No Big Macs For You!

The night was ruined because Derrick Rose missed both free throws at the end, either one of which could have sent the fans away with a chance to redeem their tickets for free Big Macs. Absolutely nothing else about tonight's game against the New Orleans Hornets was worth remembering.

Okay, maybe that's not true, but you couldn't tell by the way some people left the United Center tonight. In any case, a 99-95 victory was what they had to settle for. They better be lucky they got it too because they almost had to leave with neither.

In the first quarter, it looked like it would be about as laughable as the meeting in New Orleans earlier this month, but then, the Hornets cracked down on defense and took advantage of Bulls turnovers, giving them a three-point halftime lead. The Bulls rebounded, but as the game reached its waning moments, the Hornets took a four-point lead and holding their hosts without a point for a good stretch. Finally, Derrick Rose decided enough was enough and helped spark a comeback that culminated with the game-winning shot which fell in thanks to a friendly roll.

If you're a fan of games that shouldn't be as close as they are, then this one was for you. Otherwise, you most likely got frustrated. Yes, the Hornets stopped Linsanity recently, but that didn't make this one any easier to watch. It's not like the Bulls to turn it over as much as they did or have trouble handling the ball. It still happened though. Tom Thibodeau clearly wasn't happy and I'm sure there was still some discussion going on afterward. Not gonna beat Miami playing the way they did tonight.

Plenty of highlights however. Rose stepped up not only in the clutch, but on the score sheet. He had 32 points and nine assists. Joakim Noah came out hot and with plenty of energy in the first quarter. Another double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds. Luol Deng decided he wanted some of that too, so he collected 14 points and 11 boards. Carlos Boozer shot 50 percent from the field and poured in 14 of his own.

Rip Hamilton returned to the starting lineup tonight and was somewhat limited, but he still showed how valuable he can be. Probably best to ease him back in rather than risk further injury against an inferior opponent. Maybe he'll get more playing time tomorrow night in San Antonio against the Spurs. And the Bulls as a whole better be more prepared or their hosts will walk all over them.