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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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 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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Gasol's 26 points lead Bulls over KIngs, 104-86

The Bulls handled a team it should have beat at the United Center on some home cookin' and hot shooting.

Chicago came home after a two week 6 game road trip to play the Sacramento Kings and defeated them as three Bulls hit more than 20 points, 104-86.  Pau Gasol continued his All-Star season with his 13th straight double-double, two off franchise leader, Michael Jordan who had 15 in the '88-89 season. Gasol's 34 double-doubles lead the League. The Bulls had a breakout game from 2nd year G-F Tony Snell who scored a career high 24 points on 9 for 11 shooting, including 4 of 6 long distance shots. Derrick Rose had a hot shooting night as well, scoring 23 points on 10 for 17 attempts.  Chicago shot 51.5% for the game, one of the best outings of the season.

Forward Mike Dunleavy returned to action and was rusty after missing over a month of not playing.  Jimmy Butler aggravated a right shoulder strain and did not play in the second half. His status is not known for Thursday's game in Cleveland.

The Bulls (33-20) showed signs of the kind of offense this team can generate. The team had 26 assists and won convincingly despite being out-rebounded 45-33. Chicago won the turnover margin with a +6 for the game (13-7).  The Bulls went on a 23-8 run in the third quarter that broke open the game.

Chicago moved the ball well and found the open man who made his shot. Gasol, Snell, and Rose nearly shot 70% for the game, and when you are that hot, it usually translates to a win.

Butler's injury might prevent him from playing against Cleveland. It is hoped he could play in his first All-Star game appearance this Sunday in NYC.

The Kings (18-33) were lead by Rudy Gay's 24 points. DeMarcus Cousins had 15 points in the game.

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Bulls Win in Romp 107-72, Davis Hurt for Pelicans

The Chicago Bulls know about injuries. Now, maybe the New Orleans Pelicans do too.

Anthony Davis, the talented, young F-C injured his right shoulder after a dunk with 4:16 to play in the second quarter and the Bulls took advantage, going on a 40-11 run to salt away the game. The Bulls won handily, 107-72.

Key starters have missed games for Chicago, notably Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.  Mike Dunleavy missed his 18th game due to a nagging ankle injury and hasn't played since January 1st.

Chicago is now 18-9 on the road, while winning 13 of 24 home games. The Bulls face the Orlando Magic Sunday night to end their 6 game road trip.  With the win, Chicago ended its 3 game losing streak. For today, the ship is a bit righted in the swelling seas of the NBA season.

The Bulls made 51% of shots from the field and 10-22 shots from long-distance. Tony Snell had a sharp-shooters night making 5 of 6 treys for 19 points in the game. Doug McDermott had 9 points in just over 4 minutes of action, making all 3 of his shots and hitting 2 FT's.

Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose each had 20 points. Gasol picked up another double-double due to hauling in 15 rebounds.  Jimmy Butler scored 18 points. Significantly, Butler played 33:43 minutes in the game. He leads the NBA in minutes played. Gasol played 27:34, well under his average per game. Guard Tyreke Evans scored 15 for the Pelicans, who were never in the game after half-time.

Chicago played with good energy and purpose in the Big Easy to earn the W. Making half of your shots on the road is not easy but the Bulls managed to do this. Of course, the injury to Davis helped the Bulls get going.

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Can The Bulls Turn The Tide To Their Season?

Right now, the Chicago Bulls no longer lead the NBA's Central Division.  Cleveland took care of that with a win over the Clippers, their 12th in a row.  The Cavs lead the Bulls by a half game. The Bulls play New Orleans Saturday night and a loss to them will move the Bulls a game behind Cleveland in the loss column.

It isn't looking good for the Bulls, losers of 10 of the their last 15 games. The main culprit being lack of good shooting.  Basically, the Bulls have been lacking in effort and focus. Focused teams shoot better. They know their assignments and have a simple goal, score the ball, or pass it to someone else who can. There has been an over-reliance on Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, or Derrick Rose to put up points.  Lately, Noah and Kirk Hinrich have seen poor production on the floor. When two of five starters can't break 8 points, that is a problem.

Rose has a good night and then next game, is shots/attempt is wacky....8/23 is not going to get it done. You can get away with a game like that, if others guys are playing well.  But that has not been the case.

Rumors are the management is not pleased with Coach Thibodeau's coaching strategy.  Thibs wants to win now, using his starters for 38+ minutes in a game. Management is upset that come playoff time, players will have nothing left in the tank.  This team looks out of sorts, like it can benefit with a week in Acapulco with a healer.  Come of think of it, include me.

Rose has been saying "Wait till you see me in 2 months." That time is now approaching. What are we going to see?  Bulls fans, cross your fingers.

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Bulls Drop Road Game in Houston, 101-90

The Chicago Bulls lost its third game in a row and fell into a tie with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the lead in the Central Division.  Despite Cleveland's earlier woes, the Bulls could not build a big enough lead.  When Chicago started to lose some games, Cleveland went on a winning streak and here we are.  With 2+ months to go in the season, its duke it out time for the best playoff seeding.

The Bulls didn't help its cause Wednesday night. Shooting an anemic 34.8 % from the floor, Chicago failed to show real punch in the offense and the defense let up easy baskets in the low post.  Chicago was outscored 30-21 in the second quarter and James Harden had 15 points to jump-start the Rockets.

Harden had a payback night against Jimmy Butler, scoring 27 points, 22 in the first half.  Houston did not have a good floor game but won anyways, 101-90. The Rockets hit less than 42% of its shots but got a strong game from Trevor Ariza, who scored 20 points. In Houston, the Rockets went to the charity stripe 23 times as opposed to 5 attempts in Chicago. The Rockets made 17 shots which helped.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 27 points, and Pau Gasol had another double-double, with 16 points and 12 boards.  The problem with the Bulls is that two starters combined only for 4 points, Noah 1, and Hinrich 3. Mike Dunleavy missed another game and is expected to be back soon.

Let's face it, the Bulls are in a quandary. Gasol and Noah appear to be having a difficult time meshing in the first unit in the front court.  Noah needs to carve out his own role, passing, rebounding, and getting 2nd chance shot opportunities.  He needs to find his role on the court soon. He is too good of a player to be ineffective on offense.  Taj Gibson came off the bench to score 12 and haul in 10 rebounds.

This is the first 3 game losing streak of the season. Chicago has lost 4 of 5 games. There are a lot of questions about this team, and the Bulls need to start finding the answers.  Forget about overtaking Atlanta, Chicago has its hands full facing Cleveland.

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Bulls Falls To Suns 99-93 In Phoenix

The rigors of NBA life on the road. The Lakers game ended late because it went to 2 OT's, and the Chicago Bulls lost a tough one.  Then they flew on to Phoenix and didn't arrive to their hotel till 3:30 AM, Friday with a game looming that night. With not nearly enough time to heal the aches and tiredness of the night before, the game must go on.

The Bulls ran into a waiting fast paced team that was ready to play on the Bulls being tired. That the Bulls made it close, is a plus.  However, they didn't get the W as Phoenix had just enough to beat back Chicago, 99-93.

Derrick Rose scored 23, Jimmy Butler 22, and Aaron Brooks, 21 and that wasn't enough to come away with a victory.  The Bulls shot 41.4%, were out-rebounded 50-49, and only hit 17-27 from the FT line.

Pau Gasol played well on tired legs, going for 10 points and 19 rebounds in 35+ minutes.  Rose only made 8 of 23 shots and was 0 for 6 from three point land.

The Suns got strong games from their backcourt: Erick Bledsoe and Gordon Drajic combined for 44 points. Markieff Morris had a double-double for Phoenix scoring 12 and grabbing 14 points.

The mystery of the game is why did Coach Thibodeau play TaJ Gibson only 21:37 minutes?  He scored 4 points, well below his season average.  Is Gibson hurt too?  It seems like everyone on the Bulls is.

Bull fans hope Jimmy Butler and Rose are okay after that Lakers game. Dunleavy has been out and he is a factor in scoring from the outside, grabbing rebounds and spreading the floor.

Chicago's loss put Cleveland right in the race for the Division and Conference standings. The Cavs won their 9th game in a row to fall within nudging distance of Chicago. The Cavs were out of the discussion with their losing streak and LeBron's injury but they have weathered both, and are winning.

If anything, the Bulls need the break on the upcoming All-Star Game Weekend.

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Lakers Top Bulls in Double OT, 123-118 in LA

The Los Angeles Lakers had a 9 game losing streak. A loss would have given them the longest losing streak since 1960. Kobe Bryant, the future Hall of Famer guard, had rotator-cuff surgery the other day and is out for the year. LA had lost its last five home games.

You'd think this would be a gimme, given that the Chicago Bulls had just knocked off Golden State, the NBA's top team but no game is easy in the NBA.  You have to earn the win. And, LA (13-34), playing not to go any more of a free-fall than they've had lately, put an end to it with a 123-118 2OT win.  This was a game the Bulls let get away. Leading by 5 in the first OT, the Bulls couldn't finish the Lakers off.  A timely shot, a measured shot, eluded Chicago, and Jordan Hill made a late basket to tie the game at 106 to give LA a 2nd chance.

They took and wore down the Bulls who clawed their way back into the game on a 9-0 spurt late in the 4th quarter. When Derrick Rose hit a trey to open the OT, things looked good for Chicago fans. But the Bulls misfired on shot after shot, at one point, missing 9 of 10 shots.  LA took the opening and closed the door on the Bulls. Credit the Lakers, they played inspired if erratic basketball without the sidelined Bryant.

Wayne Ellington scored 23 for LA. Jordan Clarkson had 18 points. Carlos Boozer, an ex-Bull, welcomed his old team by chipping in with 16 points. The Lakers were stagnant in the first OT and Chicago had a chance to get some separation but poor shooting did in the Bulls. Chicago hit only 41.3% from the floor and it wasn't enough to overtake the pesky Lakers.

Jimmy Butler, who was selected to his first All-Star game earlier, tied his career high with 35 points and played 49 minutes.  He appeared to tweak his knee and sat out the last few minutes of the game. Pau Gasol came close to making his first game back in LA a good memory, by scoring a late basket in the 4th to tie the game at 98.  He ended up with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 43+ minutes. Derrick Rose had an up and down night, scoring 17 points on 7-16 shooting.  Joakim Noah put out an almost heroic effort making passes, grabbing loose balls, to help Chicago get their lead in the first OT.  His fiery emotions registering on his face.

LA was determined to come out the victor.  Brent Barry, TNT commentator said the Bulls might have taken the Lakers lighly.  He said, they started to play better in the 4th quarter but that was not enough to merit the win.  This was a tough road loss.  Too many missed chances to put it away came up empty.

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Rose's Late Basket Lifts Bulls to Rare Win vs Golden State

Derrick Rose had quite a night. He made the game-winning shot with 7 seconds left to defeat Golden State, in OT, 113-111. He scored 30 points and oh, the by way, had a career high of 11 turnovers.  He was very good, and not so good. And, the very good Rose came through at the right time.  His step back jumper on tired legs swished through the net to give the Bulls a 113 - 111 lead in OT.

Golden State had the last shot but they missed and the Bulls walked away winners of a big game.  This win stopped the Warriors 19 home game winning streak. Golden State has only lost (21-2) two games at the their home court this season.  The Warriors are now 14-1 versus Eastern Conference teams, the Bulls being the only team to win in Oakland.

"Anybody can get momentum or anybody can get the feeling you can beat anybody when beat a team like them," said Rose.

He had a 13-30 shooting night, but hung in there and scored key baskets all night. Plus he did a great defensive job on ace Stephen Curry, one of the premiere point guards in the NBA.

Curry had 21 points but shot only 9-23, and 4-10 from three-point land. Klay Thompson had 30 points for Golden State. The Warriors missed all 13 of their 3 point shots in the 2nd half and OT, and this helped the Bulls win.

Chicago missed Jimmy Butler, out with an illness. Golden State did not have starter Andrew Bogut. Pau Gasol scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, one of the double-double leaders in the NBA.  Joakim Noah had a strong game, coming back from an ankle injury with 18 ponts and 15 boards. The bench also played well with Niko Mirotic scoring 12 points, Taj Gibson playing his usual strong game with 10 points, and 9 boards and Aaron Brooks adding 10 points. 

The Bulls avenged an earlier loss on their home court when Golden State, sporting the best record in the league at the time, beat the Bulls.  The Warriors are 36-7, one of the top teams in the league right now.

This win helps Chicago get ready to play the Lakers in Los Angeles later in the week.

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Rose, Butler Lead Bulls to Road Win In Dallas, 102-98.

Suddenly, things are looking better in Bulls Nation. Chicago had just defeated the Spurs, the defending NBA champions at home and traveled to Dallas to take on Rajon Rondo and Dirk Nowitzki.

Chicago played with energy, desire and minus the 21 turnovers, had a very good game on the road in defeating the Mavericks 102-98. Chicago is now 29-16 and returns home to play the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Derrick Rose scored 20 points but his biggest play of the game was snaring a loose ball in the closing seconds to gain possession and the Bulls held on. Pau Gasol was fouled with .1 second left and made both FT's, and the Bulls won a close game that they had led by 11 points.

Rose scored 20 points, most of which came in the first half.  Jimmy Butler also had 20, 10 coming in the third quarter.    Pau Gasol had 13 points and 16 boards, Taj Gibson played great in the low post bagging 15 ponts and 7 rebounds  .And, Tony Snell, had 10 points and made two big treys. Kirk Hinirich chipped in with 8 points.

Joakim Noah returned to the lineup and played well. He had good energy, and made some great passes. He had 7 rebounds and 6 points in 23 minutes.

Chicago shot 49% and made 9 of 16 three point shots. Rose was 3-5 from long-distance.  The baskets he made were long and high arching.

It appears that the recent team-meeting the players and coaches of the Bulls had has fallen on attentive ears.  The team now realizes its time to play. "It means we can beat any team when we put on mind to it," said Butler.  Last night they played one of the better teams in the Western Conference on the road with a future Hall of Fame player in Nowitzki.

Dirk had 24 to lead the Mavs. Chandler Parsons had 19 and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 12 boards.

The Bulls held Rajon Rondo to 6 points and he was on the bench in the final minutes of the game.

The Bulls had a 47-30 rebounding advantage and that was one of the key reasons, the Bulls won.
Rose came up with the lose ball and fired it to Hinrich who passed it to Gasol in the final second.

The Bulls played without F Mike Dunleavy who missed his 12th game. He could return to the starting lineup soon.

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Bulls In A Statement Game, Beat Spurs, 104-81

The Chicago Bulls have been mired in a season worst slump, losing 6 of their last 8 games, and playing matator defense.  Opposition have scored over 100 points on a fairly regular basis, which sounded the alarm.

Bulls players and Coach Thibobeau met for an airing out session.  Each player got a turn to speak.  The results of that meeting were good.  The Bulls played with energy and spirit and locked down the defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs to 37% FG shooting. The Bulls held the combined big three of  Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker to just 17 points total points and routed San Antonio 104-81.

Derrick Rose, made some strong statements after the Bulls got thrashed by the Cavs, where the Bulls looked flat and not able to compete. Rose came out fired up and scored 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting. His shooting slump, perhaps, a thing of the past.  In all, 5 other Bulls scored in double-figures. Pau Gasol was just named as a starting F on the All-Star game. He played like one too, scoring 12 and grabbing 17 rebounds.  Jimmy Butler had 17 efficient points. Taj Gibson scored 15 points and had 9 boards. Chicago out rebounded San Antonio 46-39.

Spurs Coach Paul Popovich said, "I want my money back."  The Spurs had won four games in a row, but ran into a determined Bulls team, with something to say.  "It shows what we're capable of doing," said Gasol.

What was impressive about this win, was the Bulls holding the Spurs to under 100 points, heck, under 90 points. Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs scoring with 16 points, all in the first half.  Chicago had a good third quarter outscoring the Spurs 31-20, and the game was essentially over. Rose hardly played in the fourth quarter.

Both Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy were out due to ankle issues. Noah missed his 4th game, and Dunleavy, his 11th.  Both are practicing and Dunleavy is expected to return "very soon."

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Bulls Searching for Answers

The players know it. Their Coach knows it. But how to jell again and play competitive basketball?
That is the question, and based on their play in Cleveland, The Chicago Bulls don't have the answers.

Former MVP Derrick Rose says it's playing together as a group. "Just have to gets guys on the same page and go out and compete," he said.  The Bulls have lost 6 of its last 8 games, and in some of those losses, the games were not close.  Monday night the Cavs had a good second quarter and the Bulls were left in the lurch.  Rose didn't score a basket until 1:10 left in the first half. Gasol looked like he was working hard just to hit a basket, a far cry from his career 46 point night not long ago. Guard Jimmy Butler was held in check most of the game.

 Butler thinks the team needs to tighten up defensively. "We know we can score..we gotta get stops."

Rose thought the team has to come together in a new and different way. "It's not just two or three guys playing (well). It's going to be as a collective group."  That kind of effort hasn't happened since December and that was for a ten day period.

Coach "Thibs" was quoted as saying, "Enough is enough." He was not pleased with the team's focus or effort against Cleveland.  According to a recent media report, the injured Bulls should be returning in a week or so. Sounds like good news for a team that needs it. 

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Rose's 29 points, 10 assists lead Bulls Over Celts, 119-103

Derrick Rose had 29 points and 10 assists to pace the Chicago Bulls to a solid road win in Boston Friday night.

So much for his shooting slump.

The Boston Celtics shot 60% in the first half against the Bulls, a trend that has been developing of late.

However, The Bulls tightened up their defense and Derrick Rose hit some timely three-pointers in the 4th quarter to pull away from Boston.

Chicago had lost two in a row, and four of their last five games. The win came courtesy of Rose's 29 points (20 scored in the 2nd half), Jimmy Butler scoring 22, and Pau Gasol's double-double, 20 points and 11 boards. Aaron Brooks had 15 points.

Chicago hit nearly 54% of its shots (27-41 in the 2nd half), a high number for a road game. The team's 27 assists were also impressive playing on the road. Rose had a fine floor game with 10 assists. The offense was able to function well despite the absence of cornerstone center Joakim Noah, the fiery rebounder and low post defender.  Noah is out with a high ankle sprain.

Jared Sullinger scored 20 points had had 8 rebounds for Boston. Kelly Olynyk had 14 points and 9 boards.

Chicago has demonstrated it can score points, but also it has allowed teams to almost score at will. That is not Bulls basketball.  Coach Tom Thibodeau has been stressing that the team has to turn up the intensity on the defensive end. They will have an opportunity to do that with some tough road tests coming up.

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Bulls Drop Another At Home to Wizards, 105-99.

The good news is that Chicago Bulls G Derrick Rose may be out of his shooting slump with a 32 point game against the Washington Wizards.  The bad news is the Bulls looked a bit over-matched and lost the game 105-99 at the United Center.

The Bulls didn't play bad. It is that Washington played better. The Wizards are not intimidated by Chicago. Paul Pierce gives them that swagger, that confidence that has the Wizards playing some of the best basketball in the Eastern Conference. They (26-11) are better than Chicago right now.  The Wizards have so much talent with John Wall at PG emerging as new star in the NBA. Marcin Gortat and Nene outplayed the frontcourt of the Bulls tonight and a +10 advantage in rebounding.  Bradley Beal, the team's sharpshooter, lurks in he wings, waiting to hoist a trey.  Pierce plays like the knowing field general, leading by guiding, not directing.

The Wizards hit 51.3% of its shots against the Bulls.  While Chicago (26-14) hit 43.0% of their shots from the floor. That is a big difference.  Pau Gasol had a quiet game scoring 'only' 13 points and hauling in 8 rebounds. Joakim Noah played 13:25 minutes and may have some soreness in his knee.

The Wizards had 29 assists to just 18 assists for Chicago. The Bulls took and made 13-27 three-point shots, D Rose hitting 6 of 9 attempts. This means Washington was not letting the Bulls run their offense in the half-court game. The Wizards controlled the glass and the tempo of the game.  Paul Pierce had 22 to lead Washington, John Wall scored 21.

The Bulls have hit a rough patch, losing 2 of 3 home games.  A good team is expected to win at home however lately, the Bulls haven't been able to do that.

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Wall, Wizards Wave Off Bulls In 102-86 WIn

The Chicago Bulls were coolly dispatched last night at the Verizon Center.  Chicago needed to find its mojo again after gettng lambasted by Utah a few nights back.

John Wall (16 points, 12 boards) and his team weren't in a cooperative frame of mind, and the Wizards won convincingly, 102-86.  The Wizards (25-11) are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and they played like it. This was not a good  team to play to "get back on track" if you rooted for Chicago.

The Wizards have an extremely dangerous backcourt in Wall and Bradley Beal, a three point shooter, who has the touch of a Reggie Miller. When Beal is on, forget it.  He made a late trey to put the game away for Washington, as "cool as the other side of the pillow", as the late sports anchor Stuart Scott liked to say.

The positive news for Chicago was that Derrick Rose had a good night, scoring 19 points, and was more aggressive on the court.  He made a beautiful move inside to beat a big man for a layup.  That move indicated that he's OK, he just might be a shooting slump. He is only hitting around 24% in his last 6 games.

In this game, the Wizards took a commanding 30-13 lead in the first quarter and the Bulls spent the right of the game trying to catch up. It's hard to catch up against a good team, especially with Paul Pierce playing.

Pierce is a warrior and won't back down from anyone. He gives the younger players a strong presence on the court, to do their thing.  Tonight, those guys did. Washington hit 47.7% in field goals and 8-15 in long ball attempts. Marcin Gortat continues to impress with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He is an immovable force close to the basket.  Every time the Bulls got within 8 points in the second half, Washington hit a three pointer to make it an 11 point lead.

The Bulls were led by Rose with 19 points. Pau Gasol had a "quiet" double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds. Aaron Brooks had 16 points. Mike Dunleavy missed the game with an ankle injury.

Prior to the Jazz loss, the Bulls were a hot team, winning 13 of 15 games. Now, they've lost two in a row, first time since early in the season.  There is a time and place for everything.

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Rose, Bulls Push Back and Defeat Denver, 106-101, At Home

Derrick Rose was MIA for most of the game, but he came up big in the 4th quarter to help the Chicago Bulls vanquish the Denver Nuggets at the United Center.  Rose scored 13 of 17 points in the final stanza to help erase the memory of a poor game vs. the Nets a few days ago.

This was a game of individual performances.  Denver's Kenneth Faried had 18 points and 19 rebounds in a great effort. Wilson Chandler scored 22 points,  Ty Lawson had 20 and Afflalo ended with 19 points.  Jusuf Nurkic had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Denver.  Chicago's Pau Gasol narrowly missed a rare triple-double, scoring 17 points, grabbing 9 rebounds and had a career high 9 blocks.

Overall the Bulls had six players score in double figures.  Guard Jimmy Butler rebounded from an 8 point game vs. the Nets to score a team high 26 points in 39+ minutes. Butler leads the team in minutes played.  Aaron Brooks had a key 12 point night, and Kirk Hinrich played his first game in nearly two weeks, scoring 11 points.  Not one to be forgotten, Nikola Mirotic added 10 points.  It was Rose, however, who came up big for the Bulls. He made shot after shot, just when the Nuggets were threatening to take a late lead.

Chicago played better than its last game at home. The Bulls made 22-25 free-throw attempts, and had 18 blocked shots which is a team record.  They committed only 7 Turnovers in the game. Denver was terrific on the boards, out-rebounding Chicago, one of the best teams in the league, 57-46. The Bulls are now 9-6 at home and lead the Central Division.

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Where's Derrick's Shot?

Just a few weeks ago, Chicago Bulls G Derrick Rose was practically lighting it up as he scored over 30 points, and in the upper 20's.  Lately his scoring has fallen off, and it hit a kind of crisis mode, if you are a Bulls fan, when Rose has made 7 baskets in 35 attempts the last two games.  Last night, he made just two shots and missed 13 other attempts, including all his 3 point attempts.

Perhaps more importantly, he altered his game to take more outside shots, and didn't drive inside to the basket.  His outside shot lacked lift and it seemed he was tired as the rest of the Bulls players. When he makes a move to the low post, he often gets fouled and Rose is a good free-throw shooter. He didn't drive much to the hoop, and on one trip, committed a turnover. Rose had no made free-throws in the Nets game while Bulls only had 15 free-throw attempts.  We don't know if there is something wrong with Rose, physically.  Perhaps this is just a rough patch on the road to recovery.

Jimmy Butler only had 8 points on an off shooting night. He has averaged over 26 points per game in the last 4 games, all wins. And has emerged as break-out star on the team.

We will know more on New Year's Day, when the Denver Nuggets come to the United Center.  There is an old saying in the NBA that goes like: "If you've lost a tough game, or don't like the way you played, don't worry, there is a game just around the corner."

For the Bulls, that game is Denver. 

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Bulls' 7th Straight Win: A Nailbiter vs. Pacers, 92-90.

During winning streaks, games like this one might happen.  The Chicago Bulls won their 7th straight game after nearly coughing up a 16 point 4th quarter lead against an inspired Indiana rally.

The Bulls nearly lost its shooting touch late, and went 0-13 at one point during the the 4th quarter. This allowed the Pacers the climb back into it and take a late lead. But Jimmy Butler's clutch trey with 1:07 remaining, gave Chicago a 92-90 margin, which they held onto for the victory.

Butler, making a strong case for All-Star consideration, once again led the Bulls with 27 points and added 9 rebounds. Pau Gasol had 20 points, and Derrick Rose scored 17, in a game where the Bulls won, despite shooting a poor 34.5% from the floor. Rose was 5 for 20 from the field.  F Mike Dunleavy also had 8 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Bulls were leading by 16 early in the 4th quarter, when Chris Copeland of Indiana made shots, and the rest of the team followed.  Six Pacers scored in the double-figures led by Copeland's 17 points.

This was a "Whew!" win and the only thing to do was the leave the arena as soon as possible.

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