disparity.

But what the Bulls lack in talent, they make up in sheer will power. That has been the defining characteristic of this team under coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibs always says the Bulls have more than enough to win — he probably would say that even if they had to suit up a few ball boys and a couple janitors — and the players believe it. Buy into it. Live it.

That said, Game 4 was the game when cracks began to form in that seemingly impenetrable wall of mental fortitude Thibodeau had built around his players. It was as if the team as a whole suddenly and unexpectedly realized how badly the odds were stacked against them.

It showed in every facet of the game. Yes, even the defense, despite the fact that Miami finished with only 88 points. The Heat still converted better than 80 percent of their shots at the rim (per Hoopdata) and scored at a rate of 106.5 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference).

Where the breakdown really showed was offense. Mind you, the Bulls have been a poor offensive team all season, and Miami certainly picked up their D in this game. But the Bulls were historically bad in Game 4. They compiled playoff franchise lows in points (65), field goal percentage (25.7) and third quarter point total (9). According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Bulls had never shot less than 30 percent in a playoff game, and they had scored below 70 points only once before, in a 95-69 loss to the Detroit Pistons back in 2007.

Check the shot chart if you have the stomach to do so. They Bulls were ice cold from everywhere.

Nate Robinson’s performance was symbolic of this group meltdown. Robinson — who has been the team’s best offensive player much of the season and certainly throughout these playoffs — went 0-for-12 from the field and was held scoreless in 32 minutes. He also had as many turnovers as assists (4).

As ESPN Stats and Information put it: “Nate Robinson’s 0-for-12 was two shots shy of the worst 0-for in NBA playoff history, a dubious mark shared by Chick Reiser (1948) and Dennis Johnson (1978).”

By the second half, Nate was gasping for breath and actually looked hesitant to shoot, which are two things I’ve never seen from him. It didn’t help that Miami’s defense was swarming him at every opportunity.

Said Shane Battier: “Nate’s the one guy on their team who can put pressure on our defense off the bounce. He can create havoc. He gets inside the defense, he scores, he gets the crowd going and suddenly … It best serves us if we make him work, if we make him take a few more dribbles. It starts with Mario and Norris … when we get up into the ball handler we’re an entirely different team.”

Added Robinson: “They did a good job defending of course. But I had a lot of open shots that I usually make and a lot of floaters that I usually make that I missed, but you can’t make every shot. At the same time you just have to know when it’s not your night and it wasn’t my night tonight. I just have to try to bounce back.”

Nate wasn’t alone in his offensive misery. Carlos Boozer led the team in scoring in Game 4 with 16 points but shot 3-for-14 from the field. Minus his Game 3 performance (21 points on 10-for-16 shooting), Boozer is averaging 9.3 points on 9-for-34 shooting. The Heat are pushing him out of his comfort zone near the basket and forcing jump shots over outstretched hands. And those shots aren’t falling.

But Boozer nixed the idea that he or the Bulls are running on fumes.

Said Boozer: “Nah, not at all. It’s not over by a long shot. You saw what happened last series. We were up 3-1 against Brooklyn and there was a Game 7. For us, we just have to regroup and get the next game and bring it back here for Game 6.”

That’ll be a lot easier said than done.

If you want to talk about signs of offensive desperation, Rip Hamilton — who had logged a total of 10 minutes and 20 seconds of playoff action in two token appearances against the Nets — played 22 minutes in Game 4.

Said Hamilton: “A lot of stuff in life you don’t understand. This is what I was brought here for. To not be able to play and help my teammates, it’s hard, it’s rough. But I try to stay positive. I don’t try to rock the boat. I just try be positive with them and let [teammates] know what they need to do out there and things like that. Tonight I got lucky. I got to go out there and play.”

Hamilton knocked down a couple threes, going 4-for-11 overall is unlikely to get him out of Thibodeau’s doghouse. If Rip plays in Game 5, his role and minutes will be limited.

ESPN’s Scoop Jackson warns not to give up on the Bulls in Game 5, but it’s hard to imagine what the Bulls could possibly have left. Rose isn’t going to suit up until next year. That much is obvious. Hinrich probably won’t be able to go. Deng might, but how much will he be able to contribute after losing 15 pounds and suffering through a debilitating illness?

Said Taj Gibson: “It’s hard to believe [all the injuries that have happened]. I don’t know, we’re just kind of putting screws and bandages everywhere. It’s frustrating. Every night, every day, we’re just trying to push through it.”

To a man, the coach and players will put everything they have into forcing a Game 6. But, unless they have one more miracle left in them, Game 5 will most likely be remembered as the last stand of the 2012-13 Bulls. There’s no shame in that. But it is a bummer.

The post When the will begins to crack appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Said Thibs: “When you play this team you have to have a lot of mental, physical and emotional toughness. Things aren’t going to go your way. That’s the way it is. You’re not going to get calls. That’s reality. We still have to find a way to get it done and we can.”

Thibodeau will have to help his team find a way to get it done with a little less walking around money, because the NBA fined him $35,000 for his comments.

No surprise there. If  Marco Belinelli isn’t allowed to do Sam Cassell’s “Big Balls Dance” after a clutch basket, the league isn’t going to allow his  coach to question their officials’ authoritah.

Thibodeau was particularly irked about the Three Stooges-style dive LeBron James took after a reactionary shove from Nazr Mohammed in the first half. Probably because it resulted in Mohammed’s ejection.

Said Thibs: “From my angle, I saw a guy basically flop. I don’t think it warranted an ejection. I understand a flagrant foul, I understand that, but ejection, no, nope.”

Added Nate Robinson: “You see LeBron in a lot of commercials, a lot of good acting.”

Of course LeBron flopped. He’s the most imposing physical specimen in the NBA…you’re telling me Nazr shoved him hard  enough to send him sprawling at least 10 feet? If you believe that, I know a Nigerian prince who would like to give you bags and bags of free money.

Said Mohammed: “It was a soft foul; it’s not like a fouled him hard. It was a stop-the-break foul. I thought it was a cheap shot throwing me down when all I was doing was trying to stop the break. … I’m disappointed in myself because I let my teammates down.  And I’m also disappointed because my son probably was watching the game and I don’t want him to see that type of behavior on the court. I’m also disappointed that it warranted an ejection for a push — when I got pushed down first.”

Added Taj Gibson: “[Michael Jordan] would get fouled and he would just keep playing. That’s old-school basketball.”

Yes, but LeBron is not MJ, and today’s league is not the NBA of the 1990s. That’s just the way it is. The Bulls have to realize that and play on.

Just  don’t expect them to get all soft and cuddly because of it. Quite the opposite.

Said Joakim Noah: “I expect the physical nature to continue [in Game 4]. It’s our only chance. … I think it’s very normal. You look at playoff basketball, it’s always physical. You look at every series, it’s physical. It’s just when you have somebody like LeBron James coming at you full speed, yeah, there’s a lot of contact. It’s just part of the game.”

Added Jimmy Butler: “We’re a hard-nosed, tough guy team. That’s what we label ourselves as. That’s what we pride ourselves on. We’re going to come out swinging. We’ll come out fighting. … Don’t give up any layups.  I feel like when they get into the paint, we’ve got to make them earn it from the free throw line. If we do foul, we’ve got to make sure it’s not an ‘and one.’ I feel like they’ve been getting into the paint entirely too easy.”

Maybe. Although, according to Hoopdata, the Heat only 13-for-21 at the rim in Game 3. That 62 percent conversion rate is nearly 10 percentage points below Miami’s regular season average of 71.5. But limiting the Heat even further would obviously help.

What would also help would be the return of Kirk Hinrich and Luol Day. As usual, Thibodeau says both players are day-to-day, although it’s unlikely either of them will be ready for Game 4.

Said Deng: “I did some individual work (Saturday) and I started throwing up a little bit. I couldn’t finish the workout.I tried to practice (Sunday) and the same thing. I just warmed up and couldn’t get through practice. My body, my system is not reacting well to anything I’m doing right now. It’s not as bad as it was before,” Deng said. “But I can’t even get through a regular warm-up.

“Just because you get a spinal tap doesn’t mean (the flu) goes away.I had that and then the reaction to (the spinal tap). It just sucks, man. It’s not like an injury where you can just play through it and it slows you down a little bit. It’s just one of those things where, not even basketball-wise, just doing regular stuff is hard.”

As for Hinrich, ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell reports that Captain Kirk has been limited to shooting and exercise bike work in practice. Which doesn’t make it seem as though his injured calf is ready for game action.

Meanwhile, the Derrick Rose speculation continues, but that’s all it is. Speculation. There are two camps: one that thinks Rose is a wimp and should be playing because he has been medically cleared to do so, and another that says he is fully within his rights as an athlete and a human being to decide when he’s ready to play. And of course there’s the organization’s troubling history of allowing (or even pushing) players to play with significant injuries further muddying the waters.

None of it matters.

Rose isn’t playing and won’t do so until he’s ready. Speculation — while tempting — won’t change that.

All of which means the Bulls will go into Game 4 the same way they went into Game 3: diminished by injury but determined to do everything they can to win.

The post News and notes heading into Game 4 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

As a result, Chicago fans were treated to one of the worst debacles in franchise history: a 37-point loss in which the Bulls were -13 on the boards, -18 in fast break points, -21 in points off turnovers, -25 in field goal percentage and -38 in points in the paint.

It was Miami’s largest margin of victory for a postseason game. And Chicago’s worst-ever playoff defeat.

The Heat scored 130.7 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference) and used a 62-20 run (not a typo) bridging the first and second halves to crush the Bulls like insects on a windshield.

Chicago’s performance wasn’t all that got ugly in this one. There were elbows and shoves galore on both sides. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson each received two technical fouls and both were ejected in the third quarter. Nate Robinson and and Marquis Teague were also T’d up. On Miami’s side, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Mario Chalmers all got techs.

A total of nine technical fouls in one game. And there probably could have been more. According to ESPN Stats and Information: “There were nine player technical fouls called, the most combined in a playoff game since May 7, 1995, when the Pacers and Knicks also combined for nine. The six player technical fouls by the Bulls were the most by any team in the last 20 postseasons.”

Even the fans were getting ugly.

Oh, right, and the officiating was terrible overall.

The Heat put their talent on display and quick whistles prevented the Bulls from establishing the grind-it-out rhythm they prefer. James (32 minutes, 19 points, 7-for-12, 9 assists) and Wade (28 minutes, 15 points, 7-for-11, 5 assists) looked like men among boys. Norris Cole (18 points, 7-for-9, 6 rebounds) and Ray Allen (21 points, 5-for-7 from the field, 10-for-10 from the line) were nearly perfect off Miami’s bench.

And the Bulls? They may as well have caught a flight back to Chicago after Game 1.

Yes. The Heat are that good.

Yes. At times, the Bulls can be that bad.

Don’t forget, Chicago was still without Derrick Rose (knee rehab), Kirk Hinrich (calf injury) and Luol Deng (illness). And the Bulls season was full of Jeckyll and Hyde performances, beating an elite team one night, losing to a lottery team the next.

The Bulls have been facing and overcoming adversity all season by sheer force of will. Last night, their collective will was cracked by the combination of Miami’s great play and their own frustration with the officials.

Said Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau: “You come in here, you’re not gonna get calls and that’s the reality. Instead of sprinting back to get set we’re complaining to the official and they’re laying it in. … We got sidetracked and you can’t do that. … You have to have poise under pressure. You can’t allow [calls] to get you sidetracked so you don’t do your job.”

The Bulls were unhinged and the Heat pounced on them. From Miami’s perspective, it was like a feeding frenzy, with plenty of red in the water.

Added Gibson: “We lost our composure as a team. Things weren’t going our way. You’re going to get frustrated, especially when you’re getting blown out.”

The Bulls will bounce back. Thibodeau will demand it. He will not allow his players to bemoan foul calls or rough play. He won’t accept them letting the Heat be the aggressors. These are reasons — among others — that the Bulls have almost always followed a lousy performance with a strong one.

That’s not to say the Bulls will win Game 3. But they’ll sure play one hell of a lot better than they did in Game 2.

The question is: will they do it without Gibson? There remains some question about whether the profanity-laden outburst will lead to a suspension.

Said Gibson: “I hope they just see that it was frustration. I have a good accord with [referee] Scott [Foster]. It’s one of those games that’s chippy; it’s playoff basketball, words are going to be said. I don’t mean any harm to Scott. He’s a good referee sometimes. Just got to keep pushing and move forward.

“I should have ended it a better way, and conducted myself in a better way and just walked away. It’s just frustration.”

There was plenty to be frustrated about. But Game 2 is over. On to Game 3.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-by-Play, Shot Chart.

The post Game 2 Recap: Things got reeeeeaaal ugly appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

If you’re currently experiencing an intense and overwhelming feeling of stunned amazement at what they Bulls are doing in these playoffs, don’t be alarmed.

It indicates only that you are still sane.

You know the drill by now. The Bulls are a depleted team. No Derrick Rose. Kirk Hinrich is day-to-day with a bum calf. Luol Deng had a spinal tap last week and tweeted a picture from his hospital bed last night. Joakim Noah (plantar faciitis) and Taj Gibson (knee) are playing through injuries. Gibson and Nate Robinson recently battled the flu.

All that and two days after winning a do-or-die Game 7 on the road, the Bulls had to face the defending (and presumed future) champs in Miami.

Mission impossible, right?

Never impossible. Not with this group. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau ripped the page with the word “quit” right out of the team dictionary, burned it, and buried the ashes.

At times, Thibodeau’s mantra of “more than enough to win” has seemed laughable in the face of the many injuries and misfortunes that have plagued the Bulls this season. But it instilled a sense of commitment and responsibility in every player on this team, from the front of the bench all the way to the end of it.

Take Nate Robinson.

The Bulls signed Robinson last summer as a last-minute afterthought. He was supposed to be a part-time player at best. With Rose and Hinrich both out, Robinson started at point guard, playing 40 minutes and 29 seconds. Little Nate finished with game-highs in points (27) and assists (9). He had more free throw attempts (10) than LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined (9). According to ESPN Stats and Information, Robinson became the fourth Bulls player in the past 25 seasons to have at least 25 points and 9 dimes in a playoff game, joining Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Scottie Pippen.

Not bad company. Especially considering Robinson is doing it for a little over $800,000 this season.

But wait, there’s more. Robinson scored or assisted on 25 of Chicago’s 35 fourth quarter points…and he scored 7 in the team’s 10-0 run to close the game. His clutch performance made him the only player in the last 15 seasons with at least 11 points and 6 assists in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. All this despite getting 10 stitches mid-game after busting his lip in a loose ball collision.

LeBron who?

Said Thibodeau: “He got knocked around a little bit, couple stitches, it’s all good. Get out there and get it done. … He’s about as confident as they come, and that’s the thing that makes him good. If he misses a shot, he has a very short memory. He always thinks he’s hot, never afraid, and will step up in a big situation. He has the courage to take and make.”

Now take Jimmy Butler.

Forget Robert Downey Jr. Butler is Iron Man. Incredibly enough, the second year man out of Marquette has played the full 48 minutes for three straight games, making him only the fourth player since the NBA-ABA merger to go the limit in back-to-back-to-back playoff games (per Elias Sports Bureau). In his previous two games, he spent those long minutes guarding Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. Last night he guarded LeBron and D-Wade all night. While contributing 21 points (on only 13 shots) and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Said Butler: “It’s all about being tough. We’re always going to be the underdogs. We take pride in that. Everybody can overlook us, but we feel like we’re good enough to hang with a lot of these teams. I talked to Lu before the game. He was like, ‘Take up his space, make everything tough for him, challenge every shot.’ Of course, no layups. I feel I don’t want to give layups to anybody, make them earn it from the stripe. Lu’s going to rest up and we want him back. But until (then) I guess I’ll be stuck guarding him.”

As Huey Lewis might tell Butler: The Bulls and their fans are happy to be stuck with you.

Said Noah: “I’m really proud of him. [He’s a] young player, but he played huge against the best. He’s like a brother and to see him shine the way he’s been shining in these playoffs … I knew he was ready but the sky’s the limit for that kid.”

Added Gibson: “He’s really talented and he goes out there and does the job, doesn’t talk back, just grits it out each and every night and he’s getting better each game I think. … He understands his role, he understands what this team needs. Whenever we’re down we can always count on Jimmy. Without Lu in there Jimmy just stepped up big and we just helped him. Whenever a guy needs help, we just help each other out.”

Helping each other out. That’s what this team does.

Whether it’s Noah with a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot) and great interior defense, or Marco Belinelli hitting the boards (7 rebounds) to make up for his poor shooting (3-for-10) or Gibson giving the team a big lift off the bench (12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, +9).

And there there was the defense.

In the first quarter, Miami was held to only 15 points on 5-for-19 shooting. They improved only marginally in the second quarter (8-for-20). The Heat did shoot 50 percent (10-for-20) in the third quarter, but they were only 8-for-19 in the fourth, including 0-for-5 in the final two minutes.

For the game, Miami shot a miserable 39.7 percent, including 29.2 percent from three-point range.

Most importantly, the Heat converted only 59 percent of their shots at the rim, per Hoopdata. Mind you, Miami led the league in field goal percentage at the rim during the regular season at 71.5 percent.

The Bulls played great individual and team defense, but much of the credit goes to Noah and Gibson, who both protect the paint and can switch out on perimeter players better than most big men in the league. Just ask Ray Allen and Shane Battier, who combined to go 4-for-14 from the field and only 3-for-11 from downtown.

Miami scored at a rate of 98.7 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference) after leading the league in Offensive Efficiency (110.3 points per 100 possessions) during the regular season.

Maybe the Heat players were simply rusty after a long layoff. They did miss several open shots in the early going. But the Bulls also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Heat 46-32, with a 26.5% to 15.9% advantage in Offensive Rebounding Percentage (per Basketball-Reference). In fact, Butler (14 boards) and Noah (11 rebounds) both outrebounded Chris Bosh (6 rebounds), Udonis Haslem (3 rebounds) and Chris Anderson (1 rebound) by themselves. Rebounding is about effort. And Chicago simply fought harder than Miami in this game.

Said Robinson: “I’ve played on some tough teams, but this one is a little different. There’s something special about this group. For me, it feels like we’ve been playing together 10 years. We love to play for each other, regardless. A couple of times in the game me and Jimmy had miscommunications and he told me on a switch to make sure to go under, little things like that. You make adjustments and you don’t need the coach to tell you. He’s younger than me and is telling me that. He’s helping me out. That’s how it is with each guy on the team. It makes it easier to go out and play, and it’s fun. I love the energy and passion. Teammates joke with me and it gives me confidence to go out and play with energy. I love the energy and passion. This is probably the best season I’ve had with this group of guys. God is good. I’m blessed and thankful to be on this team.”

And Chicago fans are blessed and thankful to be rooting for this team.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-by-Play, Shot Chart.

The post Game 1 Recap: Bulls prove to be tougher than the Heat appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

I was wrong. Obviously.

The Bulls continue to defy the odds. They’ve been doing it for well over a year now. I should know better than to doubt them at this point, but in some ways it’s like watching a horror movie monster come back to life over and over. We hit it with an ax…it’s still coming! We set it on fire…it’s still coming! We blew it up with dynamite…IT’S STILL COMING!

Frankly, there were so many reasons  — don’t let coach Tom Thibodeau hear you call them excuses — for the Bulls to fall this season. To fail.

Let’s start with the continuing absence of the team’s superstar. Derrick Rose, whose ongoing recovery from knee surgery has been making both fans and sports writers twitchy, hasn’t played a game this season and probably won’t. For his part, Rose isn’t paying attention to the criticism and seems content to wait it out until next season.

You know who else hasn’t played a single game for the Bulls this season? Omer Asik. Kyle Korver. C.J. Watson. Ronnie Brewer. John Lucas III. Management disbanded the vaunted Bench Mob last summer.

Then there have been injuries upon injuries. To Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Marco Belinelli, Rip Hamilton and Taj Gibson.

All the turnover and missed games led to a wildly uneven season. The Bulls scored several big wins against some of the league’s elite teams, but they also lost quite a few games to lottery teams.

But they never quit. Never gave up. To a man, the Bulls embraced Thibodeau’s “more than enough to win” mantra. While the Atlanta Hawks were tanking the final two games of the regular season in hopes of avoiding Miami in the second round, the Bulls were clawing and scraping their way up to the East’s fifth seed.

They knew that to be the best, you have to beat the best. So while the Hawks were getting bounced by the Pacers in the first round, the Bulls once again beat the odds and advanced to round two.

And the player who best personifies the team’s ravenous desire to win every game is Joakim Noah.

It’s stunning to think that Noah is the same guy who as a rookie got suspended for a game by his own teammates. Those days are long past. For the past few seasons, Noah has clearly been the team’s spiritual leader. With Rose still out and apparently reluctant to play, Noah has simply became the leader. After the Bulls lost Game 6 in Chicago, Noah vowed they would come back and win Game 7 on the road.

Then he went out and made it happen.

Noah — whose plantar faciitis was so bad a couple weeks ago there was speculation he might miss the playoffs — had a monster game: 40 minutes, 24 points, 12-for-17, 14 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 2 assists, 1 steal.

It was an historic accomplishment.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Noah joined Elvin Hayes as the only two players in NBA history to have at least 24 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocked shots in a Game 7. And Noah is one of only five players in league history to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in a game, joining Hayes, Kevin Garnett, Dikembe Mutumbo and Patrick Ewing.

Not bad company.

Noah did it all. With Deng (debilitating illness) and Hinrich (bruised left calf) sitting out, Noah carried the Bulls on offense and defense. He knocked down jumpers. He hit left-handed layups and running one-handed floaters. He repeatedly stuffed Brook Lopez.

What’s more, Noah’s offensive rebounding gave the Bulls second chance after second chance. In fact, the game’s most symbolic play may have happened with just under five minutes to go in the game. With the Bulls trying to stave off a Brooklyn rally and the shot clock winding down, Nate Robinson drove and threw up a desperate layup attempt that was way off the mark. But Noah tore down the offensive board and shoveled the ball back to Robinson, who found Belinelli for a wide open three-pointer. BOOM.

Those were the kinds of plays that Noah and the Bulls made all night. Except for one stretch of the third quarter, the Bulls were the aggressors. They were physical and relentless. And the Nets could not match them.

It helped that Brooklyn’s Joe Johnson (2-for-14 from the field and 1-for-9 on threes) couldn’t have located the basket with a GPS. But more importantly, everybody in red and black was stepping up. Belinelli match Noah with 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting iced the game by hitting four straight free throws in the final half minute. Carlos Boozer played strong (17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal) despite foul trouble.

Jimmy Butler didn’t shoot well (3-for-10), but he played all 48 minutes for the second straight game and did a little of everything (9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists). He was also a defensive demon. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Deron Williams went 4-for-11 and Johnson went 0-for-5 when matched up against Butler.

Even Daequan Cook (8 minutes, 3 points, 3 assists, 1 rebounds, +10) and Marquis Teague (14 minutes, 4 points, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot, +4) got into the act.

The Bulls used a second quarter bliztkrieg — 32 points on 13-for-21 shooting — to build a 17-point halftime lead. And as usual, the defense closed things out, limiting the Nets to 18 points on 7-for-23 shooting during the fourth quarter.

It all added up to the first Game 7 win in franchise history.

Said Noah: “I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”

As well he should. The Bulls could have been proud had they lost. They should be ridiculously proud that they won.

Said Boozer: “We’ve had that [“more than enough to win” mantra] since I got here in Chicago, man. You go in the locker room you see a big sign above our locker room that says ‘No excuses.’ We take that wholeheartedly since I’ve been here. Didn’t matter who was out — we’ve had guys that stepped up. Take your hat off to guys like Marquis Teague and Daequan Cook and Nazr Mohammed and Taj Gibson because they gave us a huge lift coming off that bench.”

Added Thibodeau: “I thought our guys, we took a big punch in Game 1 and we kept fighting back and that’s been the story of the season.”

Now here they are. Against all reason. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the defending NBA champions.

Said Noah: “We were in the locker room, everybody’s got ice, everybody is tired, it is unbelievable to share these moments. I’m very excited to face the Heat; you want to play against the best. This is what it is all about, playing against the defending champs. It’s going to be a war.”

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-by-Play, Shot Chart.

The post Game 7 Recap: These Bulls are Joakim Noah’s team appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.