Bulls Back to Good Basketball Against Pistons

It's amazing what 2 1/2 hours of practice can do to a team that's struggled of late like the Bulls.  Fred Hoiberg felt it was merited Sunday after 11 straight lackluster quarters that led to three straight losses.  It immediately paid off Monday with a dominant 113-82 win over the Detroit Pistons.  The victory bumped them back above .500 at 14-13.

This game belonged to the Bulls from the opening tip.  They scored 12 of the game's first 14 points and matched their 69-point total from Friday's loss at halftime.  The lead was 34 at the end of the third quarter, allowing Hoiberg to rest his starters for the entire fourth.  In short, Detroit never had a chance.

Seven Bulls, including all five starters, scored in double figures.  Jimmy Butler did the most damage with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and making all six free throws.  Taj Gibson had 16 and made all eight of his shots.  Rajon Rondo came within two rebounds of a triple-double on a night he had 10 points and 14 assists.

Off the bench, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott each scored 13 and shot 50 percent from the field.  It was the best they could have hoped for in a season they have struggled to find their footing.  Then again, the same could be said for the entire reserve unit.  But as the two non-starters who typically get the biggest workload, the others can take a cue from them and these types of games can only inspire confidence to play at a higher level.

The Bulls' starters have the talent to compete with anyone in the league, especially those that are struggling.  Granted, the Bulls are closer to the bottom of the Central than they should be, but Monday showed why they're better than the slump they just showed.  More slumps will regrettably happen throughout the year (that's just how it is with this team), which will make games like this easy to savor.  More importantly, it will get them in the playoffs, which is the main goal for this team after missing out last year.

The season will continue Wednesday against the Washington Wizards.  For some reason, this is a team that's had the Bulls' number for a few years now.  But the Bulls made progress by defeating them at the United Center on Nov. 12, so they have a chance to put any further talk about their inability to beat them to rest.  Then again, this team tends to pose more questions than answers, so another letdown is not out of the question, but there's no reason not to think positively after the game we just saw.