Could this Bulls team be for real? The Bulls finished their annual “Circus Road Trip” with a 3-4 record. It may not sound like a success, but if you look at recent history, this is as good as it gets. The 3-4 record is the 2nd best record during the last 10 Circus Road Trips in November/December (the Bulls finished an even 3-3 on the 2005-6 Circus Road Trip). After crushing defeats to the Lakers (by 7 points) and Trailblazers (by 42 points) to start the trip, the Bulls rebounded with wins at Golden State, Utah and Philadelphia (the Bulls also lost at Denver and San Antonio).
The Bulls Sunday night start at Philly did not get off to a great start. After falling behind by 10 points after 1 quarter and by as many as 15 points in the 2nd quarter, the Bulls used a 14-0 run to trail by only 3 points at halftime. Then things got fun. The Bulls outscored the 76ers 31-11 in the 3rd quarter and cruised to an 11-point road victory – 103-92. Ben Gordon led the Bulls with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Derrick Rose had another double-double with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Drew Gooden continues to excel under Del Negro – scoring 20 points, grabbing 12 boards and dishing out 3 assists. Off the bench, Larry Hughes (16 points) and Tyrus Thomas (8 points, 4 rebounds) each had productive nights.
The Bulls defense in the 3rd quarter however, was the key. They held the 76ers to their lowest quarter point-total during the young 2008-9 NBA season. Elton Brand scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss. 76ers’ point guard Andre Miller also had a quality start – 15 points and 15 assists.
The Bulls return home to face this same 76ers team on Tuesday night at the United Center. They play the lowly Bucks on the road on Wednesday night, but then come back home for games against the troubled Wizards and Knicks on Saturday and Tuesday nights. You hate to look ahead, but the the Bulls should win 3 of 4 of those games, which would put the team back over the .500 mark at 11-10. Let’s hope the Bulls don’t lose focus now that they’ve returned to their home turf.
Tags: Chicago Bulls, NBA, Philadelphia 76ers
