Chicago Bulls
Is Vinny on his way out?
Monday, December 28th, 2009 | Chicago Bulls | No Comments
ESPN is reporting that Vinny Del Negro is on his way out and that the Chicago Bulls have already made the decision to fire him as soon as a replacement can be found. There have been discussions within the Bulls organization to have John Paxson, the executive vice president of basketball operations, take over as the coach, but he declined this idea. Also, according to ESPN’s sources the Bulls called Doug Collins, who was a candidate two years ago for the job before Del Negor was hired, but he was said to have turned them down.
There are plenty of available coaches in the NBA, Byron Scott was just fired by New Orleans and would fit much better then Del Negor. There is also, Avery Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, Sam Mitchell, and Lawrence Franks. Scott, Johnson, and Mitchell have all been coaches of the year. It is rumored that Avery Johnson will go to New Orleans or New Jersey so Chicago may be out of luck with him.
Bulls are going to game 7
Friday, May 1st, 2009 | Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, NBA | No Comments
The Bulls pulled out a big win Thursday night in Chicago 128-127 in triple overtime. This is the fourth game to go into overtime, two of them went into multiple OTs. This game had it all Rajon Rondo threw Kirk Hinrich into a table and Ray Allen scored an amazing 51 points. These two teams are playing like this is the finals and in reality its only the first round. The Bulls unlikely savior Joakim Noah had a big steal with 38.9 seconds in the third OT that got him 2 and got Pierce to commit his sixth and final foul. Derrick Rose showed Rajon Rondo who’s house he was in with a block in the third OT with only 8.2 seconds left. These games bring back the memories of MJ, Bulls fans haven’t been this excited about basketball in years. Game 7 is Saturday in Boston and I’m sure all of Chicago will be watching this game.
Bulls beat Celtics on Saint Patrick’s Day
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 | NBA | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls stormed back from a 13-point deficit to beat the Celtics even after Pierce’s has 37 points. John Salmons had tied a career high 38 points which helped the Bulls win 127-121. The Celtics were coming off an 86-77 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday and set a season low points and this is not helping the team trying to lock down home-court advantage in the playoffs. This is not the first time in the last week the Bulls have shocked us, on Saturday they beat New Orleans 97-79 who is also a playoff-bound team. The Bulls shot 70 percent in the fourth quarter, and Miller scored 13 of his 21 points.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| Boston (50-18) | 26 | 29 | 35 | 31 | 121 |
| Chicago (31-37) « | 34 | 20 | 35 | 38 | 127 |
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Bulls Looking Good After All-Star Break, Top Nuggets 116-99
Saturday, February 21st, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
Friday night’s contest against the Denver Nuggets was a formidable one for the Chicago Bulls. Denver is the 3rd best team in the Western Conference, and the Bulls only had the services of 8 players due to 2 recent trades that left the Bulls bench depleted until physicals had been completed. It looked like a recipe for disaster.
The Bulls responded to adversity, however, and overcame a roller coaster 1st half to pull away in the 4th quarter, en route to a 17-point victory. The Bulls fell behind in the 1st quarter trailing by 12 points after the game’s 1st 12 minutes. But the Bulls countered with a 35-23 2nd quarter edge to even up the score by halftime. Ben Gordon led the Bulls in scoring with 37 points. Luol Deng (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Tyrus Thomas (21 points and 12 rebounds) both had monster games for the Bulls, while Derrick Rose put another solid effort in reduced minutes – 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 27 minutes. Kirk Hinrich also came off the bench to score 9 points and dish out 8 assists in 31 minutes of playing time.
For the Nuggets, Chauncey Billups led the team with 25 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. The Bulls kept Carmelo Anthony in check – 12 points and 8 rebounds in a limited 31 minutes of playing time because of foul trouble.
The Bulls are 25-30 and sit just 1/2 game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. With the solid play, the Bulls are also trying to make a push for a higher seed in the East – trailing the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons by only 3 games for the 6th and 7th seeds and the Miami Heat by only 4 games for the 5th seed in the East.
Bulls Get Off To Good Post All-Star Game Start With 113-104 Win Over Bucks
Friday, February 20th, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
So far so good for the Chicago Bulls after the All-Star Break. The Bulls were going up against the Milwaukee Bucks – the team in control of the coveted 8th seed in the Eastern Conference – on their home court in Milwaukee. A loss would put a frustrating tone on the 2nd half of the season. A win would give the Bulls the confidence they needed to make a strong run at the playoffs in the East. Earlier in the day, the Bulls traded Drew Gooden, Andrew Nocioni, Cedric Simmons and Michael Ruffin to the Sacramento Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons. How would the team react – how would the game play out.
Despite trailing by 2 points at halftime, the Bulls put together a solid 2nd half to pull away with a 1134-104 victory. Kirk Hinrich led all Bulls scorers with 31 points. He also added 2 assists and 4 steals. Derrick Rose had a great all-around night – 18 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, but he also committed 7 turnovers, which caused head coach Vinny Del Negro to play him only 25 minutes. Luol Deng scored 21 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. While Ben Gordon added 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.
The Bulls now trail the Bucks by 1.5 games for the 8th seed in the East. Next up for the Bulls is a contest against the Denver Nuggets at the United Center on Friday night.
Bulls Pull Off Dramatic 107-102 Win Over Pistons
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
It was a roller coaster ride on Tuesday night at the United Center. The Bulls were up 8 points after 1 quarter, down by 1 point at halftime, down 12 points by the end of the 3rd quarter and still down by 10 points (100-90) with only 3 minutes left in the game. But somehow, some way, the Bulls found the will to win for Johnny “Red” Kerr on Tuesday night at the United Center – their first home game since their January 23rd 20-point blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls scored the next 9 points in the game to cut the Pistons lead to 1. After Rasheed Wallace knocked down 2 free throws to give the Pistons a 3-point lead, the Bulls scored the games final 8 points to secure the win. Derrick Rose converted a key layup to pull the Bulls within 1 point, and Ben Gordon’s four-point play (after a Derrick Rose rejection which Rose recovered and dished out to Gordon) put the Bulls ahead for good.
The Bulls received quality games from 5 players – Tyrus Thomas (22 points, 10 rebounds – 6 offensive); Derrick Rose (23 points, 4 assists); Ben Gordon(24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists); Joakim Noah (12 points, 16 rebounds – 8 offensive); Andres Nocioni (14 points, 4 rebounds).
It was an emotional night as the Bulls unveiled a statue of Johnny Kerr holding a microphone that will be displayed inside the United Center. In addition to speeches by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, President Barack Obama and NBA Commissioner David Stern recorded taped messages to honor Kerr. Kerr is a Chicago native who coached the Chicago Bulls in their inaugural season and broadcast their games on television for more than 30 years. Kerr was in a wheel chair as he is battling a fight with cancer.
Next up for the Bulls is another important Eastern Conference match-up against the Miami Heat on Thursday night at the United Center. A win will give the team some momentum going into the All-Star Break and give the team some confidence as they open the post-All-Star Break schedule against the Milwaukee Bucks – the team directly ahead of them for the race for the 8th seed in the East. Go Bulls!
Tough Loss To Mavs Brings Sour End To Bulls 7-Game Road Trip
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
If you had told the Bulls before their 7-game road trip that they would win more than they lost during the 2 week stretch, every player, coach and executive would have jumped at that opportunity. After losing to the Mavericks 115-114 in overtime in Dallas on Saturday, preventing the Bulls from winning a 5th game on the road trip, it left you feeling like it was a poor road trip instead of a great one. That being said, with this team, you have to keep a focus on the positives. They lost by a total of 9 points in the 3 losses – 2 of which were 1 point overtime losses that could have gone either way. The Bulls are still 7 games under .500 at 22-29, but they return to the United Center with an important 2-game home stand before the All-Star Break. The Bulls face 2 teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference playoff race – the Detroit Pistons (27-22) on Tuesday night (6 games ahead of the Bulls) and the Miami Heat (27-23) on Thursday night (5.5 games ahead of the Bulls). This is the perfect opportunity for the Bulls to show that they will be a force to reckon with down the stretch playoff run. If the Bulls win both games, it will go a long way for the morale of the players and the coaching staff and demonstrate that the Bulls can realistically compete with all but 3 of the teams in the Eastern Conference. If the Bulls split or lose both games, it will be a good indication that they are a team on the rise with budding super star Derrick Rose, but that they still have a long way to go if they want to consider themselves and elite team in the East.
Time will tell. Ben Gordon leads the team in scoring with a 20.1 average. Derrick Rose leads the team with assists with a 6.4 average. Joakim Noah leads the team in rebounding with a 6.3 average. Noah and Thomas really played consistent, energetic ball throughout the road trip, and will need to step up in this week’s games against the Pistons and Heat. If Luol Deng can remain a focus of the offense in the coming weeks, it will bode well for the Bulls to spread out the scoring over each of the 5 starters. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out – 2 wins this week will surely invigorate the city of Chicago for a possible Bulls return to the 2008-9 NBA playoffs.
No Paul, Chandler, Bulls Top Hornets 107-93 in French Quarter
Thursday, February 5th, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
No Chris Paul. No Tyson Chandler. The Bulls don’t even want to hear it. A win is a win, especially when it’s against the 5th best team in the Western Conference on their home court in the French Quarter. The Bulls put together back-to-back 31 point quarters to take a commanding 62-44 halftime lead over the Hornets in New Orleans. Instead of faltering as the Bulls have done so many times this season, the Bulls held off the Hornets with a 18-17 3rd quarter edge to increase the lead to 19 points at the start of the 4th quarter. The rest was history.
Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. But the real story was the 2 big men – Tyrus Thomas scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Joakim Noah scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. For Thomas, it was his 4th double-double in 5 games – a career stretch for the under-achieving forward. Ben Gordon added 19 points and 7 assists, while Luol Deng chipped in 13 points and 4 rebounds. All 5 Bulls starters scored in double-digits.
For the Hornets, it wasn’t easy playing without Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler. David West and Peja Stojakovic tried to pick up the slack, but it wasn’t enough. Each player scored 24 points and West was a force underneath – grabbing 14 rebounds, 8 of which were on the offensive end.
The Bulls now have 4 wins on the current 7-game road trip. If the Bulls can somehow manage a win at against the Mavericks in Dallas on Friday night, they could emerge from the daunting road trip with a 5-2 record, clawing themselves back to just 5 games under .500 at 23-28. With significant injuries affecting teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference playoff race, there is reason to have optimism if you are a Bulls fan. The Philadelphia 76ers just lost Elton Brand for the season and the Milwaukee Bucks lost Michael Redd for the season and Andrew Bogut for up to 10 weeks. If those 2 teams take a step back because of the injuries, that could open some space for the Bulls to make a run at a playoff spot for the 2009 NBA playoffs.
Rockets Snap Bulls 3-Game Winning Streak With 107-100 Win
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
All good things must come to an end. The Houston Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls 107-100 on Tuesday night in Houston. It was only the 4th time all season that the Rockets super-star three-some – Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest – had played in the same together. Ming led the Rockets with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. McGrady added 16 points, 3 boards and 6 assists. While Artest scored 10 points and dished out 6 assists in only 27 minutes off the bench. Luis Scola, the Rockets underrated Forward, scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds, as he continuously out-played the smaller Bulls forwards. The Rockets are now 30-19 and are tied with the New Orleans Hornets for the 5th seed in the West.
Despite having 6 players with double-digits points, the Bulls still lost. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 28 points and 6 rebounds. Tyrus Thomas chipped in 14 points and 13 rebounds. Derrick Rose turned in another solid all-around game – 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Ben Gordon chipped in 20 points and added 6 rebounds.
Next up for the Bulls is a match-up against the Hornets in New Orleans tonight. Hornets super-star Chris Paul injured his groin on Monday night and may not be in the lineup tonight against the Bulls – good news for us Bulls fans!
What Is Going On With The Bulls – Beat Suns For 3rd Straight W
Monday, February 2nd, 2009 | Chicago Bulls, NBA, Sports | No Comments
With the Bulls win over the Suns on Saturday night, they accomplished 2 first for the 2008-9 NBA season. It marked the 1st time the Bulls had won 3 games in a row this season, and the 1st time the Bulls had won 3 games in a row on the road this season. Pretty sad, given the fact that the Bulls have already played 48 games. Just when you think they are left for dead after a 5-game losing streak, the Bulls have won 3 games in a row and still sit just 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. As crazy as it sounds, the Bulls are only 5 games behind each of the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons for the 5th and 6th seeds in the Eastern Conference, and they still have several games left against each of those teams. Wouldn’t it be a great story if the Bulls do continue to play well and find themselves in the mix for a spot in the playoffs during the last few weeks of the season. It sure would, but let’s not get too crazy right now.
My prediction – the Bulls lose the last 3 games of the road trip – - Houston, New Orleans and Dallas; fall back to 9 games under .500; and we go back to talking about the Bulls chances of getting another lottery pick.
Now for the game. The Bulls led by 4 points after the 1st quarter, and still held a 3-point lead through the game’s first 36 minutes. And instead of collapsing like they have done so often this season, the Bulls used a 36-28 4th quarter edge to pull away to the 122-111 victory. Seven Bulls players scored in double-digits – led by Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose who each scored 26 points. Gordon also added 6 assists, while Rose grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. Tyrus Thomas scored 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, while Joakim Noah chipped in with 8 rebounds. Luol Deng rounded out the good starts from the starters with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Off the bench, Kirk Hinrich (15 points and 6 assists), Andres Nocioni (11 points), and Tabo Sefolosha (11 points and 8 rebounds) all put forth solid efforts.
The Suns also had players turn in great performances. Leandro Barbosa led the Suns with 32 points on 11 of 17 shooting from the floor. Steve Nash had 15 points and 10 assists; Shaquille O’Neal had 18 points and 8 rebounds; and Grant Hill added 19 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds.
Both teams shot over 50% from the floor, with the Bulls shooting 47% from 3-point range and the Suns shooting 36% from 3-point range.
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