Although the Kings kept the deficit reasonable throughout the first half and Jimmy Butler exited the second with a shoulder injury, the Bulls took control in the third quarter with a 27-15 edge. Eventually, Tom Thibodeau emptied the bench. Although names like McDermott, Moore and Mohammed only saw floor time for a minute, the win was all that mattered on this night.
Pau Gasol had his latest double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds, which was to be expected. Derrick Rose scored 23 and pleasantly dished out seven assists. But Tony Snell's 24 off the bench on 9-of-11 shooting was what had everyone talking. Oh, and he played 41 minutes.
Fans have been pretty hard on Snell this year and even I've admitted to forgetting he was still on the roster. I would love to eat crow over nothing more than to see Snell become a impact player as we head to the second half of the season. Butler barely made a mark until late in his second season, so maybe lightning is striking twice. But it won't happen if Thibodeau doesn't play him more, so he should take this game as a warning of what he may miss out on if he continues to ride the second-year guard on the bench.
More importantly, the win showed how dominant the Bulls can be when they're at full strength. They themselves had not seemed to be aware of this lately and the latest addition to this winning streak was the most impressive. They didn't need an injury to a key opposing player, nor did they allow a comeback after building a big lead. All that was required was a reminder that this team is talented enough to make a run at the Finals and this game was just that.
The Cleveland Cavaliers come to town Thursday for one last game before the All-Star break. This nationally televised tilt will hopefully be closer than the blowout the Bulls suffered in Ohio on MLK Day. These Bulls have yet to defeat the rebuilt Cavs, so a win would boost confidence in everybody that the East runs through them. People have talked about it, but can the Bulls walk that walk?
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