Seven straight points to begin the game ballooned into a 16-point lead. Then, the defense relaxed in the second quarter and the Nets scored 36 points to get within one. The ship was righted in the third when the defense allowed just 16 points and the offense picked up where it left off. Despite one final Nets push in the fourth, the Bulls countered whenever their lead was threatened and left the borough 2-0.
All five starters, plus Aaron Brooks with 12 points, scored in double figures. The shot distribution was even as everyone attempted between seven and 11 field goals. Jimmy Butler was the Bulls' leading scorer with 24, 21 coming from the field. Nikola Mirotic (18 points, 12 on 3-pointers) and Pau Gasol (16) each came within a rebound shy of a double-double, a night my good friend, Bulls MARCA reporter and fellow Spaniard Teresa Garcia Alonso would be proud of.
While the turnovers could be down from 19 in this game, Joakim Noah could score and the defense could be intense for all 48 minutes, you can't complain how the Bulls have played the first two games. The offense looks balanced and key guys are getting a fair amount of rest. Fred Hoiberg can afford the latter with this roster's depth, which it will come up a lot this year if we keep seeing box scores more balanced than our country's budget. We haven't even reached November yet, but early returns show this coach won't run his main horses into the ground just to squeeze out every last possible win.
The Bulls get back at it Friday when they head to Auburn Hills to play the Detroit Pistons. This will be the first time seeing a Central Division team with no LeBron James this year. That's critical with all the moves each team made during the offseason. Let this game be an early indication of how a team that was virtually untouched at the same time stacks up against others trying to steal their title as second-best in the division.
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