See, Thibs? The Bench Can Play

Sometime between the end of Monday's game and before Wednesday's contest with the Dallas Mavericks, Tom Thibodeau was convinced that using more of your bench is in fact beneficial to your team in an 82-game grind.  The result was a 101-78 victory thanks in large part to that very second unit.

Luol Deng got off to a hot start in the first quarter and led all scorers with 22 points.  Joakim Noah kept a low profile, but still had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Deng and Noah were the most productive starters, but as mentioned, the bench was let loose unlike on Monday.  The results were pleasing and just what Bulls fans were looking for.  Nate Robinson shot 5-of-6 from the field and finished with 14.  Jimmy Butler set a new career high of 13, which was boosted by a 9-of-10 night from the free throw line.  I don't know where Butler will go in his career.  Personally, I think he'll be a role player at best in this league, but I would also be happy if he turned into a regular starter once he pays his dues.  Marco Belinelli, who sat all of Monday's loss, received brand confidence after turning in an 11-point performance.  Taj Gibson's magic number was 8, which was next to him in both points and rebounds.

All you can say after this is that's more like it.  The defense was strong throughout, the bench was used just like it should be and the offense didn't let up.  The best play came in the second quarter when the Bulls outscored the Mavs 34-19.  Dallas never seriously threatened after that, but the club kept up the intensity even when the game appeared out of reach.

See what happens when you play all 48 minutes?  Thibodeau really emphasized that during his postgame press conference Monday.  He probably mentioned it a lot during yesterday's practice and this morning's shootaround.  As I talk about this, I further realize that this is the coach the Bulls have and he's not going to change.  Asking him to lighten up is just too much.  He'll drive his guys hard and he'll do it often.  It will either raise him up in the NBA coaching ranks or lead to his downfall.  Only time will tell.

The Bulls will have a couple of days off before getting into a rematch of last year's playoffs Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers.  Thibodeau needed his bench to even stay competitive in that series.  Has this new group fully regained his trust?  Hope so, but nothing this man does should shock us.  Not even if he drinks water a certain way.

Buckled

How my post tonight was going to go:  it was a typical night at the office for the Bulls as the offense got hot at the right times and the defense cracked down when they needed to.  They cruised to an easy victory over the Milwaukee Bucks coming off an underwhelming Circus Trip and regained first place in the Central.

How my post tonight will actually go:  what seemed like a typical night at the office for the Bulls turned into disaster as the offense shut down and the defense got overwhelmed by the Milwaukee Bucks' bench at the worst possible time.  They lost 93-92 following a 27-point third quarter lead and dropped a game below .500 as well as 1 1/2 games behind the first-place club in the Central.

The Bulls won the first three quarters by a collective 17 points.  Then, the Bucks proceeded to outscore their hosts by 18 in the last frame, just enough to complete the collapse.  At times during the game, I felt it was kind of dull and wished for some more interesting play.  Unfortunately, I got more than I wanted:  a run that not even the 1992 Bulls had to go on to close out the Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals that year.  Like that game, the winning team's bench was responsible for the outcome.  With Scott Skiles using the same five guys for the final quarter-plus and not one from the starting lineup, the Bucks shocked the Bulls and the United Center faithful.  Whether this surprising start by them holds up remains to be seen, but they deserve the top spot in the Central at the moment.  It was on the line and they showed they're not ready to give it up.  At least their second unit did.

Here's a list of names you won't forget anytime soon along with their point totals:  Ersan Ilyasova (18), Beno Udrih (11), Ekpe Udoh (11), Doron Lamb (8) and Mike Dunleavy (6).  Okay, maybe saying you won't forget them is a bit of a stretch.  Or a humongous stretch. "Who are these guys?" you're probably asking.  Well, I'm not going to pretend to know either.  This isn't a Bucks blog and the club has few players of note.  But I do know Ilysaova had been struggling.  Too bad that slump had to be broken at the expense of the Bulls.

Until the collapse was completed, a main focus of this game was Rip Hamilton and his game-high 30 points, shooting 50 percent from the field.  Like the rest of the offense, he disappeared down the stretch.  Carlos Boozer had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, failing to grab a critical board off two missed free throws in the final seconds.  Kirk Hinrich scored 17, but his shooting woes continued at 4-of-11, the same numbers from the field for Luol Deng, who finished with 10.  Joakim Noah grabbed 10 boards despite finishing with a "6" in the scoring column.

There are a variety of reasons you could point to this collapse.  I haven't been able to actually sit down and watch a game for awhile, but I've heard that the Bulls aren't closing opponents out like they should.  That could be a season-long problem for this year's team with or without Derrick Rose.  Hopefully, I won't have to keep coming back to it. 

What I'm more puzzled about is Tom Thibodeau's stubbornness regarding his starters this early in the year.  Of that group, Hamilton played the fewest number of minutes tonight:  36.  Deng sat for all of 42 seconds.  Only Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Nate Robinson got off the bench.  No Belinelli, no Mohammed, not even Teague.  That falls squarely on Thibs.  I know he may not trust everybody sitting next to him at the moment, but even so, you have to get your starters out of there if the game looks out of reach.  The minutes they played tonight should be reserved for Miami in the spring, not Milwaukee in late November.  Racehorses get tired if they have to run a track longer than they're required and the same can be applied to basketball players.  If Thibodeau isn't careful, his insistence on coaching every single game like it's do-or-die is going to catch up with him.  He also needs to realize that this team isn't championship-caliber.  I dearly hope he's already well ahead of me.  Otherwise, I wonder what goes on in his mind.  The bottom line:  in wild blowouts, give others some playing time.  At the very least, do it to protect your main guys.  Do the opposite and you get what happened tonight.

The Bulls will try to put tonight's nightmare behind them on Wednesday when the Dirk-less Dallas Mavericks come to town.  It might not be easy, but something good needs to happen to get this bad taste out of their mouths.  I'll leave you with the tweet I posted that made it onto Bulls Postgame Live.  Mark Schanowski said I was about spot on.  Too bad I couldn't have written something more positive, but it was appropriate for this game I'd like to forget about, but may not for awhile.

Looking For a Second Quarter

I could spend this whole post lamenting on a bad weekend for the Bulls and everything that went wrong.  Instead, there's one issue I'd rather hammer home and it often gets overlooked in basketball.  In the second quarter of the two losses to the Clippers and Trail Blazers, the Bulls were outscored 63-38. 

They didn't have the manpower to keep up with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and the rest of the Lob City crew, so I'll cut them a little slack for that game.  I saw none of it, but I viewed a good chunk of last night's game in Portland.  The Bulls took a slim lead in the second half, but the Blazers came roaring back and put the game away late in the fourth quarter.  Don't let that 102-94 final fool you.  A Bulls run in the final minute made the contest look closer than it was. 

Looking at the box score, I initially had trouble finding a clear cut reason why they lost.  Joakim Noah was two assists shy of a triple-double and the teams were close in most statistical categories.  Finally, I saw the 28-13 score between the teams in that second quarter.  While working, I was able to glance at the TV from time to time and saw the score get out of hand.  It's somewhat a miracle the Bulls had a lead at all.

The late Norm Van Lier often said that to win an NBA game, you need to play "48 minutes of intensity."  Maybe it's travel lag, maybe it's being away from the United Center for a long period, or maybe this is just the result of a team without its best finisher.  At any rate, the recent slide in the 12 minutes leading up to halftime can't be pleasing to Tom Thibodeau.  He rides his players hard and expects nothing less than their best effort.  We'll never know what he said during the last two breaks, but my money is on a lot of obscenities flying in that locker room.

What the Bulls need to realize is that there are some teams in this league that can shoot the ball, another reason for the offensive outbursts by the last two opponents.  Maybe more pressing is we could be starting to see teams who are all too happy to take advantage with Derrick Rose not on the floor.  We knew it was coming.  The Circus Trip seemed to be a perfect place for it to begin. 

The Bulls will have to make some adjustments if they want to erase this weekend's memories.  It starts with playing the second quarter like it's the fourth.  If you fall too far behind early on, any late run is for naught.  Even if you take the lead during said run, it can evaporate quickly because you didn't keep points off the board earlier.  Thibodeau needs to emphasize all of this as his team prepares for Houston.  Wednesday will show what they learned.  Will it result in a win?  Hopefully.  And they should find a way to stop James Harden while they're at it.

We Talkin' About (a New Place to) Practice

The Bulls may be on the road, but that's not stopping them from making big announcements at home.  Making good on the plans they revealed early in the offseason, the organization unveiled plans for a new practice facility next to the United Center.  The spot currently known as Parking Lot J at the UC is where the new building will sit.  The project, which will be completely funded by the Bulls, is expected to be completed for the beginning of the 2014-15 season.  Other plans to build an entertainment complex near the arena haven't been finalized because funding would require a tax break.  I'll touch on that issue more as it moves forward.

Jerry Reinsdorf says it was Mayor Rahm Emanuel's idea to bring the Bulls' practices to the city from Deerfield, home of the current practice facility, the Berto Center, which the club plans to sell.  I have to admit I don't know everything about Emanuel's policies or his accomplishments since taking office, but I'm glad he's played an active role in this decision.  He must have carefully observed the success the Blackhawks have had in practicing at Johnny's Ice House, which I walked past after attending my recent Bulls game.  It only makes sense that both United Center tenants conduct all operations in the same vicinity.  Why it took both teams until their arena was 18 years old to finalize this arrangement is beyond me.  It's a lot better than having to fight rush hour traffic to get to games from the northern suburbs, something Bulls players have done for 20 years.  That's why they and the coaches are glad this will soon become a thing of the past.

Not a lot of time to celebrate this new development.  The Los Angeles Clippers are awaiting the Bulls fresh off their victory over the Heat.  This will be a tough test, but even if the Bulls lose, it will still be fun to watch one of the most exciting teams in the league.

Surviving the Suns

I pray the final four games of this road trip aren't this stressful at the end, but that may be asking too much.  Just when it seemed like the Bulls had put the Phoenix Suns away, they were outscored 31-17 in the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime.  It seemed like the Suns had more energy and were lined up to fully complete the comeback.  Then, Luis Scola fouled out along with his 24 points and 14 rebounds on the first possession of the extra five minutes.  The Bulls were only too glad to take advantage of this opportunity, squeaking out a win by a 112-106 final.

Carlos Boozer mostly disappeared when it counted, but his earlier contributions allowed him to lead everyone with 28 points.  He achieved a double-double with 14 rebounds, something he was more potent in as the game reached its stretch run.  Joakim Noah also had a double-double by virtue of a 21/12 line.  His shot at the top of the key late in overtime all but sealed the victory.  It was from an area he's grown comfortable with this season and if he's open, he'll knock it down most of the time.  Luol Deng also had 21, Rip Hamilton scored 15 and Nate Robinson came off the bench with 11.  Kirk Hinrich was tops in the assists category with seven.

I wish the Bulls could have ended this game a lot sooner.  They should know you can't let up your defense against a team with a run-and-gun style, even when Steve Nash is no longer present.  In fact, this game got off to a quick offensive start on both ends.  It seemed for awhile that both teams would cross the century mark well before the last minute of regulation.  They only managed to tie at 100 right before overtime.

I know this kind of offense isn't what the Bulls are accustomed to running and I doubt moving quickly out of the gate had anything to do with the bad defense late in the fourth quarter.  Still, they gave the Suns too many opportunities off the glass.  You need to grab those rebounds.  Fortunately, Phoenix's second chances failed more often than not.  Teams like Miami won't be so generous.  They'll make you pay quickly and take the game themselves.  If you're Tom Thibodeau, you drill that into your team's mind at the next practice.  At least they were resourceful when Phoenix's most productive player picked up a DQ.  Now try and end it before it gets to that point.  No need to give everyone ulcers.

The Bulls have a couple of days off before they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.  As I'm writing this, they have a big lead on the Heat in the fourth quarter.  That should tell you what kind of test the Bulls will face at the Staples Center.  They'll be clear underdogs, but let's keep the L.A. faithful on the edge of their seats.  That would be fun.

For My 100th Post, The Best of the First 99

It was just over 11 months ago, just after the NBA lockout had ended, when I was inspired to create my own Bulls blog.  Now, I've finally reached triple digits.  Perhaps this milestone might have been achieved already had the NBA schedule gone the full slate last year.  Regardless, I'm just happy to be writing when I haven't been able to write a full-length newspaper article since the start of the year.

There are some posts that have been read more than others, so let's look at the top five by view count as of this writing.  I'll explain what they were about and give my own interpretation of why they got as many hits as they did.  They may not be entirely accurate, so feel free to form your own opinion.

5) Please, Derrick. Do NOT Hurry Back - March 15, 2012 (30 views) - The only full-length game recap to make the list, this comes from last year's victory over Miami in which John Lucas III had the game of his life with Derrick Rose out of the lineup.  I also talk about a call I made after the game to Les Grobstein's radio program on The Score.  I even provided a link to the hour which contains said call.  Chicago was in a celebratory mood after the Bulls had bested the evil Heat without the reigning MVP.  Confidence was high that once Rose returned for the playoffs, this club was going to give LeBron and Co. a run for their money.  They might even get past them and reach the NBA Finals.  People are already starting to make plans to be in Grant Park on a June morning.  Of course, this makes the next post on the list ironic.

4) Oh Bother - April 29, 2012 (31 views) - All of the highs expressed above came crashing down thanks to the event I dissect in this post, one we'll still be feeling the effects of for awhile.  In the very first game of the playoffs, Derrick Rose tore his ACL, putting an end to any championship hopes and the future of the Bulls star in question.  My lament in this post echoed what many Chicago fans were thinking at the time.  People must have hoped I could offer some sort of consolation, but I didn't.  It was virtually impossible to think positive when this happened.  If I left you feeling even more down in the dumps, I apologize.  Hopefully someday, I can write about how Rose has come all the way back and won a title in doing so.  Until then, all that can be done is watching his recovery unfold.

3) No Bull: Gasol Not Coming - February 22, 2012 (43 views) - When this post was made, there was a lot of talk that Pau Gasol was ready to move on from the Lakers.  Several rumors pointed to him coming to the Bulls.  Here, I expressed with utmost confidence that the front office was confident enough with the group they had that they weren't going to make the sacrifices required to trade for the power forward.  Doing so could upset the chemistry they had at the time.  Trade rumors are a part of everyday talk in the NBA, especially when the deadline draws near.  When one gains steam, people want to see the chances of a certain player choosing a certain destination, preferably their favorite.  I feel my argument was short and on target.  Maybe I disenchanted some people who read it, but I have no regrets expressing my opinion on this matter.

2) Brian Scalabrine - The Man, The Myth, The Legend? - December 14, 2011 (77 views) - The title speaks for itself.  The post was longer when I initially wrote it, but I disobeyed the laptop law of keeping your charger plugged in when working on something, so this was shorter than I intended.  The man is still immensely popular and apparently, people love to Google the title of this post.  In fact, if you do it, this link will appear as the second web page and fourth hit overall.  It explains why this still appears on my recently read articles list from time to time.  Also, it has to have attracted fans in both Chicago and Boston.  These days, Celtics fans are probably typing this in more, but I have to thank them for increasing traffic here.

1) Let Me Step Back and Kiss Myself! - March 8, 2012 (105 views) - It may be the shortest post on the blog as I wrote it minutes before leaving for work, but it's the most popular.  The night after Derrick Rose hit the game-winning buzzer beater to beat Milwaukee, triggering the Stacey King phrase which inspired this title, I decided to further express just how much he was worth as a player.  He was as clutch as they came and therefore, had to be admired.  King makes Rose plays as memorable as Johnny "Red" Kerr did to Michael Jordan plays.  Bulls fans love to Google King's phrases.  Since the post here shows up on the first page when you type it in, it will invariably receive a lot of attention.  I only wish that those people would check out the rest of what I have to offer instead of just trying to figure out why I wrote that as the title.  Still, I consider this my own proof that King is in the TV announcer's chair to stay.  As long as he finds ways to stay creative, he'll keep us entertained for years to come.

My 200th post will likely come sooner than 11 months from now since we have more games to discuss.  I can't wait to see where the Bulls will be whenever that time comes.  Please continue to read as I'll continue to keep you informed on what happens with this team.  If you have any feedback or a suggestion on what to write about, message me on Facebook or hit me up on Twitter @gfclark89.  Leave comments too.  Those are always nice.

Post 101 will come tonight once the Bulls are finished playing the Phoenix Suns.  Hope I'm talking about a nice start to the Circus Trip.

Sourly Hitting the Road

With a season-high five-game homestead ending, the annual Circus Trip on the horizon and Kirk Hinrich out with an injury, the Bulls needed to beat the Boston Celtics last night in the worst way.  Much like the Oklahoma City game, it was competitive most of the way, but the opposition's star power couldn't be matched.  A major difference was the Bulls tied it once, but never led in a 101-95 defeat.

I have a friend from college whose favorite athlete is Rajon Rondo and she wasn't disappointed after the game.  In another reminder that Rondo may be the most important player on the Celtics, his final line was 20 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and five steals.  If that's not a sign of a valuable point guard, I don't know what is.  It just about epitomizes the fact that the NBA is moving toward a perimeter-oriented game that no longer relies heavily on big men.  Rondo is among those leading that charge.  With Hinrich's defense unavailable, Nate Robinson and Marquis Teague could do nothing to slow down their assignment.  All five Celtics scored in double figures, no doubt largely having to do with the decisions Rondo made.  If there was ever a "welcome to the NBA" moment for Teague, it came in this contest.  Now, I'm going to stop praising Rondo before I turn into my friend.

Luol Deng played nearly the whole game and led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 55 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free throw line.  His 11 rebounds gave him a double-double, which Joakim Noah also achieved with a 17/11 line.  Carlos Boozer's shooting improved from the win over the Timberwolves, making 50 percent of his shots and scoring 15.  Nate Robinson made all four of his free-throw attempts, adding onto his 11-point total.

The Bulls finish their homestand at 2-3, which only highlights that they should have beaten New Orleans when it began.  That's a disappointing record, but 4-3 overall is about what we should expect from this team.  Sooner or later, one would hope a win against a quality team is forthcoming.  I would like to expect a lot of wins against good teams as we have the last two years, but this group is different and still learning what they are without Derrick Rose.  Again, we see why expectations are lower this year.

Tomorrow, the Circus Trip kicks off with a trip to Phoenix against the Suns.  Marcin Gortart is tied for the league lead in blocks with Serge Ibaka, so the inside players will have their work cut out for them in the beginning of this long stretch of road games.  For the first time in the regular season, I'll be able to actually watch a full game on TV, so expect a post to come soon after.  Before that however, I'll be making post number 100.  Something special will be part of that, so check me out both before and after tomorrow night's game.  You won't want to miss it.

Just Lacking the Horses

Unlike when the Bulls played the Oklahoma City Thunder during the preseason, last night's game counted.  So both teams were as healthy as could be at the moment.  In front of a national TV audience, the Bulls battled back and forth closely almost the entire night.  But their best wasn't good enough as the defending Western Conference champs, as expected, left Chicago with a 97-91 victory.  If I may make one more parallel to the two Bulls-Magic games I've been (I promise, no more after this), both have been followed by a Bulls defeat.  They lost to Atlanta right after my 1997 game.

Luol Deng led all scorers with 27 points, though scoring was his only notable accomplishment.  Rip Hamilton broke out by scoring 20 and Kirk Hinrich had his best offensive game of the season so far by pouring in 12.  Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer each came within a point of a double-double thanks to respective rebounding totals of 13 and 11.  Had Noah put on a more dominating performance, he might have finished with a triple-double as his six assists led the team.

I can point to three factors that cost the Bulls this game, starting with the least pressing:

3) As mentioned, the Bulls were in it the entire way.  That said, there were some things at the end they could have done differently, mainly taking more time to find an easy shot.  One play in particular comes to mind.  With the game tied and less than four minutes to play, Taj Gibson rebounded a missed Kevin Durant layup.  Hinrich ended up with the ball and eight seconds after the board, he launched a 23-foot jump shot that missed.  Noah missed the tip, leading to a Thabo Sefolosha rebound.  The subsequent Thunder timeout set up a Durant field goal.  Against a top team like this, you need to find the best possible shot rather than try to be a hero yourself.  If there's plenty of time on the clock late in a tie game, running the offense is the best option.  Hinrich should know at this point in his career he's not Ray Allen.  He never was and never will be.  If possible, try to get the ball to more polished shooters like Deng or Hamilton.  Just stick to setting up plays and passing.

2) This is how things will be until Derrick Rose returns and another reason why expectations have been drastically lowered.  With the former MVP gone, the Bulls are lacking that go-to player who can take over by himself if need be.  That requires the rest of the roster to step up their play at the end of these types of games.  Those left are either uncomfortable with or incapable of acting as the guy the whole team rallies around.  When there's an indisputable name at the top, everyone knows who to turn to.  Now, they feel a bit lost.  Everyone plays their hearts out, but in the NBA, if you don't have somebody who strikes fear at their mere mention, you are limited by what you can accomplish.  Hopefully next year, the Bulls will fall back into the right category with a healthy Rose.  For now though, if you're wondering why they won't be able to close out many games against superior clubs, you can look to last night as the most recent evidence.

1) The Thunder have exactly what the Bulls are lacking:  a healthy superstar.  The James Harden deal may not have seen its full consequences yet, but I do know that Oklahoma City will continue to win close games as long as Kevin Durant is around.  We saw it with our own eyes last night.  In the final minute, Durant nailed two 17-footers to stick a dagger.  Two free throws with seconds left clinched it.  Of the Thunder's final 12 points, last year's scoring champion was responsible for eight.  That's an MVP performance right there.  I envy that the city where this team is based hasn't had it for long, but has been put on the NBA map thanks to this player.  Plus, Chesapeake Energy Arena is loud during every game.  Regardless of whether Rose is back when these two teams meet there on February 24, the contest won't be as close as this one barring a strange turn of events.  We saw how badly the Bulls got blown out there last season.  I don't anticipate things going much better there in a few months.

After losing a close contest, the Bulls will welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to the United Center tomorrow night.  The Timberwolves have started the season in first place in the Northwest.  I doubt they'll stay there the whole year, but even so, you can't sleep on this club.  My uncle in St. Paul often calls them the Timberpuppies.  Let's make sure they feel like just those when they step onto our home court.

November 5, 1997: 15 Years, 1 Day Later

I honestly don't think a better script could have been written.  The morning after I wrote about my second Bulls game 15 years to the day, I received a text/voice message from my aunt.  She said my uncle was offering me two tickets to tonight's game against...that's right...the Orlando Magic.  Also, like the game I just reminisced about, it was the fourth game of the season.  As soon as I got my high school buddy John Minser on board, my Election Night plans were shifted from watching returns on TV to watching hoops at the United Center.  In honor of the occasion, I decided to wear the Jordan jersey and cap I wore to the game I just chronicled.

Much like I saw the Shaq-less Magic when I was 8, this Orlando team is in a similar situation.   They've lost another superstar center to L.A. in Dwight Howard and have even less star power than Shaq left them with.  No one knows what will become of them this year, but the early forecast is they're lottery bound.  The Magic I looked down upon from Section 315 tonight weren't even at full strength.  Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson were both out with injuries.  Still, the game was closer than I would have liked, as I shall explain.

Following a moment of silence for the newly deceased Jim Durham, the contest was a close one for most of it.  The Bulls took an eight-point lead in the first quarter, but allowed Orlando to take it to close it out.  It would be a battle from behind for most of the next two frames, but it was never a big margin.  That paved the way for the Bulls to put on a shooting clinic in the fourth, taking a lead large enough to hold off a final surge by the Magic.  My friend and I went home happy thanks to a 99-93 score in the home team's favor.

Luol Deng was among those who found a groove at the right time.  On 9-of-16 shooting and 5-6 from the free throw line, he led the Bulls with 23 points.  Joakim Noah was his usual energetic self.  From dunks to long jump shots, he not only scored 20, but finished one rebound shy of a double-double.  Carlos Boozer played the post like he owned it on both ends.  He shot just 33 percent from the floor, but ended up with 12 points and eight boards.  Off the bench, Taj Gibson had 12 and the feisty Nate Robinson added 11 to go with his team-high six assists.  The offense overall was strong as shots, layups and dunks came in all forms.  That's the sign of a balanced system getting points every which way, even if it's against a rebuilder like Orlando.

Naturally, this game had its flaws.  There was a lot of pregame talk about how the Magic were great from long range and they didn't disappoint tonight.  Led the makeshift starting backcourt of Aaron Afflalo and E'Twaun Moore, the team was 8-of-19 from beyond the arc.  Afflalo and Moore were a collective 6-of-11.  Perimeter defense is usually not a problem for the Bulls, but there were too many open looks.  Some of them were set up by offensive rebounds.  If a team is hot, you've got to keep the ball out of their hands as much as possible.  It didn't hurt in the end, but better teams will pull away if given those opportunities.  Tom Thibodeau might want to stress that during the next practice.

The defense locked down at the right time.  By taking away easy buckets in the fourth quarter, the Bulls forced the Magic to rely on the three that had been falling for much of the night.  Some fell through, but not enough to prevent points at the other end.  Noah had five blocks, letting everyone know once again he knows how to stay between his man and the basket, something I learned all about in junior high.  When he plays well, he's on an emotional high that everyone responds to.  Robinson played some equally impressive defense.  He also must be taking lessons from Noah on how to bring energy because he pumped up the crowd at one point.  I guess I should expect nothing less from a three-time Slam Dunk Champion that has experience in bringing houses down.

It was a fun night and I want to thank John for accompanying me.  He says it was his first time ever at the UC, which shocks me considering he also loves sports and we're the same age.  In either case, we'll both hope the Bulls can be competitive in their first real test of the season Thursday:  a nationally televised game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  They might have lost James Harden, but they're still very tough to beat anywhere.  Look for some weaknesses on this team to be exposed.  That doesn't mean a loss is guaranteed though.  Losing Harden has caused the Thunder to slightly reshape their identity with the addition of Kevin Martin.  If they're struggling with that, a win could be in store.

For the record, I was in the food court at Ogilvie Transportation Center when I learned President Obama had been elected to a second term.  Without getting too political, I'll close with what I tweeted shortly afterward:

"Bulls win + Obama win = Victory night in Chicago"

November 5, 1997: 15 Years Later

Nearly 11 months ago, I made a post about my first ever Bulls game 15 years to the day.  Today, instead of recapping the weekend dates with Cleveland and New Orleans, I've decided to go down memory lane again.  Why?  It's the 15th anniversary of Bulls game number two.  There's the ticket stub on your left to prove it.

Being a year older (8), I remember a little more from this one than the first, but like last time, let's go back to when I found out I was going.  I was in my driveway with my miniature basketball hoop I had gotten the previous Christmas, frustrated that air was escaping my ball to the point I couldn't dribble it.  In retrospect, it was not very durable, which should be expected from a product made by Little Tikes.  Maybe I should have moved on from that size a hoop already, but that's not what matters here.

My mom called me inside and told me my dad was on the phone.  He asked if I wanted to go to the game that night, to which I responded "Thanks!"  My spirits were quickly uplifted.  My reaction this time was admittedly not as excited, but when your dream experience at the time has already been checked off, the euphoria wears off a bit.  Next thing I knew, my dad came home and we were off.

On the way to the United Center, we made a detour to pick up my uncle in La Grange Park.  After getting in the car, he gave me the hat you see on the right to go with my Jordan jersey.  It was too big for me at the time, but I wore it to the game anyway.  I really didn't mind him coming along.  All I cared about was seeing Michael Jordan and Co.

We got to the game early enough that the pregame warmups hadn't started yet.  Once in our seats, the video board showed the Bulls in the tunnel getting ready to take the court.  This way, I was able to see them perform the pregame chant they had become renowned for.  Naturally, the crowd went nuts when they emerged, ready to play the Orlando Magic in the fourth game of the 1997-98 season.  It was a nationally televised game on TBS, explaining a 7:00 start rather than the usual 7:30 at the time.

The Bulls at this time were adjusting to life without Scottie Pippen, whose foot injury would keep him out the first 35 games of the season.  On Opening Night, they had lost to a bad Celtics team.  After blowing out the lowly 76ers next, they needed double overtime to keep the Spurs from stealing one on their home court.  Although they still had some key pieces from the '95 Eastern Conference championship team, the Magic weren't the threat they had been with Shaq.  Plus, they were now learning under a new coach in the late Chuck Daly.  Even with Pippen temporarily gone, the Bulls were clear favorites here.

It was an unusual starting lineup for the Bulls that night.  Randy Brown and Jason Caffey were included, but the rest consisted of the usual Luc Longley, Ron Harper and Michael Jordan.  Unlike last time, I could hear MJ's name as Ray Clay belted it out.  After Jordan did his usual dust-off with Johnny "Red" Kerr, Orlando won the opening tip.  It took a couple of minutes for either team to get on the board, but Jordan finally dunked for the first two points.  Because I got to see this great athlete do what he was best known for with my own eyes (well, maybe I saw it on the video board instead), it will forever be my favorite moment of his career.

As great as that dunk was, there was one other moment involving His Airness that I know I looked down on.  I think it captured the essence of just how much people loved to watch this man play.  At some point during the game, he stepped to the free throw line.  Whenever he got into his set motion, dozens of flash bulbs behind the glass went off.  It looked so automatic that I thought a camera had been set up in that area to take a bunch of pictures with the push of a button.  Of course, I also knew that couldn't have been the case.  With the future of the Bulls dynasty in doubt, people wanted to savor every moment they could with its centerpiece.  Plus, at 34 years old, nobody knew how much he had left in the tank.  This was history right here.  A once-in-a-lifetime player.  If you got that kind of photo opportunity from those seats and passed it up, you would have kicked yourself for the rest of your life.  Us Bulls fans knew what we had and never took it for granted.

In a theme that would repeat itself many times that year, Jordan carried most of the load and did so splendidly.  He made the Bulls' first and last buckets of the game, finishing with 29 points and 17 rebounds, one off his career high.  Toni Kukoc came off the bench to score 14, Ron Harper collected nine and Dennis Rodman, whom I'd missed in my first game, had seven boards to place second in that area behind Jordan.

As for Orlando, I recall seeing a lot of Rony Seikaly that night.  It was for good reason, too.  He led all scorers with 34 points.  During a timeout, he was even shown as part of a celebrity lookalike feature on the video board (I think the subject was "Seinfeld").  Penny Hardaway lived up to the household name he was at the time by dropping 20.  Veteran forward Derek Strong had 10 off the bench.

For two Magic players however, it was a night to forget.  Nick Anderson missed all eight shots from the field and Horace Grant was 1-for-3, leading me to another memorable moment for me.  Having brushed up on Bulls history for over a year, I knew Grant had once been an integral part of the Bulls.  He made one trip to the charity stripe, during which the 8-year-old smart alec in me came out.  I shouted things like the club didn't need him anymore.  After all, the Bulls teams of the last two years had won more games than his teams ever had.  Sitting in the first row of the 300 level, I doubt he heard me.  Still, he clunked both shots, leaving me with a rather satisfactory feeling.

It was another successful game for me as the Bulls emerged victorious 94-81.  After we left our seats and got to the 100 level concourse, we saw the arena lights had been dimmed and the court being taken apart for the Blackhawks game the next night.  I was able to get my hands on one of the "Brick" signs somebody had left behind.  It might have actually been handed to me by a staff worker, but the bottom line is I came away with one more memento of the evening.

A 3-1 start seemed pretty good, but it soon became clear that Pippen would be missed.  The Bulls lost six of their next 11, putting their record at 8-7.  Of course, this story has a happy ending:  Pippen returned, the team regained its form and it all culminated in a sixth championship that took harder work than anyone would have liked.  Still, a rally in Grant Park at the end of the season is all that mattered.  No one ever judged a title based on style.

My next Bulls game came in 2000, so these 15-year time capsules will come to an end.  The early 2000s were not happy days for the franchise.  Even though I remained undefeated until late 2003, I'd still rather not remind you of names I'm sure you'd rather forget.  Instead, I will fondly remember the two games where I got to witness one of the best teams in sports history.  Here's the box score from my second game, which indicates a later infamous referee named Tim Donaghy blew one of the whistles that night.  If that's not enough, here are some Jordan highlights from the game featuring a postgame interview with a normally-dressed Craig Sager.

This is not how I wanted to end this post, but some sad news broke today that's worth mentioning.  Jim Durham, who announced Bulls games on TV and radio from 1973-91 and had been ESPN Radio's head NBA voice, died yesterday at age 65.  I was only 2 when he left Chicago, but I always had great respect for him and admired the way he called the action.  In fact, I shaped much of my basketball play-by-play in college from his descriptive style.  I mainly picked up on this from an old cassette tape I constantly listened to when I was younger.  The way he describes the plays in John Paxson's surge late in Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals told me a lot on how a basketball game should be narrated to people who can't see what's going on.  I don't know if I'll ever get to call another game as the job market for play-by-play announcers isn't that great right now, but regardless, I have to thank Jim for eloquently demonstrating his skills which could have a positive effect on many aspiring broadcasters.

Many know him for calling The Shot, and even then, he did a terrific job of capturing the mood on both sides.  It was a moment that showed Michael Jordan was clutch as well as flashy.  He brought that moment to us and it's the most famous call ever uttered by a Bulls announcer.  Fewer know that he also called Jordan's other famous shot, but this time, for ESPN Radio.  Perhaps it's fitting that they use his call on the sixth championship film as opposed to Neil Funk or Bob Costas:  the announcer for their first title calling their last.  RIP Jim.  You will be greatly missed.

Kings of Halloween and Keeping Taj

I wasn't able to watch most of last night's opening game against the Sacramento Kings due to work.  It also may be a little while before I actually get to sit down and watch a full 48-minute game for the same reason.  Plus, the Bulls are playing on Election Night.  Still, like the opening of any Broadway show, the first night of the season must be reviewed.  It's a positive won as the Bulls have a perfect 1-0 record thanks to a hard-fought victory to the tune of 93-87.  Some will say it should have been a blowout, but pickers can't be choosers.

What more can one say about Joakim Noah last night?  He led all scorers with 23 points, but more impressive is his 11-of-12 shooting at the free throw line.  Not bad for shooting 72 percent from the line over his career.  He won't get those opportunities every night, but at least we can chalk it up as to one reason why last night was a success.  His 10 rebounds gave him his first of what should be many double-doubles this year.

Also having big scoring nights were Rip Hamilton with 19 points and Carlos Boozer with 18.  Luol Deng had just seven, but he added 12 boards to his career total to lead everybody for the evening.  What little I saw of the game last night showed me he and Boozer still have the great chemistry I saw during the preseason.  Keep an eye on that as the season progresses.  That could mean some good things over the next several months.  Leading the assist parade was Kirk Hinrich, who had seven dimes on an otherwise quiet three-point night.  He's not expected to be a big scorer, but if he can make up for that with quality passes, he'll find greater favor here.  Still, I'd like to see a better shooting night from him than 1-for-7.

As thrilling as winning the first game of the season was, a bigger event unfolded afterward when Taj Gibson agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $38 million.  He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the year and the Bulls only had until 11 p.m. local time to lock him up.  He can now sleep easy knowing his future is secure.

Gibson, the bench player who has been around the longest, will be an integral part of where this Bulls core goes in the future.  He won't start, at least not as long as Boozer's here, but there's no denying how much value he brings to the team.  Had he gone elsewhere next summer, the front office would have been faced with the dire situation of replacing a player with his scoring ability and athleticism.  While it's too early to tell what the new bench is capable of, Gibson has proven he would start almost anywhere else.

Look no further than James Harden, who started his first game with Houston last night after he was traded from Oklahoma City.  Both are quality sixth men.  At least the Thunder still have plenty of star power in players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  The Bulls can't quite boast the same.  Derrick Rose is comparable with Westbrook, but Durant is far superior to Luol Deng.  Also, with both players healthy, the Thunder will make another run at the Finals this season.  Fortunately, we won't have to find out what subtracting Gibson from the equation would bring to the Bulls.

The club hits the road for the first time this year tomorrow night when they take on Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  It should be another win, but the Kings proved last night that nobody will be taking the Bulls lightly.  Everyone wants to kick this team when its down without its superstar.  Let's see them not allow that.