Several comments were made on Twitter about the Bulls and their green sleeved jerseys tonight for St. Patrick's Day. The observation was made that maybe the Celtics were playing the Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center instead. In the end, it didn't matter who was wearing green because the Thunder probably would have won anyway. The only difference is it's likely the final would have been different from 97-85.
The teams played each other closely for most of the game. Then, the Thunder started to break it open late in the third quarter, leading by as much as 10 and ending the frame up seven. Just after the fourth quarter opened, two Reggie Jackson free throws increased the lead to nine. What followed before two minutes had passed in the frame was an 8-0 Bulls run with two of the four field goals made by Taj Gibson. That cut the deficit to one, but that unleashed the Thunder as the league knows them, which is a team that will beat you with efficient offense and talented players. They scored 13 unanswered points to put the game out of reach.
Kevin Durant showed why he's on his way to another scoring title with 35 points. This was the 32nd straight game in which he's scored 25 or more, the longest such streak since Michael Jordan had 40 during the 1986-87 season. He's making a serious case to win this year's MVP award, and you would be a fool to not appreciate what you're watching if you get a chance to. I'll respect him even more if he figures out Miami in the NBA Finals, assuming both teams get there, of course.
Durant was helped by partner-in-crime Russell Westbrook, who scored 17 and had nine assists. That he was able to frequently connect with Durant as he typically does has to make John Stockton and Karl Malone jealous. Serge Ibaka had 15, including a three-pointer right in front of the Bulls' bench late in the game that pretty much sealed the contest. Caron Butler came off the bench to remind us he can still contribute to a team, scoring 11 points, nine on three-pointers, which Durant and Westbrook also achieved. It's tough not to like what this group can do.
Gibson led the Bulls with 16 points and also had seven rebounds. He was always in the vicinity of the ball and undoubtedly created the most havoc for Scott Brooks to deal with. Jimmy Butler, assigned with guarding Durant, finished with 13, but shot just 4-for-12 from the field. Carlos Boozer had his patented double-double 12 and 11. Mike Dunleavy, who's been turning it on lately, added 11 and Joakim Noah finished one point and one assist shy of a triple double (nine points, 12 rebounds, nine assists).
You have to hand it to the Bulls for sticking with the Thunder for as long as they did. In the end though, we saw just how much of a discrepancy exists between the clubs right now. The Bulls don't have a healthy superstar while the Thunder have two stars making them a Finals contender. Derrick Rose might have kept it close for a little longer, but I still think it would have fallen just a little bit short. This will continue to happen with these games until the Bulls can get another scorer. Playing hard every night will win you a few games, but talent almost always wins out. Until further notice, the Bulls won't have enough to a win a championship. Tonight was evidence of what would likely happen if these teams met in the Finals tomorrow.
On Wednesday, the Bulls will go from playing the class of the NBA to the rags of the NBA. They're due to travel to Philadelphia to play the 76ers, who haven't won a game since late January, when Evan Turner was still with the team. That translates into 21 straight losses. Before you chalk this up as an automatic win, remember that the Bulls ended an 18-game skid by the Bobcats last season. Tom Thibodeau will probably remind his team of that so another such instance won't happen. Even if he doesn't, he'll still have them ready.
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