Bulls Pound Nets, 113-86 in Brooklyn

The contest was so lop-sided, Derrick Rose got rest in the 4th quarter, as Chicago played one its better games on the road of late.

Nikola Mirotic had it going and hit on 6 of 11 long-distance shots for a team high 26 points and the Bulls coasted to a emphatic road win, 113-86 in Brooklyn.

The Nets had a lot to play for with its playoff hopes in the balance but the Bulls were up to the task, taking a 87-65 lead heading into the 4th quarter. Pau Gasol had another double-double, scoring 22 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Taj Gibson, filling in for Joakim Noah who took the night off, had another solid effort, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 boards.  Jimmy Butler scored 17 points with an excellent floor game.

The Bulls had 26 assists and just 7 turnovers. If that trend continues, they will be tough to play in the first-round of the playoffs.

The win clinched home-court in the first-round of the upcoming playoffs. With Toronto idle, the Bulls took a slim half-game lead for third place in the Eastern Conference.

After the game, Coach Tom Thibodeau was pleased with the Bulls effort.  "It's an improvement," said the head coach.

Rose played 23+ minutes and scored 13 points with 7 assists. He also hit two treys for the night. But it was the rookie Mirotic who had the hot-hand, finding the range on a series of floating three-point attempts.

The Nets were never a threat in this game -- the Bulls made sure of that with a 30-15 third quarter.

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Gasol, Rose, Help Bulls Fend off Philly, 114-107

Derrick Rose played his best game since returning from a knee injury and the Chicago Bulls needed it.

Rose scored on a variety of patented moves to show that he still has it. This has to be heartening to Chicago Bulls fans. Rose shook off a slow start and scored 22 points, the majority coming in the second half, and Chicago was able to hold off a young, upstart team, beset by injuries. Three starters, including Norlens Noel, center, sat on the bench.

Pau Gasol lead Chicago with another double-double, 24 points and 13 boards. Rose had 8 assists and no turnovers to go with his 22 points. Mike Dunleavy and Taj Gibson added 13 points and the Bulls came away with  a 114-107 win down the stretch of the regular season.

The win allows Chicago to keep pace with Toronto which also won last night. The Bulls and Raptors are tied for third place in Conference seeding. However, the Raptors would win the tie-breaker because they are Division champs.  Chicago has a 48-32 record, two wins shy of 50 with two games to play in the regular season. Their next game is against Brooklyn, one of the hottest clubs in the Eastern Conference, who have made a late playoff push.

The 76'ers were lead by Robert Covington's 22 points. J. Richardson scored 19 and Jakarr Sampson tallied 18.  Sampson is a former St. John's University stand-out who is seeking more playing time. He made the best of his opportunity.

The story here was the play of D Rose. It appears he is on the way back from his latest knee injury setback. He displayed some of his old moves to the hoop to the delight of the partisan crowd at the United Center.  Hopefully his knee will respond well after the game.

If Rose can play aggressively, Chicago could well be a threat in the playoffs.

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ICYMI: Bulls Blow 15 Point Lead; Fall to Magic on late Shot, 105-103

The Chicago Bulls lost a tough one to the Orlando Magic when G Victor Oladipo drove through the middle of the Bulls defense to score on a layup with 1.5 seconds left. The Magic stunned Chicago, 105-103.

Here are my observations about this game and the implications it might have.

Those close to the team and Rose himself expressed concern about the play of the Bulls vs. the Magic.

Stacy King, former Bulls player and now TV color man, said, the Bulls needs to emphasize "execution and defense."  "The took their foot off the accelerator" and let the Magic get back in the game, King noted.  You can't give a young athletic team a chance.  They played tough and the Bulls appeared to be soft exactly when it called for them be on purpose, playing with intensity.

In other years, on other Bulls teams, this loss would be inconceivable. The Bulls played almost suffocating defense, tight defense... and made you pay if you even dared to get close to the rim. Now, it was an open drive to the tin that did the Bulls in and spoiled Derrick Rose's return to playing time.

As we move toward the playoffs, the Bulls are tied with the Raptors for the 3rd seed, and have a game lead over the re-rejuvenated Washington Wizards.  If Washington finishes in the 4th seed they would have home court advantage and the Bulls might have an early exit in April.

It is a fragile situation for Chicago. King said, the Bulls have to play tougher, more focused basketball. That is a trait that other Thibodeau coached teams had.  This one might have the talent, yet lack the drive. In this league, you can't win on talent alone.

Reporters asked Rose a lot of questions about his health. He responded by saying,"I'm more concerned with us losing than anything."

It would be disappointing to see an early exit by the Bulls with a healthy Rose playing. But that looks more of a possibility than it did before.

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Gasol's Late Bucket Helps Bulls to 88-82 Win vs. Pistons

This was a back and forth game that shouldn't have been so hard. But credit the peaky Pistons, who will likely not make the playoffs.  They fought the Bulls tooth and nail at the United Center, and the Bulls made the key play with seconds left to secure the win.

Pau Gasol had 26 points and 10 rebounds for his 50th double double of the season. It was Gasol's tip in off a Taj Gibson miss with 5.7 ticks left that helped secure the win. Gasol was fouled by Andre Drummond, who had a great night for Detroit. Drummond finished with 14 points and hauled in 22 rebounds

Detroit was held to a season low 9 points in the second quarter yet found a way to stay in the game.
Mainly due to Chicago's poor offense; Chicago had 12 points in the third frame.  The Bulls shot 38.8 percent from the field.  Jimmy Butler scored 18 points on 6 of 16 attempts. Taj Gibson scored 10, 8 in the first half. Nikola Miritoc had 11 points for the Bulls but it was Gasol who came up big to keep the Bulls one game ahead of Toronto for the 3rd playoff seed.  It looks like the final determination of seeding won't be set until the season ends. The Bulls have a 46-30 record and the Raptors are 45-31.

Drummond's night gave him 1000 points, 1000 rebounds, and 100 blocks for the second straight seasons. No other player has done that in Franchise history.

Joakim Noah had 9 rebounds, 10 assists and 6 points in 28+ minutes, also was key to the win.

"It was an ugly win and we found a way," Noah said. "That's important.."

It was a back and forth affair until late in the 4th quarter when Gasol made an effort play and it paid off.

Nothing has been handed to Chicago.  They are going to have to go out and take it.

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ICYMI: Bulls Pounce on Knicks, 111-80; Six Bulls in Double Figures.

The Bulls looked good early on. They led by 11 after the first quarter. 20 at half-time. The game was essentially, no contest in the second half, as Chicago had a 31 point lead to start the 4th quarter on Saturday night at the United Center.

The New York Knicks were the foil. And, to echo the words of Walt "Clyde" Frazier, the long-time TV analyst of the team, they did a lot of "bumbling and stumbling."  It wasn't so much that the Bulls were so great. They played a Knicks team who reached a franchise low in futility with their 60th loss of the season.

Plenty of Bulls saw playing time. Little used Cameron Bairstow, the backup center, saw some action in the late stages of the 4th quarter.

The Knicks looked out-classed from the get-go. They cut their deficit to 7 points in the 2nd period and the Bulls went on a 19-7 run to salt away the game.

Chicago shot 51% from the floor as contrasted to the Knicks which only connected on 38% of its attempts.  The Bulls out-rebounded the Knicks 51-35. Chicago outscored New York 50-22 in the paint.

Still, the Knicks know this season is about growing pains. "The biggest mindset is not to give up," Cole Aldrich said.

The Bulls are solidifying their third position in the East and trail the Cavs by just two games.

"We have more than enough right now", Mike Dunleavy, starting forward noted for the Bulls. "When Derrick (Rose) gets back it's a bonus. We're pulling for him."

Six Bulls scored in double figures. Mirotic had 24 points in a scorching month of March. He has averaged 20.8 points and has become a home court fan favorite. Jimmy Butler had 18 points, 5 steals, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Taj Gibson notched 14 points and 9 boards. Gasol with 19 points and 12 rebounds had his 48th league leading double/double.

Rose was near the huddle dressed in street clothes. If he can get on the court, score points, and become the floor general, then the Bulls might really have something.

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Mirotic & Gasol Lead Bulls Past Hornets, 98-86.

Nikola Mirotic has come on like gangbusters. He scored 28 points, 14 in the fourth quarter to help the  Chicago Bulls clinch a playoff spot in  the Eastern Conference. Pau Gasol had 27 points and 12 rebounds, a typical game for him.  The Bulls moved into a tie with Toronto for the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference.

Jimmy Butler returned to action and tallied 19 points in just under 40 minutes of play. He also bagged 9 boards. Butler last played on March 1st and missed 11 games. He was a little rusty and shot 6-20 from the floor, but he's been out for almost a month. This week both Taj Gibson and Butler have returned to the active roster which can only bolster the team's playoff hopes. Derrick Rose is likely at least a week away from trying to come back from his latest knee injury.

Chicago has had injuries to Mike Dunleavy, Derrick Rose, Butler, Gibson, Noah, and Kirk Hinrick this season. Reserves such as Mirotic, Tony Snell, and Aaron Brooks have played key roles in keeping the Bulls afloat.

Chicago pulled ahead of the Hornets in the second half on the way to a 98-86 win. Charlotte's Kemba Walker had 29 points for the Hornets, who only shot 35 percent from the field. The Bulls had a decent shooting night, hitting 45% from the floor.

Joakim Noah, who has played well of late for Chicago, was held out of the game due to general soreness.

Gasol moved to center and Taj Gibson started at forward.

Chicago faces Toronto on the road on Wednesday in a battle for playoff seeding.

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Mirotic & Noah Lead Bulls in Win Over Raptors, 108-92

Nikola Mirotic is for real. The 6' 10" F is having a great month of March.

He scored 29 points to lead Chicago to a win over the Toronto Raptors, 108-92.  Mirotic, the NBA rookie from Real Madrid, is averaging 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in March and he tied his career high, which he set earlier this month vs. the LA Clippers.

Joakim Noah also had quite a game. He was two points shy of a triple-double, in scoring 8, making a career-high 14 assists, and hauling in 10 rebounds.  When Noah is playing at this level, he is capable of carrying the team.  The Bulls also got a solid game from F Mike Dunleavy who scored 21 points. He appears to be finding his rhythm which is a good sign for the Bulls.

The win puts he Bulls a half game better than Toronto in the quest for the third seed in the Eastern Conference.  The Bulls and Raptors meet each other again shortly.

This game was also notable with the return of key reserve F Taj Gibson.  Gibson, who missed 10 games due to a left ankle sprain, returned to the court to an ovation with 4:03 left in the first quarter. He showed his ankle was good when he dunked on a nice pass from Pau Gasol.  Gibson scored 6 points in 10+ minutes.

Gasol was one of five Bulls in double figures with 11 points and 9 boards.

Toronto played without Kyle Lowry, the all-star guard who was nursing a sore back. DeMar DeRozan had 27 points for the Raptors.

Chicago shot 53% from the field and connected on 15-17 free-throw attempts. Chicago played like it wanted this game. The team looked focused and passed the ball well, generating 32 assists.

Slowly, it seems, the Bulls are heading toward a full playing squad. Jimmy Butler is expected to re-join the team on Saturday.  Derrick Rose could be a few weeks away from returning.

One thing is for sure, the Bulls have depth and the bench has been tested. Perhaps this bodes well for Chicago in the remaining regular season games.

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Bulls Know Crunch Time is Coming

It was good to see Jimmy Butler in a practice uniform. He is getting closer to returning to the court. But no date has been set.

He knows it is crunch time and wishes he were playing tonight when the Bulls host the Indiana Pacers.  "I want to be back out there, but I don't want to rush things," Butler said. "I'm not in basketball shape yet." This is the time of the season when every possession counts. "It's a learning curve. Each possession is important," said Butler." You have to get ready for the playoffs."

Coach Tom Thibodeau thought his team has done a good job of holding the fort until the injured return.

"We've been 4-6, and in every game," the Bulls coach said. "We should have won every game."

In some games, the shooting has failed the Bulls. Excessive turnovers and lack of rebounding have hurt the team too.

Oh and Derrick Rose has also been out, the player that makes the offense tick.  Rose is improving and on schedule said the Bulls coach.   He is moving toward testing his knee out on the court.  Or at least, that is the hope.

Taj Gibson (injured ankle) could return to the lineup in the next few games.  Each game is becoming more critical and one hopes the team can play more healthy bodies in there.

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Taj Gibson to Return to Bulls Soon

If you are a Chicago Bulls fan, you need to take the good news with the bits of bad news.  And, Chicago does need some good news. Taj Gibson, the versatile forward is practicing with the team and is hopeful to return to action soon, according to media reports out of Chicago.

Joakim Noah has a 32 minute restriction placed on his playing time and this will impact the team. However, if Gibson is healthy enough to play, the impact won't be as great.

The Bulls have been stretched like an un-inflated balloon. Jimmy Butler is still out with a hyper-extended left elbow and Derrick Rose may not see action until the end of the season. The question is, what kind of season will it be, with the Bulls losing 5 out of 6 games?

So far in this recent stretch, the Bulls victory in the waning moments vs. OKC at home was a highlight. In that game, E'twaun Moore made the big 3 point basket. Tony Snell had the hot hand. However, one can't expect these players to do their Derrick Rose impersonation night after night.

Starting forward Mike Dunleavy, who himself has missed weeks of the schedule with a bad ankle, is back but has not been a consistent scorer.  One game he scored 21 points. Lately, it's been in the single digits. The Bulls need offense and you can't look to Pau Gasol, who is averaging a double-double at 18.4 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game, to score every night.

Can someone lure MJ out of retirement?  He'd have to get League permission because he owns the Charlotte Hornets.

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Memphis Powers Past Bulls, 101-91 in Chicago

The numbers don't lie. The Chicago Bulls lost their 3rd straight game and now trail Cleveland by a full game in the Central Division.

Chicago (39-26) played its 4th game in 5 nights, the second of a back to back, and came up short against the Grizzlies, 101-91. Marc Gasol scored 23 for Memphis, while his brother Pau notched 13 points and 11 boards for the hometown team.

The Bulls trailed Memphis by 8 points entering the 4th quarter but pulled even at 82 all, mid-way through the quarter, but Memphis had a little bit more in the tank.  Tony Snell had 21 points for the Bulls and Nikola Mirotic added 18.  Aaron  Brooks tallied 15 for Chicago. The Bulls were missing Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Taj Gibson all out with injuries.

Rose spoke to the media Monday and looked upbeat and optimistic that he would return within 4 to 6 weeks.  He said his knee injury was perhaps a "blessing in disguise", giving him time to heal from the season's toll. He is on schedule in his rehab and expressed faith in his teammates. "We have a great team," he said.

Chicago only hit 38.1% of its baskets in the first half, They shot 43.8% for the game. Memphis had a good night, going for 50% from the floor in the game.

Playing Memphis is like going up against an Asphalt grinder. They hold teams to a League low 95.6 points per game. Monday night was no different, points were hard to get. The Bulls missed its starting backcourt. Gibson is now listed as day-to-day and could return within a week.

Coach Tom Thibodeau stressed the positive in his post-game comments. "The fight was there, no quit, we just came up short," he said.

The Bulls played different combinations of players in an attempt to get things rolling.  But the team had a telling 17 turnovers. In Sunday's game vs. the Spurs, the Bulls had 22 miscues.

Time to get a handle on things before the Philadelphia game.

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Moore's 3 Pointer With 4.9 sec Left Wins It vs OKC

Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder almost had another triple double. He did however score 43 points, the only Thunder player to do that in 3 straight games.

OKC was playing the 2nd game of a back to back and in the waning moments of the 4th quarter, the team looked fatigued.  The Bulls outscored OKC 36-26 in the 4th en route to a thrilling finish when reserve E'Twaun Moore sunk a big trey to give the Bulls a 107-105 lead with 4.9 secs to go. An exciting win without Rose or Butler and the Bulls played like a team.

Nikola Mirotic added a Free-throw after Westbrook stepped out of bounds to give the ball back to the Bulls. Chicago won 108 to 105 against a tired team and a hot player.

This was one of the most satisfying wins of the year, beating a hot team with a sensational player in Westbrook.  The Bulls earned the victory because Mirotic again stepped up to score 23 points and was uncanny from the charity strip. Pau Gasol scored 21 points and had 12 boards. Mike Dunleavy scored 21 points. and Joakim Noah had a big game. Although he only scored 4 points, he had 9 assists (team high) and 12 rebounds.

Moore scored 19 (a career high) and his game winning shot is one to remember. "It's been a while," he said with a smile. For the Bulls call it great timing.

The play was drawn up by head coach Tom Thibodeau. Dunleavy threw a pass to Gasol, who drew two defenders to him, he then passed the ball right to Moore who was wide open on the left of the key.  Moore swished the shot and the United Center went bonkers.

Chicago closed out it's 7 game home stand with a 5-2 record and are now 39-23 for the season.

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Depleted Bulls defeats Wizards 97-92

Chicago can't seem to avoid the injury bugaboo that has plagued the rest of the League.

Derrick Rose's injury shook Chicago and then the city breathed a sigh of relief as Rose's knee surgery revealed it wasn't as serious as feared. The team doctor clipped a portion of the meniscus muscle that was torn, and stitched it back the knee. Rose is expected to play again toward the end of the regular season, but will essentially miss about a month of action.  Jimmy Butler hyper-extended his elbow and needs 3-6 weeks of rest. So much for the starting backcourt of Chicago.

Taj Gibson, the steady and reliable 6th man, has an ankle sprain. He's sprained the same ankle several  times this season and missed a bunch of games. It is hoped he can return to action in about a week.

Injuries....Cleveland's had them, with LeBron James being out and Kyrie Irving recently returning from injury.  The Cavs has lost a few games, but it seems only a matter of time before they catch and pass the Bulls.

Houston has done fine without Dwight Howard. The Oklahoma City Thunder have both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook out with various injuries. A few days ago, they managed to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers but the Lakers were missing Kobe Bryant and Nick Young.

"That's the nature of the League," said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "Nobody is going to feel sorry for us."

The Bulls reserves will be tested now. Expect Nikola Mirotic and Tony Snell to see a lot of playing time.  Doug McDermott may even got a nod.

In the end, it's professional basketball, and these players earn a lot of money.  One could say that the Bulls had a great effort versus the Washington Wizards Tuesday night.  Injuries aside, the Bulls were able to defeat the Wizards 97-92 with great performances from Mirotic (23 points, 8 rebounds) as well as Aaron Brooks who got the start in place of Rose and finished with 22 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

The victory allowed the Bulls to hang on the 3rd playoff seed, one game behind the Toronto Raptors for the second.

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Injuries And The Clippers Do Bulls In, 96-86

The injuries are mounting and that is not good news for the Chicago Bulls. Guard Derrick Rose is missing. Taj Gibson has a tender ankle and can't play. And, Jimmy Butler, who is having a breakout season, injured his elbow early in the third quarter of Sunday afternoon's contest and sat out the remainder of the game.

The result: the Bulls were offensively challenged against a tough-minded Los Angeles Clippers squad, who won't back down from anyone. The Clippers got great games from DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul.  Jordan hauled in 26 rebounds, 17 in the first half; the most rebounds at half than anyone in the league to date.  Chris Paul provided the scoring punch with 28 points. Jamal Crawford scored all of his 16 points in the second half, and the Clippers pulled away in the 4th quarter to win 96-86.

The Bulls are missing Derrick Rose but they aren't saying it. They're also missing Gibson and now Butler.

Pau Gasol is recovering from a bug and isn't 100%. He only scored 4 points on 2 of 13 shooting. Key reserve Aaron Brooks is in a slump and shot 5 for 17 from the field. In fact the Bulls shot 31% in the game, a surprisingly low figure. But that happens when your point-makers are out.

Coach Tom Thibodeau of the Bulls thought his team could have won the game.

"It doesn't matter whose out. That was a winnable game down the stretch and we didn't get it done," the coach said post-game.

Rookie F Nikola Mirotic scored a career high 29 points, one of the bright spots for the team.  Joakim Noah had another solid game scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 boards. But Mike Dunleavy only scored 3 points on 1 for 3 attempts. It is hard to win when two starters account for 7 points. 

"Somebody needed to score the ball," Mirotic said. "My teammates were trying to find me."

Jordan had a great game for Los Angeles. He had position and determination to get the ball close in, and wouldn't be denied.

"If he was doing that offensively he would be recognized as the MVP or one of them," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.

Crawford was scoreless in the first half but erupted for 16 in the second to provide a good second option for the Clippers.

Chicago falls to 37-23 for the year and are fighting for playoff seeding in the tighter Eastern Conference.  The Bulls host the dangerous Washington Wizards on Tuesday at the United Center.

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Butler's 28 points leads Bulls past Wolves, 96-89.

It's one thing to play without Derrick Rose. It's harder to play without the All-Star forward Pau Gasol out due to illness, and Taj Gibson who left the game with an ankle injury in the 1st quarter.

The Bulls had their hands full against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, who've only won 5 games on the road this season. Minnesota (13-44) had newly acquired Kevin Garnett on the bench in the second game of a back to back. Garnett played in Wednesday's win in Minnesota.

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds in 42+ minutes. He shot 11 of 19 and was the best Bulls player on offense.  Center Joakim Noah had another solid game with Gasol out, scoring 11 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists.  Mike Dunleavy fired 5 trey's on a 21 point night. Tony Snell added 12 points for Chicago.

Honestly, if the Bulls (37-22) had played a better team, they might have lost the game. But Chicago pulled ahead in the closing minutes to secure the victory. Even though Rose was out of the game, Gasol's absence proved almost too much.  Gasol averages 18.4 ppg and 12.1 rebounds a game. Chicago only shot 38.5% from the floor, a low figure for a team for a winning squad.

Kevin Martin scored 18 points to lead the Timberwolves. Ricky Rubio added 15 for the visitors.

This trend of losing to inferior teams may do the Bulls in.  Around this time, losses mount up and wins are hard to come by.

Rose's latest injury underscores the fragility of losing your team leader and point guard.
He does make the Bulls a better team. It is said that this injury will sideline him for 4-6 weeks. That is better than expected news for Bulls fans. It was feared he'd miss the regular season and playoffs. Rose was seen after the outpatient surgery, able to stand and  put full weight on his knee, a positive sign.  Now he begins another period of rehabbing a surgically repaired knee.

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Hoping & Waiting on News For Derrick Rose

The city of Chicago, at least the sports fans there, are anxious, and all are aware that Friday, Derrick Rose will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair damage to the meniscus muscle.  Since not many people are privy to the inner workings of Derrick's knee, there is hope that perhaps this may not be a serious injury and that Rose could return to play later this season.

That is the optimistic tone coming out of the front office of the Bulls today.  To paraphrase John Paxson, former player and now Bulls exec, "Derrick will come out of this feeling positive and his knee (might) be better than its been in a long time."  Well, Mr. Paxson, you can come look in on me whenever you're free.

Others are saying, "Derrick is a strong person and will come out this stronger". Ok, but can he play?

We really don't know, but we'll know more sometime on Friday.

The Bulls have games to play. And, the players were caught off guard by the possible severity of the news and their feelings for a good guy.  They lost to Charlotte, mostly by a difference in points if Rose had played.  Whatever the outcome of Rose's knee, the Bulls need to come together as a team, and trust in each other. Some players have played while Rose has been hurt before. Some players like Gasol, have not. There needs to be a coming together, a cohesive unit formed to take on the upcoming challenges, especially from Cleveland, who is on fire now.  It is time for this team to sit in a circle of fire, and derive strength.

The Bulls aren't done. This team has talented players. Gasol, Noah, Butler come to mind. They could still play their best basketball in the later stages of this season. Stranger things have happened.  Spring is coming!

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Hornets Beat Bulls 98-86, Without Rose in Lineup

The NBA schedule marches on, calamity or not.

In the first game played without guard Derrick Rose who is slated to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus muscle in his right knee, the Bulls missed his offense and fell to the Charlotte Hornets, 98-86 at the United Center.

Charlotte outscored the Bulls 31-21 in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Chicago only hit 44.2% from the floor, and shot a woeful 17.6% from three point territory.  Pau Gasol notched his 38th double-double, tops in the League with 25 points and 13 rebounds.  But no other Bull player had an effective night on the offense. Jimmy Butler, who has been the leading scorer, only had 14 points. Aaron Brooks, who filled in for Rose, had 12 on 4 for 12 shooting, and only made 1 long-distance shot in 5 attempts. He also was 3/8 from the line.

The Hornets came in and did not play the foil to a fragile team, which had just lost its leader. The Hornets had balanced scoring from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Mo Williams notched 17 points, and big man Al Jefferson had 16 points.

Joakim Noah only had 4 points. However, he had 8 assists and 11 rebounds. Kirk Hinrich added 8 points for the Bulls, which could not come up with the points when it needed them in the second half.

The loss drops the Bulls into a tie with Cleveland for the Central Division lead.  Clearly, the team was in some degree of confusion after the shocking news that Rose would be inactive due to a serious knee injury.

Chicago is in the midst of a 7 game home stand that has Minnesota coming in next. Hopefully, the Bulls will be ready.

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Bad News For Bulls: Rose Hurts Knee, To Undergo Surgery on Right Knee

It is possibly the worst news that could come from a Chicago Bulls story:  Derrick Rose, is to have surgery on the meniscus muscle on his right knee.  This knee had surgery before. In the past few days, it must have been determined that something was wrong with his knee.  An MRI on the knee revealed a tear.  Surgery is the best practice to repair any damage.

What this means is that is it is likely that Rose will miss the remainder of the NBA season.  With his loss, the Bulls run at a title, however skewed it was, is for all intents, over.

There is shock, sadness, and disbelief in Chicago. The Bulls were a good team, that hopefully could have turned it on, and found a way to compete, for a title. Now, that seems unlikely.  Rose even when he wasn't playing well, was the glue that held the team together. He recently had a bad game against the Bucks, where he went 1-13 from the floor. Perhaps that was due to his damaged knee.

The Bulls are deep and that's the reason they were questions to how the coaching staff was to going accommodate everyone. There was so many combinations of guys coming off the court, that it remained to be seen if they could be a threat come playoff time. The one player they needed the most was Rose. Coach Tom Thibobeau spoke in optimistic terms about him.

"He had great rhythm before the break, he'll get right back into it."

That is not going to happen this season.

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Bulls Lead by Double-Digits and Oust Bucks, 87-71.

This was a strange game. The Chicago Bulls, who won the game, only shot 35% from the floor. It is practically unheard of for a winning team to shoot so poorly. However, the Milwaukee Bucks had a worse shooting night, managing to hit 33.7% from the field.

Milwaukee was playing without former starting point guard Brandon Knight who was the leading scorer on the team. But he was traded for Michael Carter Williams the talented point guard who who has been sidelined due to a sore toe.  The plan is to get him back on the court when he ready which could be later this week.

The Bulls had a 15 point first half lead which it held for most of the game. Chicago won 87-71.
The Bucks were so offensively challenged that it had 60 points mid-way through the fourth quarter.
Credit the Bulls defense and the inept shooting of the Bucks.

The Bulls won because they had a 62-41 advantage on the boards. At one point in the first half, Chicago had 11 offensive boards to just 1 for Milwaukee.  Chicago finished with 17 for the game as opposed to 12 for the Bucks.

Derrick Rose had a terrible shooting night going 1 for 13, and 5 of 6 for made FT's for 8 points. Yet the Bulls received aid because Tony Snell shot better, going 7 for 11 and had 18 of his 20 points in the first half, 12 in the second quarter. Snell converted 4 three-point shoots.  Pau Gasol had 15 points and 10 boards. Joakim Noah, on his Bobble-head night, earned 16 rebounds and scored 8 points. Jimmy Butler scored 11 points and grabbed 9 boards. The revelation was the play of Nikola Mirotic who had a double-double scoring 16 points and hauling in a career high 14 rebounds.

It was not a pretty win....not when you shoot 35.5%.  But a win is a win. In the NBA, they are tough to come by. The Bulls improve at home to 17-11 and 26-11  for the season.

Milwaukee was playing without Jarbari Parker, out for the year with knee surgery and they are changing the chemistry of their with newcomer G Michael Carter Williams.  Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 17 points. Ersan Ilyasova had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Rose played 32 minutes in  hopes of finding his shot, but it had left him for the night. Luckily, other Bulls, like Snell and Mirotic picked him up.  Noah played an active game and that helped.

 In the midst of a 7 game home stand, the Bulls are 2-0 and hope to climb in the standings.

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Bulls Hold Off Suns to Win, 112-107 at Home

Saturday night the Chicago Bulls needed everyone to earn the win.  Taj Gibson and Aaron Brooks of the second unit came up big in the early fourth quarter to take the lead against the Phoenix Suns.

Then Derrick Rose made some of his patented driving layups to cement a hard fought 112-107 win against the re-vamped Suns. Brandon Knight, the quick guard who was recently acquired from Milwaukee, makes Phoenix a faster team, that likes to pressure on offense. They are quick and athletic and can get up the court and spread the ball out or drive to the hoop in seconds.

It almost worked against the Bulls, but Chicago had just enough in the fourth quarter. The Bulls ( 25-11) now lead Cleveland by a game in the Central Division. The win ups their home court record to 16-11. The Bulls outscored the Suns 31-24, in the final quarter and that was the difference.

Chicago played better than their debacle recently in Detroit. They showed much more ball movement, improved shooting, and greater focus. Pau Gasol had another double-double, 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead Chicago. Jimmy Butler had 19 points. Rose had 16 points, with some key points in the fourth quarter. Mike Dunleavy had 15 points in his best game since returning to the starting lineup. Taj Gibson played another strong game off the bench, going for 10 points and 8 rebounds.  Joakim Noah did the little things to help the team win, with 12 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 points. Actually, his 8 assists were a team high.

Phoenix had 6 players score in double-figures. Forward P.J. Tucker had a team high 20 points. Marcus Morris, one of the Morris twins, had 17 points. Eric Bledsoe almost had a triple-double with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. Phoenix lost despite shooting almost 53% from the floor.

However, the Bulls displayed greater resolve. They played like they wanted this win.

Coach Tom Thibodeau spoke to the media on the revelation that Derrick Rose missed a team practice on Wednesday before the Pistons game.

"Sometimes things like that do happen and you have to deal with it as best you can," said Thibodeau. The Bulls coach said handling this would be an "internal matter."

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Bulls Fade In Detroit, lose 100-91

Chicago played its first game back from a week long break.  You'd think they'd be ready to face the upstart Detroit Pistons.  Wrong.  The Pistons, playing with a shortened roster, put it to the visiting Bulls, 100-91.

The Bulls committed 20 turnovers and threw away a chance to win an important road game. It  just didn't happen.

With that being said Jimmy Butler came to play. He had 30 points. Joakim Noah had his game face on. He scored 10 and had 14 boards.  Sixth man, Taj Gibson had 15 points and 9 rebounds. Pau Gasol had his consecutive double-double streak stopped when he scored 12 points but grabbed only 8 rebounds.

Instead, it was the front court of Detroit that outplayed the Bulls.  Andre Drummond had a huge night, scoring 18 points and hauling in 20 rebounds. Greg Monroe and F Caron Butler both scored 20 points each.

Derrick Rose had a tough time getting in sync due to the play of rookie Spencer Dinwiddie, who was supposed to be playing in Grand Rapids in the D League according to his coach Stan Van Gundy.

"Now he's starting against Derrick Rose, that's a pretty big difference," Van Gundy said. 

Dinwiddie outscored Rose 12-8.

Chicago missed an opportunity to take one on the road and Detroit had a big third quarter to take control of the game.  Detroit outscored the Bulls 32-17 after the Bulls had a 8 point half-time lead.

Not a good way to start the second half of the season. 

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