The Ticket Chest

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.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA

Bulls Beat Bucks 108-95, Win 2008-9 Home Opener

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 | NBA, Sports | No Comments

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 in the Bulls home opener at the United Center. The night also capped off the highly anticipated debut of the Bulls 2008 #1 draft pick from Chicago – point guard Derrick Rose. After shaking off his understandable nerves, Rose responded with 11 points, 9 assists, 3 steals and only 4 turnovers. His 9 assists was the 2nd most assists in an NBA debut by any player in the history of the league (LeBron James also had 9 assists in his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers). Six Bulls players scored in double figures. Luol Deng led the team with 21 points, while Ben Gordon added 18 points off the bench. Tyrus Thomas had a double-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 1 blocked shot. Kirk Hinrich also had a solid game off the bench with 15 points and 7 assists.

The team effort was a pleasant surprise for Head Coach Vinny Del Negro who was making his head coaching debut in front of the hometown crowd at the UC. Because of injuries that plagued the team all pre-season, this was the first time that Del Negro had the full rotation of players (save Larry Hughes) at his disposal. And Del Negro used it to his advantage, mixing in players to take advantage of key match-up situations and the poor defense played by the Bucks. The fresh rotation of players allowed the Bulls to stay on top for most of the game – the Bulls outscored the Bucks in each of the 4 quarters played.

Michael Redd led the Bucks with 30 points, while newcomer Richard Jefferson added 15 points and 4 rebounds.

Next up for the Bulls – the defending Champion Boston Celtics who raised their 17th NBA Championship Banner on Tuesday night and then went on to defeat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in front of a raucous Boston crowd. The Celtics play good team defense, so we shouldn’t expect another 108 point outburst, especially on the road. But for one night, the Bulls came out on top, they played team basketball and they won a game that they should have won. That wasn’t the case during the 2007-8 season, so it’s good to see that the Bulls still have the confidence and the experience to get the job done down the stretch.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA

Bulls Welcome Skiles Back To United Center?!

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 | NBA, Sports | No Comments

Well, sort of… The Chicago Bulls open the 2008-9 NBA season with a home game at the United Center against the Milwaukee Bucks and former Bulls head coach Scott Skiles. After making the playoffs 3 consecutive seasons from 2004-5 through 2006-7, the Chicago Bulls suffered through a miserable 2007-8 season in which the team won only 33 games. Bulls General Manager John Paxson felt that Scott Skiles had lost the team and was disappointed in the way his players were distracted by off-season contract negotiations and possible Kobe Bryant trade rumors. In addition to firing Scott Skiles, Paxson and the Bulls also traded disgruntled forward Ben Wallace and veteran Joe Smith to the Cavaliers for Center Drew Gooden and Guard Larry Hughes.

During the off-season, the Bulls hired Phoenix Suns scout Vinny Del Negro as the team’s head coach. Del Negro has no coaching experience, but Paxson liked Del Negro’s up-tempo style and his enthusiastic demeanor which should blend well with the young, talented group of players that Paxson has compiled on the current roster. Del Negro had a successful 12-year NBA career and gained valuable experience in the Phoenix Suns front office. The Bulls also added 2 head coaches to Del Negro’s staff – Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff – who will offer guidance and insight as Del Negro matures as a coach.

The Bulls defied the odds in the 2008 draft when it won the NBA’s lottery for the top pick in the 2008 draft. The Bulls selected hometown sensation Derrick Rose who lead his team to the NCAA Final Four Championship Game in his freshman season at Memphis University. Paxson and the Bulls hope Rose can bring his up-tempo style of play and winning ways to the United Center. The Bulls are guard heavy – Rose, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Larry Hughes and Thabo Sefolosha. So Del Negro will have to quickly determine the rotations that work best together early in the season. The Bulls also hope that Luol Deng will return to his 2006-7 form that saw him play like an elite NBA star on a consistent basis and that Tyrus Thomas will show more signs of development expected in a 3rd year player. If Deng and Thomas elevate their level of play, the rest of the team will benefit and it will take some of the pressure off rookie Rose.

Del Negro and the Bulls will be under the gun, however. After opening against the Bucks at home, the Bulls will have to play several 2007-8 playoff teams in October and November: the Celtics, Magic, Cavaliers (twice), Suns, Hawks, Mavericks, Lakers, Trailblazers, Warriors, Nuggets, Jazz, Spurs and 76ers. This schedule shapes up to be one of the toughest in the league, and the Bulls will have little time for growing pains under Del Negro. The Bulls players and fans will have to be patient and focus on fundamentals and playing one game at a time during this early stretch. It will be a test of Del Negro’s mettle to maintain control and stay optimistic during this early stretch. If the Bulls can emerge out of this stretch just a few games under .500, Del Negro and the Bulls should view that as a success and try to build off the team play for the rest of the season.

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA