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Maybe we shouldn’t get excited about a win over a team missing four of its best six players, as the San Antonio Spurs were last night, especially with the Chicago Bulls operating at what passes for full strength with Derrick Rose out of action. But then again, the Spurs are notorious — not unlike the Bulls, really — for soldiering on regardless of how many guys are out. Besides, they’re the defending Western Conference champions and came within 28 seconds of winning the title (sorry) and the game was in San Antonio, so whatever.

Anyway, let’s get to what we learned:

1. Joakim Noah makes everything better.

The difference between a Bulls team sans Noah and a Bulls team with Noah is striking and more than a bit concerning. For all that Noah was a game-time decision last night, he sure played like his usual self, slapping up 10/10/8 with 4 blocks in 39 minutes. If you really want to get upset about his minutes total, I won’t stop you, but the fact is that Noah sat down to close the first quarter and to start the second, and the Bulls’ offense essentially died. They went from up 9 late in the first to down 7 in the second after the Spurs rolled off a 19-3 run over 8 minutes.

But then Kirk Hinrich sat down and Noah came back, and suddenly the Bulls ripped off a 12-0 run of their own to close the first half. (More on Captain Kirk in a minute.) Noah is the hub of the Bulls’ offense these days, and the stark contrast between the effectiveness of the offense from Monday, sans Noah, to last night with him is hard to overstate.

2. Let’s make Kirk’s status as DJ Augustin’s backup permanent.

I’m honestly not sure whether DJ started last night because Tom Thibodeau wanted to ease Kirk back in after he missed the past several games, but this should continue to be a thing. Augustin has earned his spot as a starter, and even with a rough shooting night — just 6/17 from the field — DJ still posted the highest +/- of anyone on the team at +22. Kirk was -14, even with a strong performance in the fourth quarter. Single-game, individual +/- isn’t generally the most reliable statistic around, but in this case it backs up the eye test pretty well. As I sort of mentioned above, the tragic death of the Bulls’ offense late in the first quarter and early in the second coincided with Noah’s absence as well as Kirk’s presence.

Speaking of Kirk…

3. Kirk Hinrich >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mike James

I’m not a big Kirk fan, as you probably know, but Mike James is awful while Kirk is below average. As long as DJ’s the starter, I will be more than content with Kirk as the backup. Though it would be nice if Thibs would stop playing Kirk at the two so much.

4. 2012-13 Jimmy Butler is back!

Jimmy had his best game in quite a while last night, once again flashing the efficient offensive game that made me fall in love with him last season. He scored 19 points on 7/11 from the field and 4/5 from the free throw line, adding 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks for good measure. He also had to check Tony Parker for most of the game, making him work for his 20 points and 6 assists.

My speculation has been that Jimmy’s horrific shooting of late has stemmed from continued discomfort from his turf toe. To me, it stands to reason that a toe injury would make jumping more difficult, which would make it hard to keep one’s jump shot consistent. Furthermore, Jimmy’s lift had seemed lacking, which would help explain why he’s had trouble finishing at the rim. But last night, the jumper was there, and the lift was back, as evidenced by this dunk, which would fit in perfectly with any 2012-13 highlight reel.

That’s all I got. The Bulls have tonight off, then they’ll take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the second of a six-game western road trip on Saturday.

The post Chicago Bulls 96, San Antonio Spurs 86: What Did We Learn? appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

The Spurs — who are without the services of All-Star point guard Tony Parker — connected on eight of their 14 three-point attempts (57 percent), converted better than 54 percent of their field goal attempts overall, and scored at a rate of 116.4 points per 100 possessions. They also ran out for 22 fast break points and had a 46-22 advantage in points in the paint.

Meanwhile, the Bulls — despite hitting 45 percent of their threes (9-for-20) and committing only 8 turnovers — shot 36.7 percent overall and scored at a rate of 95.7 points per 100 possessions. They had a 14-5 edge in offensive rebounds but lost the overall rebounding battle 47-41…which is usually what happens when a team can’t hit and their opponent can’t miss.

Of course — not to make excuses — how much can you expect from a team missing their superstar (Derrick Rose), two starters (Kirk Hinrich and Rip Hamilton) and their top reserve (Taj  Gibson)?

It’s difficult to tell this from the final score, but the Bulls actually played reasonably well during the first 24 minutes. In the first half, they were 6-for-11 from three-point range and led by as many as 14 points.

But from the moment Marquis Teague — who knocked down the first three three-pointers of his career — put the Bulls ahead 46-32, things started to happen. Bad things.

Manu Ginobili hit one of those classic “released so quickly the defender couldn’t react” threes he’s known for. Then Marco Belinelli missed a layup. Then Kawhi Leonard got an easy dunk on the other rend. Then Jimmy Butler missed a layup. San Antonio’s Cory Joseph also missed a layup, but Tim Duncan got the offensive rebound and scored. Carlos Boozer missed an ugly 19-footer and Leonard got another easy layup going the other way. Suddenly it was 46-41.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau called timeout, but it was too late. The damage was done. The momentum had shifted. And although Chicago entered halftime with a 52-47 lead, you could sense disaster coming.

And it came.

In the second half, the Bulls shot 13-for-43 (30 percent) and got outscored 54-31, including 29-15 in the fourth quarter. The Spurs increased their defense pressure and (especially) their physicality, and the Bulls were helpless to respond. San Antonio bumped and pushed the Bulls out of the paint. According to Hoopdata, Belinelli and Deng were 7-for-8 at the rim, but the rest of the team went 3-for-13…including a combined 2-for-8 for Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.

Actually, things started going poorly for Noah after a second-half dust-up with Duncan. The two big men started jawing with each other, and as everybody knows, it’s not wise to jaw with Timmy D. In his latest (and hopefully last) autobiography, Shaq Uncut: My Story, Shaquille O’Neal said that he was never able to rattle Duncan no matter how hard he tried.

Said Shaq: “The Spurs won because of Tim Duncan, a guy I could never break. I could talk trash to Patrick Ewing, get in David Robinson’s face, get a rise out of Alonzo Mourning, but when I went at Tim he’d look at me like he was bored and then say, “Hey, Shaq, watch this shot right here off the glass.”

Sure enough, Noah went scoreless in the second half — missing a couple long jumpers and several layups — while Duncan (18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocked shots) went about doing Tim Duncan things: scoring, rebounding, disrupting Chicago’s offense with timely plays or by simply being there.

It’s an important lesson for everybody. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape. Don’t shoot a bear in the butt with a bb gun. And don’t piss off Tim Duncan.

So the Bulls were overpowered and blown out, much as they were against the league’s other “best teams,” the Heat and Thunder. Simply put, Chicago isn’t on an even playing field right now. Thibs might not like hearing that, but it’s true.

The ongoing absence of Rose and the on-again, off-again status of Kirk Hinrich has absolutely killed Chicago’s offense, which is currently ranked 25th in efficiency…below teams like the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings.

Boozer is suffering the worst shooting season of his career. Ditto for Noah. And Hinrich. And Nazr Mohammed.

Deng is having the second-worst shooting season of his career. Ditto for Gibson. And Belinelli.

It’s Nate Robinson’s third-worst shooting season. It’s Hamilton’s fourth-worst, with the other three being his rookie season in Washington and his last two injury-plagued seasons in Detroit.

My point is: This offense is terrible. Players are struggling. The Bulls don’t have a single player hitting 50 percent of his shots. According to Basketball-Reference, Chicago is 25th in field goal percentage (.436) and 28th in effective field goal percentage (.466).

The offense is flawed. The Bulls don’t take (29th in attempts) or make (29th in makes) many three-pointers. Per Hoopdata, they’re eighth in attempts at the rim per game (26.6) but only 18th in field goal percentage at the rim (63.7). They are fourth in field goal attempts from 16-23 feet (23.1) — the inefficient long two-pointer known as “the worst shot in basketball” — but they are only 20th in field goal percentage from that range (36.3).

According to TeamRankings, the Bulls are 24th in fast break points per game (10.1) and 26th in fast break efficiency (1.370 points per fast break). They’re also 17th in turnovers per offensive play and 23rd in team turnovers per possession.

Finally, the Bulls are 18th in both free throws per field goal attempt and free throws per offensive play.

To sum up: The Bulls don’t convert a high rate of their shots at the rim, take a large quantity of long two-pointers while making a low percentage of them, barely attempt any threes, don’t get many transition baskets, turn the ball over at a high rate, and don’t get many free throw attempts.

In other words, there is virtually nothing this team does well offensively, and almost every player is having one of the worst shooting seasons of their career as a direct result of that.

Said Thibs: “You can’t hold on to the ball. The ball has to move side to side. They’re too good defensively. In the second half we settled; we took some poor shots. With the depth that they have, they’re going to make you pay.”

Yeah, I see what you’re saying, coach. But this isn’t a one-night thing,and it’s not as simple as guys holding the ball too long. Everything about this offense is broken and has been all season.

Thibs continued: “We got to be more competitive. We got to compete out there, we got to be into the body, we got to be disciplined and we got to get things done defensively. You allow a team to shoot 54 percent or whatever, that’s not good.”

I agree that the Spurs sliced and diced Chicago’s defense. But they do that. And frankly, it’s much easier to get on a roll offensively when your opponent isn’t putting up any fight whatsoever on the other end.

A very, very bummed Noah said: “That’s a championship team right there. They do all the little things. Play together, defensively, everybody’s on the same page. They make very little mistakes. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due.”

That’s the kind of team the Bulls were the past two seasons. And even the team they were earlier this season. But there are too many injuries and the main guys are playing too many minutes. The Bulls don’t have the personnel or the offense to compete on a level playing field against the better teams. And even some of the not-so-better teams.

It is what it is, as they said.

Said Boozer: “We’re super short-handed. If we have our full lineup the game is different. You’ve got to remember, we’re playing without three of our best players. Not to make any excuses, but the facts are the facts. Reality is what it is. We’re OK. Got to get home, get a win on Friday and keep moving.”

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

The post Game Recap: Spurs 101, Bulls 83 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

San Antonio was without the services of Manu Ginobili (sore left hamstring), Tim Duncan (sprained left knee/sprained right ankle) and Tony Parker (swollen knee).

So the Spurs were on the road without their top three players — plus Stephen Jackson, who missed the game due to personal reasons — which should have more than balanced out the absences of Derrick Rose (left knee rehab) and Kirk Hinrich (sore right elbow). But it did not.

That’s how this season has gone. For every impressive win against a team like the Hawks, Heat, Knicks or Nets, there’s an equally depressing loss to the Bobcats, Hornets, Suns or Wizards.

And so, against the so-called “Spares,” the Bulls seemed to once again get caught playing down to the level of their competition. I mean, Duncan, Ginobili and Parker aren’t just three of the Spurs top players right now, they — along with David Robinson — are among the franchises top five players ever. With them out, it should have been advantage Bulls. Instead, it was just another in a series of mysterious losses that have been slowly piling up this season.

Nate Robinson was understandably mystified.

Said Robinson: “We didn’t make shots down the stretch and we couldn’t get stops for some reason. They have the best record in the NBA for a reason.”

Not making shots down the stretch is one thing, but the Spurs held a double-digit lead for long stretches of the game. That has nothing to do with clutch misses. And three of the reasons they have the best record in the league were wearing sports coats.

Maybe the Spurs simply caught the Bulls napping?

Said Taj Gibson: “I don’t think we took them for granted. I just think they came out and played harder than us.”

Played harder? That’s a little unthinkable given the Bulls owned an astronomical 49-26 edge in rebounding, including an equally cosmic 17-2 advantage on the offensive glass. Chicago outscored San Antonio 20-2 in second-chance points. So you can’t tell me the Bulls weren’t working hard.

Here are some of the problems as I see them.

The Spurs may not have played harder, but they certainly played smarter. To wit: The Bulls committed 19 turnovers to only 8 for the Spurs, and San Antonio finished with a 29-8 advantage in points off turnovers. Spotting your opponent that many bonus points off extra possessions makes it hard to win in the NBA.

Then there’s the issue of Chicago’s two All-Stars, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. They certainly did their job on the boards, considering they combined for 12 offensive rebounds and 26 rebounds overall. But they combined for only 18 points, including only 2 points in the final quarter, those coming off a 20-footer with 58 seconds left.

For the game, Deng was 4-for-13 and finished with more turnovers (3) than assists (1).

Look, I love Lu. He’s a character guy who gives 100 percent over long minutes night after night. He is a very good player. But sometimes it’s hard to see how somebody with a league average Player Efficiency Rating of 15.0 who is sixth on his own team in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes is an All-Star. Especially during games like these when the team needs a leader to step up and makes plays.

Deng is going through a mini-slump right now. In last week’s loss in Indiana, he scored 13 points on 4-for-18 shooting. Then he had only 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting in Denver. He was 6-for-14 in Utah and last night’s clunker has him shooting 18-for-58 (31 percent) over his last four games.

For the season, Deng is converting 42.5 percent of his field goals. That’s the second-worst mark of his career. His worst shooting percentage of 41.2 percent was compiled last season.

Thibodeau sees Deng’s problems as an issue of effort.

Said Thibs: “We have a lot of random possessions where guys don’t know what other guys are doing, leading to people being stuck with the ball, trying to make something out of nothing, going one-on-one. Then you have (four) guys staring at you and that leads to turnovers.”[Deng’s] not getting any easy baskets right now. So part of that is the discipline to run the floor hard every time, to get five guys to do that. if you have two guys run hard and three are jogging, you’re not going to get easy baskets.”

That leads me to another of Chicago’s problems. The Bulls are currently ranked a dismal 18th in Offensive Efficiency. Their 100.8 points per 100 possessions is barely ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers (100.7) and Sacramento Kings (also 100.7).

I blame a lot of their offensive woes on a lack of three-point shooting.

Look, it’s no secret that three-point shooting is the key to proper floor spacing. It keeps the defense honest and opens up room for guys to drive to the hoop or get wide-open looks. The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the league in three-point percentage (.392) and also happen to lead the league in Offensive Efficiency (110.3). The Spurs are third in three-point percentage (.386) and fourth in Offensive Efficiency (107.5). The Miami Heat are fourth in three-point percentage (.386) and second in Offensive Efficiency (109.9). The New York Knicks are sixth in three-point percentage (.381) and third in Offensive Efficiency (108.9).

And sure, having Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook helps the Thunder, just like having LeBron James and Dwayne Wade help the Heat, and so on.

Still, the Spurs were missing their big guns last night but still hit threes with a high rate of efficiency (8-for-16). That opened up space for Kawhi Leonard, who finished with a career-best 26 points on 11-for-18 shooting, and the Spurs scored at a rate of 117.3 points per 100 possessions (according to Basketball-Reference).

Five different Spurs players hit three-pointers last night. The Bulls — who went 2-for-12 from downtown — had only two players knock down threes: Nate Robinson (who was 1-for-5 from deep) and Marco Belinelli (1-for-3). Deng was 0-for-2, while Jimmy Butler and Rip Hamilton were both 0-for-1.

The Bulls currently rank 20th in three-point percentage (.348) and 29th in three-point attempts (704). Robinson shoots 40.6 percent on threes, but he’s streaky — Nate is as likely to go 3-for-4 as he is 1-for-5 — and many of his three-point attempts come off one-on-one moves that don’t really create opportunities for teammates.

After Robinson are Hinrich (38 percent), Belinelli (35 percent), Rip Hamilton (35 percent), Deng (31 percent) and Jimmy Butler (26 percent).

By contrast, the Spurs have several guys shooting 40 percent or better from beyond the arc, including James Anderson (45.5 percent), Matt Bonner (45.1 percent), Boris Diaw (43.9 percent), Danny Green (43.2 percent), Parker (40 percent) and Leonard (40 percent). Even Duncan is even hitting 40 percent of his threes this season (on only five attempts, but still).

All those three-point shooters create fantastic spacing for San Antonio’s offense. And the dearth of three-point shooters makes Chicago’s offense seem perpetually stuck in the mud.

Said Thibodeau: “This thing is going to be a fight. Our road is a tough one. If we are not committed to the grind, it’s not going to be good. … We can’t skip steps. If you skip steps that leads to shortcuts, that leads to losing basketball.”

That makes for a great quote, but the Bulls face an uphill battle every night. They have a great defense and a fundamentally flawed offense. The team has no three-point shooters and nobody other than Robinson who can create his own shot. They rely on execution and pinpoint passing, but when their ball-handling is off and/or their opponent has active hands — remember, the Bulls have poor spacing because they lack outside shooting — turnovers come in bunches.

So, in many ways, this game was a microcosm of everything that is wrong with the Bulls. Without Derrick Rose, there isn’t a single player who can consistently be counted on to step up and provide clutch scoring. Noah has never been much of an offensive player and Deng’s offense comes and goes. They can’t hit threes which creates bad spacing. And while they typically do a solid job of defending against threes — they rank first in three-point attempts against (814) and fifth in three-point percentage against (.342) — they will struggle if everybody on the opposing team can knock down triples, as was the case last night.

It’s the kind of loss that stings, not only because the Bulls lost at home to an undermanned team, but because it revealed so many fundamental flaws…some of which won’t be solved with the eventual return of Derrick Rose.

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

The post Game Recap: Spurs 103, Bulls 89 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

It wasn’t exactly Babe Ruth calling his shot in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, but Rose said up front that this was an important game, a measuring stick that would show how good the Bulls really were. Or weren’t.

To me, that was Derrick’s way of saying: “Look out. I’m coming.”

Well, he came, he saw, he kicked some serious you-know-what. Against the league’s best team no less.

Rose scored a career-high 42 points. He shot 18-for-28 from the field (64 percent) and 6-for-6 from the line. He dished out 8 assists while turning the ball over only once. He grabbed 5 rebounds. The only blight on his otherwise sublime performance was going 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.

And you want to talk about being clutch?

How about his 13 fourth quarter points? How about scoring Chicago’s final 10 points over the final 3:20? Or scoring 6 points in the last 1:15. I’m talking about drilling long jumpers with a hand in his face. I’m talking about getting to the basket at will and laying it in.

I’m talking about Derrick freaking Rose.

There are still plenty of people out there who, for whatever reason, don’t believe in Rose. Or maybe it’s that they don’t wantto believe. I found that out while participating in ESPN’s Daily Dime Live chat last night. A lot of NBA fans want to define Rose by what he is not. For example: He is not a pass-first floor leader like Rajon Rondo. He is not a statistical freak of nature like LeBron James. He is not the MVP of the National Basketball Association.

This is pretty standard stuff. It’s been going on since Day 1 of Rose’s career. He doesn’t have a jumper. He can’t hit threes. He doesn’t have enough assists. He can’t play defense. He doesn’t get to the line enough.

For every improvement in Rose’s game, there seems to be an equal and opposite counterargument against his emerging superstardom. A gaping hole in his game. A vital reason why he’s not as good as he seems.

During DDL, I suggested that I would not, at this moment, trade Rose for LeBron straight up. Not because I think Rose is better than LeBron — he’s not — but because he’s younger, has far fewer miles on his NBA odometer, has only begun to reach his seemingly limitless potential, loves the absolute living hell out of Chicago and has (by all accounts) an intense desire to represent both the Bulls and the city. And we learned last summer that LeBron doesn’t want to play for the Bulls, right? It wasn’t about who’s the best. It was about who was a better match for this particular team.

Seemed like sound logic to me, but I was accused of being an irrationally biased Bulls fan. Possibly unbalanced and in need of some serious mood-altering drugs.

Of course, all that talk got really, really, really quiet as Rose was dismantling the Spurs during the fourth quarter. Funny how that happens.

Anyway, there’s more to this story than Rose and his desire to be the best. According to ESPNChicago’s Melissa Isaacson, Rose’s big night didn’t come solely from within. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau gave Rose some serious motivation from without.

Said Rose: “He gave me a speech about being aggressive, a motivational speech. I love a coach where he’s showing emotion, even before the game when it’s just me and him talking. … I wanted to get up and yell with him but I kept quiet and tried to take that out on the court.”

I wanted to get up and yell with him but I kept quiet and tried to take that out on the court.

In many ways, that line speaks to the essence of Rose. He is quiet. His desire is high. His game is loud.

As Isaacson points out, Rose is concluding a stretch in which he has outplayed Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Tony Parker. The Bulls — who have played 18 games without Carlos Boozer and 30 games without Joakim Noah — are 38-16 and now have wins against the Spurs, Celtics, Heat, Mavericks (twice), Lakers and Magic.

For the record, Noah missed the wins over San Antonio, Boston, Miami, Orlando and the second victory over Dallas. Of course, the Celtics were without Kevin Garnett and the Heat were missing LeBron James. So those wins should probably be considered inconclusive at best.

But still.

Said Rose: “We have a lot of confidence right now, knowing that we can beat some of the best teams in the NBA. We just have to keep it going. When we come back [from the All-Star break], we have to keep it focused. We have to work even harder. We’re going to have a few days off and some guys are going to have the opportunity to have their bodies relax, but we’ve still got to go and try to win a championship.”

If you want further testimony, look no further than Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Pop is a no-nonsense guy and, if I’m being completely honest, my favorite coach in the league. He is not given to bouts of hyperbole, which makes his praise of Rose feel pretty special.

Said Popovich: “I thought the Bulls played very well. They were very sharp. Sharper than we were. They played a good, physical game, and that point guard, what’s his name? I didn’t know his name before the game. I should have checked. Wow. Wow. He was something. We scored 99 points and shot 49 percent and [made] seven 3s, so you think you should have a pretty good chance to win, but he negated that. So he did a hell of a job.”

Pop continued: “He has taken a monster leap this year. What’s really great about him is that he seems to love the pressure in putting his team on his back. He has the character and demeanor to do that. Superstars have that character and leadership gene.”

Carlos Boozer agrees: “He knew how important this game was, and he just kept going and going. They couldn’t stop him, and we told him not to stop. He just took over, and all we had to do was ride the D-Rose train.”

Now, I don’t want to go too far overboard, assuming I haven’t already. As always, this was a total team win. The Bulls shot nearly 54 percent from the field and outrebounded the Spurs 41-29. They also outscored San Antonio 44-38 in the paint while going 16-for-21 (76 percent) at the rim (Rose was 6-for-7).

Boozer (15 points on 7-for-14 shooting) and Luol Deng (19 points on 6-for-12 shooting) provided scoring assistance. Keith Bogans hit a couple threes, and we all know the Bulls are nearly invincible (16-1) when he scores at least 6 points. Kurt “Big Sexy” Thomas had a co-game-high 9 rebounds.

The bench contributed 25 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists. For a stretch during the second half, Taj Gibson (2 blocked shots) and Omer Asik (1 block) formed a nearly impenetrable wall in the paint.

This is for real, people.

Tom Ziller of SBNation correctly pointed out that San Antonio was playing the final game of their nine-game Rodeo Road Trip (although he also notes that the Spurs were relatively well-rested). And this was, after all, the last game before the All-Star break, which can result in a slight letdown, especially for the road team.

Again I say: But still.

Record-wise, the Bulls are just a hop step behind Boston (40-14) and Miami (41-15). They’re currently fourth in John Hollinger’s Power Rankings. They lead the league in Defensive Efficiency. And did I mention Noah (fingers crossed!) should return next week?

As ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell writes: “The single scariest part of Thursday night’s game is that the Bulls beat the best team in the league without having their whole team intact. … Up to this point in the season, the Bulls have yet to play a game when all of their key contributors have been healthy. Carlos Boozer missed the first month of the season because of a broken right hand, but when he finally returned, Noah was playing with just one healthy hand of his own. The 25 year-old center had already torn a ligament in his right thumb late in November, and he wasn’t playing close to 100 percent. Now everything is about to change. After the All-Star break, the Bulls will finally be able to see how good they can truly be. It’s a moment that Rose and his teammates have been waiting for all season long.”

Get ready for an exciting second half of the season.

Quote of the Night:
More Pop on Rose: “Wow! What do you want me to say? Good-looking kid, great demeanor, doesn’t beat his chest. Class act on top of his phenomenal play. All those qualities are going to serve him well.’’

TrueHoop Network:
48 Minutes of Hell: “Over at the Daily Dime (Friday morning edition), I make an argument that tonight’s Bulls game might well have been an NBA Finals preview. And if that’s the case, the Spurs will need to figure a few things out between now and June. … What I’m reacting to, and what makes the Bulls such a formidable opponent is the fact that Tom Thibodeau is not a Johnny-come-lately. The same defensive execution which took Boston to two NBA Finals and one championship has reared its ugly head in Chicago. The Bulls are for real. And it’s not surprising that, along with the Celtics, Chicago may be San Antonio’s most difficult postseason match up.”

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

The post Game 54 Recap: Bull 109, Spurs 99 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Stats from Basketball-Reference.

Spurs Injury Report:
Tiago Splitter: strained left hamstring (out indefinitely)
Antonio McDyess: thumb (day-to-day)

Overview:
Thursday night will be the Spurs sixth game in ten days, all on the road. It is part of their annual Rodeo Road Trip, much like Chicago’s on Circus Road trip. But unlike the Bulls, San Antonio has fared well on their extended voyage. They are 6-2 on the trip this year and are 50-22 on the trip since 2002-2003.

You’re probably saying: “But that was then, this is now; they’re not the same team as they used to be.” And you’re absolutely right. Their identity has changed. It’s no longer Tim Duncan leading them. He actually plays only 28.7 minutes per game. The rest of the team, including the bench, has taken on more of the scoring load. And this is something the Spurs have been doing for a long time under Coach Gregg Popovich: They play a full team game.

The same can be said for the Bulls, especially in their last game. Derrick Rose was a little off and the rest of the team stepped up. That’s what it will take to beat the league’s best team. (Although, hopefully, Rose will turn in one of his better games.)

The Spurs have the best away record in the league (along with the best home record). But it’s the last game of a long road trip, and the last game before the All-Star break. It’s hard for teams to get up for these games, especially when a break is in sight. Add to that the fact that their last six games weren’t against the toughest opponents (Kings, Pistons, Raptors, Sixers, Wizards and Nets) and maybe the Spurs won’t realize their walking into a buzz saw.

But with this Bulls team, there isn’t a need to hope a team comes unprepared.

They’ve played great all season, especially at home. They boast the league’s second-best home record at 24-4 (the Spurs are numero uno at 25-2). And the Bulls could have — and probably should have — won the last contest between the two teams, which took place during the Circus Trip. They outplayed the Spurs for three quarters in that game. It’s just that the quarter they lost, they really lost and ended up doing a full-frontal faceplant. They scored only 12 points in the third quarter and were outscored by 25 points (37-12).

But that was way back when the Bulls didn’t have their second leading scorer Carlos Boozer. And the starter in his place, Taj Gibson, scored 0 points on 0-for-7 shooting. They did have Joakim Noah, but he didn’t do much to stop Duncan, who scored 16 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.

Boozer could be huge in this game. Check out the splits: With the Jazz last season, Boozington averaged 25.8 PPG and 11.3 RPG against the Spurs.

So the question is: Which team will want it more?

Will Deng and Boozer be up for the game, their last chance to show why they should have been All-Stars? Or will they be looking forward to their weekend off, and ahead to the second half of the season? Who knows, but whenever two of the top teams in the NBA get together, it’s always entertaining.

TrueHoop Network:
48 Minutes of Hell: “The last time these two teams met was on November 17, when the Spurs emerged with a 103-94 victory. Derrick Rose scored 33 points on 27 field goal attempts, but the Spurs balanced attack prevailed. Parker scored 21 on 14 field goal attempts; Ginobili needed only 12 shots to score 20 and Duncan managed 16 points (although he did require 19 attempts) to go with 18 rebounds and 2 blocks. George Hill also contributed 14 points on 8 shots and Matt Bonner scored 8 on 5 attempts (with a laughable +/- of 29 in 22 minutes).

“The Spurs found success defensively when they were able to get the ball out of Rose’s hands. Rose had only 1 easy assist (finished at the rim) to go with 3 passing turnovers and his teammates struggled to convert their shooting opportunities despite the constant attention Rose commanded. Teammates made only 24 of 65 attempts (37%), including 4 of 13 threes (31%). The Spurs, meanwhile, made 48.3% of their shots, got to the line 22 times and grabbed 5% more offensive rebounds than the Bulls.”

About the Author:
Braedan Ritter was born and raised in Pennsylvania but was swayed by gifts from his aunt to follow the Chicago sports teams. It didn’t hurt that the Bulls had a guy named Michael Jordan playing for them, and the Sixers had…Derrick Coleman. Braedan has stuck with Chicago through thick and thin, and really thin (see: Chicago Cubs). And speaking of Coleman, Braedan is currently a student at Syracuse University.

The post Spurs-Bulls Preview appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Everything was clicking. The Bulls starters had stood up to their Spurs counterparts. Chicago’s bench was playing with energy and inspiration. The offensive execution was crisp and efficient. The defense was stifling. Considering the competition, it may have been the best 21 minutes and seven seconds of basketball the Bulls had played all season.

I mean, think about it. The Spurs were 8-1 and riding a seven-game winning streak. And holding them to 28 points during the first 21:07? We’re talking about one of the best scoring teams in the league. San Antonio came into the game ranked 2nd in PPG (108.9), 3rd in Offensive Rating (111.8) and 6th in Pace (96.3).

To that point, Tom Thibodeau’s defense was making them look like a bunch of pickup ballers who were playing together for the first time.

But here’s the thing about running, gunning, high-scoring teams. You never know when the dam is going to burst.

Obviously, the third quarter was a disaster of near-epic proportions. It was like some dark magic transformed the Bulls into the Clippers for 12 minutes. Chicago shot 6-for-23 and scored only 12 points. That was a season low for a single quarter. Meanwhile, the Spurs were like a napalm storm (15-for-21 for 71 percent shooting) en route to dropping 37 third quarter points.

The Bulls’ improbable 17-point lead had been voodoo’d into a 16-point deficit heading into the final quarter.

To me, though, the real trouble began 19 seconds after Asik’s authoritative slam. San Antonio’s George Hill knocked down a long jumper while getting fouled by Korver. Initially, the shot was ruled a three-pointer and it looked like Hill was going to get the chance to convert a rare four-point play. Thibs called timeout, and the officials correctly downgraded Hill’s shot to a two-pointer.

But the damage was done. That play gave the Spurs a little life. Hill hit the free throw to cut Chicago’s lead to 14. After the teams traded empty possessions, Tony Parker drove in for a layup while getting fouled by Korver. His free throw cut the Bulls’ lead to 11 with 1:59 left in the quarter.

In all, San Antonio closed the quarter on a 9-2 run cut Chicago’s halftime lead to 47-37.

So, really, as mind-numbingly horrific as that third quarter was, the final 2:34 of the second quarter set up what happened. If the Bulls could have just closed out the quarter strong, maintained their lead or even built it up a few points, I might be ooh-ing and ah-ing over Derrick Rose, who drilled four straight shots (including a triple) while scoring 13 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter.

Instead, I only see the little, disturbing details. Like the fact that Rose had only 4 assists and one measley free throw attempt. Like Taj Gibon’s 0-for-7 shooting night (he’s now 1-for-16 in the last two games). Like Joakim Noah’s 0-for-4 shooting from the line and his game-worst plus-minus score (-22). Like Luol Deng’s 6-for-17 night. Like the fact that Thibodeau was so desperate for a spark he put Scalabrine in for nine minutes…and Scal had a better plus-minus score (+6) than any of the starters.

Still, the Bulls played three really good quarters of basketball against a surging team that might be shaping into a championship contender. If not for a two-and-a-half minute meltdown at the end of the first half, Bulls fans might be celebrating a big win.

The loss feels crappy. But maybe — assuming the team can clean up some of the sloppy play that led to their third quarter collapse — it’s actually reason for hope.

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.

The post Circus Trip: Spurs 103, Bulls 94 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

The Spurs (8-1) have one of the best records in the league. They rank 2nd in PPG (108.9), 3rd in Offensive Rating (111.8), 6th in Pace (96.3) and 8th in Defensive Rating (103.8).

That said, the record could be mildly deceiving. Their one loss was to the Hornets (8-1), while their eight wins have been against the Pacers (4-5), Clippers (1-10), Suns (6-4), Rockets (3-7), Bobcats (4-7), Clippers (again), Sixers (2-9) and Thunder (6-4).

They barely beat Phoenix 112-110 during the Suns’ rough 1-3 start and the Rockets took them to overtime before the Spurs prevailed 124-121. San Antonio’s most convincing win was their most recent outing, a 117-104 victory in Oklahoma City. Of course, the Thunder have been all over the map during their first 10 games.

Still, even if their first eight wins were against opponents that have a combined record of 27-56, the Bulls will still have their work cut out for them. Especially on the second night of back-to-back road games.

The Spurs like to run and they rank 6th in Effective Field Goal Percentage at .521 (the Bulls are 7th at .520). They also get to the line, ranking 8th in Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt.

This isn’t your older brother’s Spurs. Instead of slowing the pace and pounding the ball in to Tim Duncan, they motor up and down the court, using Duncan in relief when the offense bogs down. As a result, Timmy is setting new career-lows in PPG (13.4), MPG (29.4) and Player Efficiency Rating (18.7). That said, he’s still averaging 8.9 RPG and 2.0 BPG. Make no mistake. Duncan is still a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking of forces to be reckoned with, Manu Ginobili (21.3 PPG, 40% on threes, 92% at the line 4.3 APG, 1.8 SPG) is having his best season and Tony Parker (18.3 PPG, 51% shooting, 7.7 APG, 2.2 SPG) isn’t far behind. And Richard Jefferson (17.6 PPG, 56% shooting) looks reborn.

Still, although the Spurs are 8th in D-Rating, they rank only 17th in Opponents Effective Field Goal Percentage (.497) compared to the Bulls 7th place ranking (.483). They can be scored on. However, they take care of their defensive glass (6th in Defensive Rebounding Percentage) and manage to guard people without fouling (4th in Opponents Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempts).

If the Bulls are going to have any chance against a talented, veteran team like the Spurs — especially on the road on the second night of back-to-backs — they’re going to have to shoot a high percentage (obviously), crash the boards at both ends (again, obviously) and they absolutely, positively must take care of the basketball.

Chicago ranks 23rd in Turnover Percentage. Last night, the Bulls gave up 29 points off 20 turnovers. Against the Rockets, the Bulls were aided by injures (Houston was without Aaron Brooks and Yao Ming) and saved by Derrick Rose catching fire in the fourth quarter. This team will get hammered by the Spurs if they don’t keep control of the ball.

Like I said, it’s going to be rough. History is against the Bulls, and I’m not just talking about how they’ve done on the circus trip since MJ retired in ’98. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Chicago is 9-26 (.257) all-time on the road against the Spurs.  That’s the Bulls’ worst road record against any NBA team.

The post Circus Trip: Bulls-Spurs Preview appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

According to Adrian Wajnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: “Everyone understood Chicago executives are now determined to move Thomas, and a clear price has been established for suitors: Expiring contracts and a future first-round draft pick, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Bulls are also exploring ways to package Thomas with guard Kirk Hinrich to free themselves of his contract.”

Wajnarowski continued: “Bulls management is telling teams they expect to take the bidding right to the Feb. 18 deadline. The Bulls want to avoid the possibility of Thomas accepting a $6.2 million qualifying offer on the eve of this summer’s free agency, which would deliver a major dent to their salary-cap space. Thomas, 23, will be a restricted free agent this summer.”

Chicago’s end-game is clear: Add a superstar — Dwyane Wade? Chris Bosh? Amar’e Stoudemire? — and another star or semi-star next summer. Oh, and a blue-chip draftee wouldn’t hurt, either. And players who aren’t part of that solution are part of the problem. Even if they don’t scream at the coach. (Sorry, Kirk. That’s just the way it is. It doesn’t mean we don’t love you. Or at least like you. Or at the very worst tolerate you.)

Here are some possible trade buddies who may be in the running for Chicago’s enigmatic big man:

Boston Celtics:
That grunting and panting you hear is Danny Ainge trying desperately to hold the Celtics championship window open a little longer. Plus, if Ainge wants to get anything out of Ray Allen’s expiring contract, this is the time to do it. We could see Thomas and Hinrich included in a deal with Boston.

Charlotte Bobcats:
Apparently, the Bobcats have offered Acie Law, Flip Murray and their 2010 first-round pick for Thomas. The Law / Murray combo represents over $4 million in expiring contracts, plus it would keep Thomas from accepting that $6.2 million qualifying offer. That’s $10 million in cap savings and a draft pick. Don’t we owe it to Michael Jordan to take his team’s money?

Denver Nuggets:
The Nuggets want a big man to bolster their playoff odds against the Lakers and their monster frontcourt. However, their roster situation doesn’t look very promising, trade-wise.

New Orleans Hornets:
They’re weak up front, and, as an added bonus, they’ve already traded with the Bulls once this season. That said, the Hornets are looking to cut costs, not take them on. And New Orleans is on the books for over $73 million next season.

New York Knicks:
The Knicks are trying to shift as many pieces as they can to lure LeBron James to New York this summer. But beware: They’re been looking to shed salary as much as anything else. Still, Al Harrington’s expiring contract might be an enticing offer…

Portland Trail Blazers:
The “Frail Blazers” lost both Greg Oden and Joel “The Vanilla Godzilla” Przybilla for the season. Those are their first and second string centers, by the way. Portland has been getting it done with Juwan Howard’s decaying corpse…but how long can that last? Also, teams have been scoring a lot of points in the paint against the Blazers. Thomas would provide depth up front and some interior defense.

It appears Portland “offered either Steve Blake or Travis Outlaw — both of whom have expiring contracts — and two future second-round draft picks for Thomas. The Bulls reportedly declined the deal, though, because they want more value in return.”

Sacramento Kings:
The Kings want size. They need it, really. And here’s an argument for Tyrus heading to Sacramento. Unprotected first round draft pick, anyone?

San Antonio Spurs:
The Spurs may be the only team that might be grunting and panting at their championship window more than the Celtics are at theirs. And no offense to Antonio McDyess, Matt Bonner and Theo Ratliff, but San Antonio needs some youth and athleticism in the frountcourt. At this point, McDyess and Ratliff are this closeto being legally declared “mummy” by leading mummy-ologists.

The post Everybody loves Tyrus (except, you know, the Bulls) appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

All joking aside…can you believe what we’re seeing?

Three straight games in which the Bulls have hit better than 50 percent of their field goals. Not bad for a team that can’t shoot. Three straight wins on the road against teams that are above .500. Not bad for a team that was 4-15 on the road before tipping off in Phoenix last Friday night.

Understand, of course, that the Phoenix Suns have been struggling and are only 12-17 since opening the season 14-3. The Houston Rockets are playing without their two high-paid superstars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady (that latter by choice rather than circumstance). And the San Antonio Spurs — the latest road kill on Chicago’s cruise through the Western Conference — are quite clearly not the NBA champion Spurs of old.

That said, those three squads are a combined 47-21 at home and 43-11 against sub-.500 teams. And yet here are the Bulls, suddenly 3-2 on their toughest road trip of the season and a mere on game below the .500 mark (21-22).

It’s pretty safe to say nobody outside of the Chicago locker room expected this, especially after the Bulls opened this seven-game trip with losses to the Golden State Warriors (who have the second-worst record in their conference) and the Los Angeles Clippers (who are, after all, the Clippers).

What’s even more fascinating is that the Bulls entered last night’s game ailing. Joakim Noah played through a case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and Derrick Rose was suffering from flu-like symptoms. But Chicago ended up shooting almost 54 percent from the field and took down a team that opened the season on the short list of possible championship contenders.

And now the Bulls have won 11 of their last 16 games.

If you want to thank someone, thank Derrick Rose. This kid has been on fire for almost two months. Rose has scored 20 or more points in 15 of his last 21 games, including four games with 30 or more. In January, he’s averaging 23.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 6.5 RPG while shooting 51 percent from the field. Rose has mastered the pull-up jump shot. He has developed a killer running, one-handed floater. He can penetrate seemingly whenever he wants.

Frankly, he’s playing like an All-Star.

I doubt he’ll make the All-Star team, mostly because he began the season so slowly and also because the Bulls — for all their recent success — are not considered to be among the elite teams (or even the pretty good teams). But there arent’ too many guards in the Eastern Conference who are playing better than D-Rose right now. Frankly, there may not be any.

Rose had to wrap himself in towels on the sideline because of chills and was limited to 35 minutes of action because of his flu bug, but he still finished with a game-high 27 points on 13-for-23 shooting to go along with 6 assists and zero turnovers. He also made a series of clutch plays in the fourth quarter:

11:12: With the Spurs leading by three, Rose hit a 15-footer to pull the Bulls to within a point (73-72).

8:57: Rose nailed a 14-footer to tie the game (77-77).

8:19: Rose drills a three-pointer to put the Bulls ahead by three (80-77).

7:47: Rose found Brad Miller for a three-ball that put Chicago up four (83-79).

2:57: Rose hits from six feet to put the Bulls back up by two (89-87).

0:56: Rose knocked in a shot from nine feet to put Chicago ahead by two again (93-91).

Those were six critical plays down the stretch in a huge win. Rose was — by far — the best player on the floor last night. Better than Manu Ginobili (14 points, 4-for-14), Tony Parker (20 points, 8 assists) and even better than Tim Duncan (15 points, 6-for-15).

Speaking of clutch, let’s hear it for Noah (11 points and 5 boards in only 24 minutes), who gutted out a foot injury to make one of the biggest non-Rose plays of the night. With 36 seconds left and the game tied at 93-93, Rose missed a driving layup, but Noah ripped down the offensive board and tossed in the go-ahead layup. The Spurs didn’t score again, and Noah finished things off by hitting three of four from the line.

And you know what? Because I’m feeling generous, I’m going to go ahead and give Vinny Del Negro some credit. Remember, this guy’s head was on the chopping block not too long ago. Fans were screaming for him to be fired and management would not give him a strong endorsement (or, really, any endorsement at all). But Vinny has very quietly transformed the Bulls into a top 10 defensive team (they are currently ranked 8th in Defensive Efficiency). He made the decision to start Kirk Hinrich while bringing John Salmons off the bench, which has benefited both players (and the team). And, more recently, he’s been putting Hinrich on opposing point guards both to slow down the other team’s offense and give Rose a break. Hinrich shut down Steve Nash and hounded Parker last night.

I’m just saying, all these things have put the Bulls in a better position to win, and that’s what they’ve been doing lately. Again, they’ve won 11 of their last 16 games. Vinny is not going to win Coach of the Year, and I’m not saying I want him back next season. But still…isn ‘t it time to give him a little credit where credit is due? At the end of last season, the Bulls made a playoff push with strong offense and a porous defense. This season they’ve been competing with solid defense and very little offense (until recently). That’s a pretty major shift in team identity to make on the fly. And, frankly, with limited personnel.

Of course, great players can make coaches look a lot better. And, as noted, Rose is becoming a great player before our very eyes. And Vinny knows it. So does Noah, who said: “I’m not gonna lie: D-Rose is playing at a really high level.”

And suddenly, so are the Bulls. Who would have guessed?

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

The post There’s no place like road: Bulls 98, Spurs 93 appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

That said, it was still a pretty gratifying victory. Here’s why:

1. The Bulls withstood adversity:
In the first half, they couldn’t have lobbed a beach ball into the ocean. Meanwhile, the Spurs were shooting lights out and Tim Duncan (28 points, 13-for-18, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks) was blistering any Bull who dared to guard him. But Chicago did what teams have to do on bad shooting nights: they crashed the boards. For the half, the Bulls had 10 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points…not to mention a 47-46 lead going into the break.

Joakim Noah was Chicago’s best player in the first half. He grabbed four offensive rebounds. He blocked two of Tim Duncan’s shots. He hit one of his patented ugly-as-hell jumpers from 17 feet out. He played with the kind of energy and intensity you won’t see in a box score. Trust me, his final stats (10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks) may not knock your socks off, but the Bulls would have gotten blown out in that first half without Joakim.

2. Tyrus Thomas came alive:
Let me put this bluntly: Tyrus sucked in the first half. After two quarters, Ty’s line was: 11 minutes, zero points on 0-for-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls. He was outplayed by his potential replacement, Taj Gibson, whose shooting was off but who grabbed three offensive rebounds and was aggressive enough to earn some free throws during the Bulls’ frigid first half. Heck, little Jannero Pargo finished those first 24 minutes with more blocks (1) than Thomas (0).

But T-Rise was the player of the second half. He led the charge coming out of the break, hitting back-to-back jumpers from 17 and 16 feet out. He blocked a Tony Parker layup. He blocked anotherParker layup. He swooped to the basket on a fast break and drew the foul from Matt Bonner. He grabbed some rebounds. He drilled another 17-footer. He blocked a Duncan layup. He threw down a vicious dunk (off a sweet assist from Brad Miller) and drew the “And one!” from Richard Jefferson. Chicago’s first two scores of the fourth quarter were a Thomas free throw (Antonio McDyess fouled him on a drive) and 17-footer.

Like Noah, Thomas’ final line (13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) doesn’t leap out of the box score, but he lit a fire under the Bulls in the second half. No question about it.

3. Luol Deng looked pretty good:
Deng shot so poorly in the preseason that I was starting to sweat. Fortunately, he didn’t stop believing in himself. He was never spectacular last night — not the way Jo and Ty were, anyway — but he was solid throughout, finishing with a team-high 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting to go along with 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. Those aren’t All-Star numbers, perhaps, but would Bulls fans be happy if Deng played like that all season? Abso-freaking-lutely.

4. Derrick Rose’s ankle injury was a non-issue:
Rose still played a little tentatively at times — or maybe the Spurs defense just made it seem that way — but he was still dynamic. Derrick scored 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting, which included three jumpers from 20 feet. But his best contributions came from creating shots for his teammates (7 assists) and — believe it or not — on the boards (7 rebounds). He also had a spectacular block of a Richard Jefferson layup in the first quarter. In fact, his defense wasn’t too shabby. You’ll notice his Spurs counterpart, former Finals MVP Tony Parker, finished with only 8 points on 4-for-11 shooting.

5. It was a total team effort:
This was definitely one of those “The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum of the Parts” wins for Chicago. This team doesn’t have a LeBron James, so don’t expect many 40-point explosions or out-of-this-world triple-doubles. But six Bulls scored in double figures (all five starters and Kirk Hinrich). Chicago’s reserves outscored the San Antonio bench 29-27, but the disparity was actually greater than that during the meaningful parts of the game (Gregg Popovich cleared his bench in the final minutes while Vinny De Negro mysteriously left most of his starters in until the final buzzer). The Bulls out-rebounded the Spurs 52-44 (including a 15-8 edge on the offensive glass) and had a 22-13 advantage in second-chance points.

Everybody chipped in. Everybody played their role. Guys were slappng palms and rooting for each other. The chemistry looked great. There was just good stuff all around.

6. The Bulls…played defense:
How ’bout that defense, huh? Holding the new-look (and supposedly super-deep) Spurs to only 85 points on 42 percent shooting was pretty sweet (even if Chicago’s 41 percent shooting was pretty sour). Sure, the Bulls had no answer whatsoever for Duncan, but Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to shoot 7-for-22 from the field, and Parker earned only one free throw attempt.

7. They also took care of the ball:
Last season and even during this year’s preseason, the Bulls were sometimes guilty of careless ball-handling. Not last night. Chicago committed only nine turnovers — four fewer than the ball-control Spurs — and surrendered only nine points off those turnovers. Two major keys to winning are rebounding and ball control (just ask the Spurs). The Bulls won both of those battles last night…and the game. Go figure.

Reasons for concern:
There were a few. Like how the Bulls were (just like last year) badly exploited by an opposing big man. Like John Salmons’ misguided shooting (3-for-15 overall, 1-for-9 from downtown). Like the terrible three-point shooting (3-for-16). Like the nine missed free throws. Like the fact that the Bulls have to face the Celtics in Boston tonight after beating the Spurs in Chicago last night, a game that threatens to kill all the good mojo created by their game-opening win…

TrueHoop Network:
Graydon Gordion of 48 Minutes of Hell: “First and foremost, games that look something along the lines of tonight’s are gonna happen and they are gonna happen on the second night of back-to-backs when we’re on the road against young, athletic teams like the Bulls. I can only assume Vinny Del Negro happily handed the game ball to Joakim Noah, whose six offensive rebounds are one of the game’s most telling statistics.”

Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.

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