In one of the worst showings of the Tom Thibodeau era, the Bulls were run right out of the United Center, losing 120-97 and bringing their unbeaten home winning streak on Christmas to an end at seven. It was an embarrassing performance on the NBA's biggest TV day of the year and former Bull Omer Asik was only too pleased to dish the worst blows out. Continuing to show the front office they made a big mistake letting him walk, he delivered a crushing double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds, of which five were on the offensive end. That was just the beginning. The Rockets' starting trio of James Harden, Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin gave respective scoring performances of 26, 23 and 20. Just for good measure, Marcus Morris, the remaining starter, poured in 10. He was one of four Houston starters with at least five rebounds. This team was properly prepared and had every intention of turning the contest into a blowout if the opportunity came. Sadly, the Bulls were in too much of a giving spirit on this holiday.
The hapless Bulls were led in scoring by Nate Robinson, whose 27 points off the bench somehow provided a late spark that proved too difficult to overcome. Marco Belinelli had the best scoring game by a starter with 15 points. Luol Deng trailed just behind him with 14. He sprained his ankle in the first quarter, but played through it for 36 minutes. A healthier Deng might have given his team more of a chance, but it wasn't to be. His status for tomorrow's game is questionable. Even though a struggling offense was an issue, it would have had to be close to lights out to win tonight as the Rockets shot 56 percent. But that doesn't excuse poor shooting nights from Carlos Boozer (3-for-11) and Kirk Hinrich (2-for-8, including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc). They're supposed to be the leading veterans on this team. Nights like tonight only prove detrimental to the rest of the roster. It's discouraging and I don't wish to see them simultaneously stinking up the joint again, though that may be asking too much.
There's no better way to describe tonight's performance than the Bulls let the Rockets do whatever they wanted almost all night. Houston controlled the tempo early and just wouldn't let up. One thing we're learning about this team is they don't stick with opposing full-court offenses too well. I was reminded of the loss to the Clippers that turned into a dunk contest between teammates. The Bulls have to learn to adjust to these teams or more games like the one tonight will happen. They're not pretty to watch and they're not fun.
Perhaps more concerning right now is this is the first time since Thibodeau took over as head coach that the Bulls have sustained back-to-back double-digit losses. Granted, the first one came the night after grinding out a tough win against the Knicks in New York, but this will no doubt cause Thibodeau to take longer looks than usual at the film. To get back on the right track, the Bulls will have to remind themselves that their strength lies within Thibodeau's philosophy of playing lockdown defense from start to finish. It begins tomorrow on the road against the Indiana Pacers, who have no respect for this team. They just moved into first place with tonight's loss and now, they'll want to build on that. Look for some bad blood and pray Deng's ankle has healed enough for him to go. The Bulls can still win if he can't, but their chances drop in that case. Time to show them who's boss in the division. Take the Bankers Life Fieldhouse crowd out of it early.
And of course, Merry Christmas to all!
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