Chicago Bulls
Bulls Top Cavs 109-108, Tied for 8th & Final Playoff Spot
Friday, April 9th, 2010 | Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, LeBron James, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls picked up a HUGE win over the Cavs 109-108 on Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago. It was a hard-fought battle and despite missing key free throws down the stretch that would have iced the game, the Bulls managed to hold to beat the Lebron James-less Cavs.
Derrick Rose led the way for the Bulls with 24 points and 10 assists. Joakim Noah started and played 33+ minutes in the win – 17 points and 15 rebounds. How good is it to have the big man in the middle again? Luol Deng chipped in 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Kirk Hinrich made 8 of 12 field goal attempts and scored 23 points. It makes you wonder where this team would be if they didn’t have to play without their 3 best players – Deng, Rose and Noah – for such a long stretch in the 2nd half of the season.
Now granted, the Cavs played without Lebron James in an attempt to rest the all-star for the playoffs run. But Mo Williams answered with 35 points and 10 assists, while Antwon Jamison poured in 23 points. This is a totally different team without Lebron, but a win is a win especially when every game counts.
The Bulls pulled even with the Toronto Raptors for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Bulls play the Nets in New Jersey tonight and the Raptors in Toronto on Sunday night. Both games are must win games for the Bulls if they expect to have any chance to qualify for the post-season for the 2nd year in a row. They finish up with the Celtics at home on Tuesday night and the Bobcats on the road in Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Raptors have the Hawks in Atlanta tonight, the Bulls at home, then the Pistons on the road in Detroit on Monday and the Knicks at home on Wednesday. The Friday and Sunday games hold the key — if the Bulls can somehow win both games, they should be able to lock down that 8th seed. Otherwise, we’ll just have to hope we get lucky in the lottery again like we did when we pulled the #1 ball out of the hat to grab Derrick Rose. Keep your fingers crossed…
A Night to Forget for Chicago Sports Fans
Friday, March 26th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, NBA, NHL, Sports | 2 Comments
It was a night to forget for Chicago sports fans as the Blackhawks lost to the Blue Jackets 8-3 in Columbus while the Bulls fell to the Miami Heat 103-74 at the United Center. Talk about 2 bad, embarrassing losses…
Cristobal Huet blew his shot in goal by allowing 7 goals on 27 shots on net. While Head Coach Joel Quinneville didn’t praise Huet, he also indicated that the rest of the team played poorly as well. It was the worst loss of the season for the Blackhawks – the 4-goal 2nd period for the Blue Jackets didn’t help. The Blackhawks trail the San Jose Sharks by 1 point for the top seed in the Western Conference, but they did clinch a playoff spot when the Calgary Flames lost to the New York Islanders later that night.
Back in Chicago, the Bulls looked lackluster in a disappointing loss to playoff contender Miami Heat. The Bulls failed to gain ground on the Heat who are the 6th seed in the East. The Bulls played a horrible 1st half, trailing the Heats by 30 points (63-33) at the break. Ouch… Taj Gibson (12 points and 10 rebounds) and Derrick Rose (12 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds) were the only 2 Bulls who had “respectable” nights. The Bulls trail the Toronto Raptors for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.
Let’s hope both Chicago teams can back in the win column this weekend in Chicago. The Bulls take on the 8-win New Jersey Nets on Saturday night at the United Center, while the Blackhawks get a chance at redemption against the Blue Jackets when the 2 teams square off on Sunday night…
Lucky #10 – Sort Of – Cavs Hand Bulls 10th Straight Loss
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, General, NBA, Sports | No Comments
King Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Chicago Bulls their 10th straight loss on Friday night at the United Center. Things have not gone well for the Bulls as of late, playing without their top 3 players – Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah – for a while now. Rose and Noah are day-to-day and could return to the lineup against the 76ers in Philadelphia tonight. But Deng will likely miss at least 2-3 more weeks, which means that his season could be over.
James single-handedly took it to the Bulls in Friday’s loss. He scored 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. He also had 2 steals and 2 blocked shots on the defensive end. With his dominating effort, James became the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 15,000 point-plateau.
There were 2 bright spots for the Bulls – rookies Taj Gibson (20 points and 13 rebounds) and James Johnson (16 points and 8 rebounds) both turned in solid efforts.
The Bulls trail the Toronto Raptors by 2.5 games for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. Given the fact that there are only 14 games left, it will be hard for the Bulls to overcome the deficit if they continue to play short-handed. If they don’t make the playoffs, the positive of getting a lottery pick doesn’t even help because they agreed to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the John Salmons-Hakim Warrick salary-dumping trade made right before the trading deadline earlier this month. Good job John Paxson and Gar Forman…
Chicago Bulls Slide Continues – Hello Lottery Pick!
Saturday, March 13th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, NBA, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls free-fall continued with their 7th loss in a row – to the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night. Playing short-handed with injuries to 3 stars – Derrick Rose, Loul Deng and Joakim Noah – Vinny Del Negro’s Bulls are clearly overmatched. Once a lock for the playoffs for the 2nd season in a row, the Bulls now found themselves on the outside looking in. The Bulls trail the Toronto Raptors by 2 games for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Can you say lottery pick?
In last night’s loss, the Bulls were forced to start 2 rookies – Taj Gibson and James Johnson, 2 older veterans – Brad Miller and Jannero Pargo and better-suited 6th man Kirk Hinrich. Ouch.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulls over the next week. They have road games against the Grizzlies in Memphis and the Mavericks in Dallas and then return home to face the Cavaliers on Friday night at the United Center. Can you say 10-game losing streak?
This would not be good for often-criticized Del Negro, but it could mean a good lottery pick for the team as well as a good chance to land a big free agent this summer. If not, it could be another long stretch of bad Bulls teams for the foreseeable future.
De Ja Vu: Rose, Deng Lead Bulls Over Trailblazers in OT
Saturday, February 27th, 2010 | Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, NBA, Portland Trailblazers, Sports, Utah Jazz | No Comments
For the 2nd game in a row, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng paved the way for a big Bulls win at the United Center. Rose scored 33 points – 12 in the 4th quarter – to get the Bulls into the extra period. Rose thought he had won the game with a driving layup as the horn sounded to end the 4th quarter, but the ball rimmed out. The Trailblazers held Rose scoreless in OT, but Deng chipped in 7 of his 23 points in the extra frame and the Bulls were able to pull away for a 115-111 overtime victory over one of the better teams in the NBA. Joakim Noah also had one of his better games since dealing with a severe foot injury – he scored 8 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 27 minutes.
The Bulls are now 31-27 overall with a stellar 19-9 home record at the United Center. The Bulls are in Indiana tonight to take on the Pacers, before returning home to play the next 4 games in the United Center against the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
Rose, Deng Lead Bulls Past Pacers 120-110
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, NBA, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Bulls kept up their fast start after the NBA All-Star Break with an easy 120-110 win over the Indiana Pacers at the United Center in Chicago. Luol Deng led the way for the Bulls with 31 points and 9 rebounds. He also blocked 4 shots on the defensive end. Derrick Rose just missed a triple-double with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Taj Gibson also turned in another solid effort with a double-double – 14 points and 11 rebounds (including 7 offensive boards).
Granted the Bulls 5 of 6 streak out of the gate is somewhat expected – they beat the Knicks twice, the Timberwolves, the 76ers and the Pacers. But in the NBA, you play your schedule and you have to win these games. The Bulls are now 3 games over .500 at 30-27. They have a lock on the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 1.5 games lead over each of the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. The Charlotte Bobcats are the only other team in the hunt for the 8th seed in the East (2.5 games behind the Bulls), so the Bulls are in a good position to qualify for the post-season for the 2nd year in a row.
Bulls Start 2nd Half off with Blowout Win over Knicks
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, New York Knicks, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls started off the 2nd half with a dominating 118-852 win over the New York Knicks at the United Center on Tuesday night. The Bulls outscored the Knicks in each quarter and shot over 60% from the floor for the game.
More importantly, Bulls star guard Derrick Rose led the way with 29 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. He made 14 of his 18 field goals and showed little adverse affects from the bruised hip he suffered in the final game before the All-Star Break. Head Coach Vinny Del Negro took no chances with the Bulls leading by so much – he limited Rose to just 27 minutes during the contest.
Luol Deng chipped in 18 points, Taj Gibson grabbed 10 boards, while Kirk Hinrich scored 14 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Bulls got back to .500 with the win. The Bulls are in a 3-way tie for the 6-7-8 seeds in the Eastern Conference with the Charlotte Bobcats and the Miami Heat. The Bulls battle the Knicks in the home-and-home series at Madison Square Garden in New York City tonight.
Rose Hurt, Bulls Lose in Home Blowout to Magic 107-87
Thursday, February 11th, 2010 | Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Sports | 1 Comment
Not a good night for Bulls fans, as Derrick Rose was injured at the start of the Bulls 107-87 blowout loss to the Orlando Magic at the United Center. Just over 2 minutes into the game, Rose was fouled hard by Magic star Dwight Howard. Rose landed awkwardly on his right hip. Rose made the basket and then the free throw, but the Bulls took him out of the game after that for precautionary reasons. Rose went to a hospital after the game to have an MRI done on the injure right hip and results will be forthcoming. Head Coach Vinny Del Negro had this to say about the hard foul and Rose’s status – “I don’t think there was anything intended there at all, just try to block a shot… Let’s see what the MRI says. Let’s see how much discomfort, how stiff he is tomorrow. Usually, those things tend to loosen up rapidly, and luckily, we do have the All-Star Break. I just hope he’s all right to participate because he deserves it and I want him to enjoy himself.”
After that play, the rest was history for the Bulls. The Magic outscored the Bulls 41-17 in the 1st quarter. Ouch! The Bulls outscored the Magic in the 2nd and 4th quarters, but it wasn’t enough. The Bulls fell back under .500 at 25-26 and they are tied with the Miami Heat for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks are just 1 game behind the Bulls and Heat, so it is going to be a dog-fight the rest of the way for the Bulls. They will need to get back a healthy Rose and Joakim Noah after the break if they expect to make a real post-season run during the next 2 months…
Bulls, Blackhawks Get Back on Track with Saturday Night Wins
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NHL, Orlando Magic, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks each got back on track with bug wins on Saturday night.
The Bulls defeated the Miami Heat 95-91 in front of a crazy home crowd at the United Center. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak after the team had played so well on their west coast road trip. Luol Deng (25 points, 7 rebounds) and Derrick Rose (24 points, 5 rebounds) led the way for the Bulls. The Bulls are tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the 6th/7th seeds in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are tied for the 8th and final seed in the conference. It’s going to be a battle down the finale 3 months of the season for these playoff-hungry clubs. The Bulls have 2 more games – tonight at the Indiana Pacers and Wednesday night v. Orlando Magic – before the NBA All-Star Break this weekend.
The Blackhawks defeated the Blues 2-1 on the road in St. Louis. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak – the last 2 of which were tough home losses in which the Hawks blew early leads. Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews tallied the Hawks 2 goals in the win, while Annti Niemi had a stellar night in net, stopping 34 of 35 shots on goal. The Blues scored their only goal with under 2 minutes to play in the game, denying Niemi his 5th shutout of the season. The Hawks still hold a 15-point lead in their division and they trail the West-leading San Jose Sharks by only 4 points for the best record in the Western Conference. The Hawks have 3 more games – tonight v. Dallas Stars; Saturday night v. Atlanta Thrashers; and Sunday afternoon at Columbus Blue Jackets – before the Olympics break.
If the Bulls and Blackhawks can keep up this exciting pace, Chicago sports fans will have a lot to cheer about at the United Center come NBA and NHL playoffs time in April, May and June…
Home “Not So” Sweet Home for Bulls & Blackhawks
Thursday, February 4th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, NBA, NHL, Sports | No Comments
Chicago NBA & NHL fans were eagerly awaiting the return of the Bulls & Blackhawks to the United Center this week. Unfortunately, while each team played a game at home in front of their raucous fans, the desired outcome – a win – didn’t happen as both teams laid eggs in their home court/ice.
Coming off a 5-game winning streak on the road against teams with winning records – the 1st time a team has ever done that in NBA history – the Bulls looked lethargic in their 90-82 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at the UC. The Bulls shot just 38% from the floor and pretty much trailed the entire game. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 18 points, while Derrick Rose chipped in 16 points. To put the loss in perspective – the Bulls were 14-7 at home during the season entering the game and the Clippers had won just 6 games all season long on the road. Not good. The Bulls get another shot at redemption at the United Center against Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Although the Blackhawks had lost the final game of their 8-game, 5-3 road trip all over the country, the Hawks were poised to make a good showing at home and improve upon their 21-5-1 record at the UC. After taking a 1-0 1st period lead, the Hawks collapsed in the 2nd period, giving up 3 goals to the Blues in a span of 8 minutes. Marian Hossa’s 16th goal of the season brought the Blackhawks within a goal with over 15 minutes still to play in the period, but the Hawks never tallied that final goal to send the game into overtime. As usual, the Hawks outshot their opponent by a wide margin – 34-19 – but in this instance, it didn’t equate to a victory. Patrick Kane scored his team-leading 22nd goal of the season in the loss. Luckily, the Hawks only have to wait 24 hours for a shot at redemption in front of the home town crowd when they host the Phoenix Coyote on Friday night at the UC.
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