Bulls Now In Must Win Situation as Miami Surges Ahead 2-1

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

It’s “gut check” time for the Bulls… Miami cannot go up 3-1 and head back to South Beach with all that momentum at their backs…

After the exhilarating win in game one, Chicago has been brought down to earth a bit with two losses in a row. First, there was the mind-numbing blowout (ended up being the Bulls worst playoff loss in franchise history) Second would be a closer affair… Wheels came off towards the end, apparently due to Bulls fatigue, more than Miami dominance.

The numbers say that Bulls win game 4. They haven’t lost 3 games in a row this postseason, and in the regular season, they only did it once… Back on November 21st vs. Houston after falling to the Clippers and Portland. Just not a part of the Bulls DNA to keep losing. There are other reasons too that I think Chicago fights back:

  1. The Bulls would like to avoid losing 4 straight like they did in the ECF vs. the Heat in 2011 – None of the articles I am reading are mentioning how frustrated and crestfallen the Bulls were after that failure. If the Bulls get past Miami that year, there was a good chance they could have brought the Larry O’Brien trophy home. The Mavs would not have had an answer for D.Rose, Noah matched up well with Tyson Chandler in the middle and Deng (plus a nice helping of help defense) could have neutralized Dirk on the wing. Sigh. Hurts even thinking about it. The Bulls lose on Monday and 4 straight losses is almost inevitable.
  2. The Bulls will be the more desperate team – I’m finding that the more desperate team always wins. Even though the Bulls are CLEARLY overmatched here, it seems like heart, desperation, etc. and other unquantifiable intangibles can be ridden towards a victory.
  3. Bulls will finally keep their composure – Let’s hope so. Game two saw 6 techs on Chicago (including one for little Teague, what the…?), plus two ejections (Noah, Taj). Game three saw Nazy lose his cool by shoving James, who conveniently threw his 260lb. frame on the deck. Nazr had to be ejected after that. Ugh. I need the Bulls to play under control. Now that they are in “must win” territory, I believe that they understand the stakes, and know that their margin for error is very low.

Other Bulls Headlines:

Coach Tom Thibodeau fined $35k for comments about the refs  (Basically spoke the truth. Simply stated: Bulls are not going to get the calls. What’s wrong with saying that? Since most of these contests are close, touch foul whistles can influence the outcome of the game.

Taj fined $25k for verbal abuse of the ref in game 2 (Remember when we thought that Taj would be suspended for going H.A.M. on the refs in Miami before getting tossed? Thank God it was only a fine.)

Injury Report:

Hinrich (severly bruised calf) and Lu (illness) are both likely out for game 4. Deng stated that he tried to work out and threw up. Poor guy, I LOVE the no quit in this team. Rose has finally been hooked for the series, so that discussion can finally cease.

What’s Next?

Game 4 is Monday night at the UC at 7PM. TNT. I’ve got a client meeting so I unfortunately will NOT be in-game tweeting from @ChiTwnBullsBlog. Follow us.

Go Bulls… I believe.

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Bulls Disrupt the Narrative; Drop Miami in Game 1

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

“Gotta say I’m hoping for some rust. Bulls have come this far, why not try to steal game one? Chicago has come out of a war and is in rhythm. Just because the Heat has more talent does not automatically equal a game one loss.” – @ChiTwnBullsBlog – 05/05/13

Uh, yeah… That happened. Wow, what a RIDE this team is taking us on! After listening to all of the analysts yesterday (First Take, Numbers Never Lie, PTI, Mike and Mike, Waddle & Silvy to name a few), the Bulls weren’t given much a shot to do anything against the Heat. Pretty universally Chicago was given a nice “pat on the back” for the 7 game series win over the Brooklyn Nets, and it was suggested that the Bulls might manage 1 or 2 wins in Chicago. Others noted that the Bulls would be swept, and that they should feel good about what they did in the prior series based on all of the injuries and guys out.

The Bulls decide not to acknowledge what was supposed to happen on paper and went ahead and played the game that was scheduled. They played hard. They played smart. They played together. If you could walk, you played. Next man up. They’ve got more than enough to win. Amazing performance by this team.

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Game Notes:

    • Lebron went 1-6 in the first half for 2 pts.
    • The rest of the Heat team was clearly rusty, missing wide open looks and shots they usually make…
    • Bulls kept the game close and neither team got more than a 5-8 point lead.
    • They played to a draw by the half, knotted up at 37.
    • Nate Robinson got the bad end of a loose ball scramble with Lebron James and had to leave the game to get 10 stitches in his lip, 5 on the outside and 5 on the inside, ouch! (of course he came back for the second half).
    • Miami started making some runs in the second half and you kind of thought they were going to stretch things out. The Bulls kept their poise and seemed to hit big shot after big shot (Bellinelli, Butler and Robinson were HUGE down the stretch).
    • Heat enter the 4th quarter up 4 and are 33-0 this year when entering the 4th with a lead.
    • Bulls go on a 10-0 run to close the game (Nate scored 7 during that stretch taking both  Chalmers and Allen off the dribble in two separate isolation plays).
    • The refs called the game pretty even and also allowed physical play, but it wasn’t too physical (for the Bulls anyway). 29 FTA’s for the Bulls vs. 25 for the Heat. I think that changes as the series goes on obviously. DWade and LBJ will be lobbying a lot harder for calls too (what else is new?).
    • Bulls outrebounded the Heat 46-32.

Key Quotes:

“…I really love this game for what it is… my teammates push me to play with energy and passion.” – Nate Robinson (SG/PG Chicago Bulls)

“…I just want to do whatever it takes to win. … As far as getting to the line, that’s just being aggressive.” – Jimmy Butler (SG/SF Chicago Bulls)

“…We know how good they are. This is only one gm and we have to play a whole lot better.” – Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau

“…We are not gonna talk about time off or rest or anything else. Give them credit.” – Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra

Best In-Game Tweets:

Best Instagram Pics:

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What’s Next?

I’m predicting that Miami will play more desperate, will get to the line more and Lebron will look to be assertive coming out of the gate. Foul calls will be the story of game 2. Bulls are so depleted, they can’t afford to have key players in jeopardy of fouling out.

Game 2 is Wednesday night – 5/8 on TNT. (7PM EST/6:00 CST)

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I’ll be in-game tweeting from @ChiTwnBullsBlog. Follow us for the latest! Go #Bulls #SeeRed!!!

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Noah Leads Bulls Past Nets in Game 7; Face Heat in Eastern Conference Semis

Posted on May 5, 2013 by

I know there has been a huge gap in my reporting… Games coming too quickly and I have been so busy, I’ve neglected my other blog as well. I’ll be better for Miami. How about those Bulls though? Heart. Toughness. No excuses. Team concept. I mean, there are not enough superlatives to describe what we’ve witnessed in this now legendary series…

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Last time I posted, the Bulls were in firm control of the series following the amazing shooting performance by Nate Robinson. After that the Bulls lost up in Brooklyn (110-91). They then experienced some freakish ailments (Taj and Nate with the flu, Deng with a viral issue that required a spinal tap) and injuries (Kirk missed 2nd game in a row due to a severe calf strain). With all of this, they STILL narrowly lost Game 6 (95-92).

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This sets up Game 7 in Brooklyn. Kirk still can’t go after trying to warmup before the game. Deng has complications with the spinal tap and is still not medically cleared to play yet. What would we do? How would we perform? Joakim had boldly predicted a game 7 win for the Bulls in his childhood home of Brooklyn. As a fan, that both scared and excited me… You knew the Bulls would need a higher intensity to start the game, leadership in Noah, and contributions from everyone. Guess what? We got all three.

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Energy, Effort and Intensity (√)
The Bulls opened the game with the right mindset. They were clearly the aggressors. Chuck from Inside the NBA said that Brooklyn plays too cool. Like they don’t want to break a sweat. Interesting observation because they are kind of low key that way. They scramble, but its mostly Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace. Who else sacrifices and makes plays with the same passion and intensity as those guys for the Nets? Noah would get FIVE offensive rebounds and 10 points in the 1st quarter! Nets were immediately on their heels a bit even though they were only down 4 pts after one.

Noah’s Leadership (√)
41 min. | 24 pts. | 14 rebs | 7 off rebs | 6 blks | 1 steal | 2 assists
Not only did Noah back up his guarantee that the Bulls would win, he played in a way that would leave no doubt about who he is now as an NBA player. He would say later that he wanted to make the city of Chicago proud. You did Jo, you did. Joakim came to play and his f00t looked like plantar who? The rest of the starters fed off his demeanor and were clearly energized by his play.

Contributions From Everyone (√)
Thibodeau showed some coaching chops by going to players who’d mostly been sitting the whole series. Teague and Cook played 14 and 8 minutes respectively and they both stepped up. The bench players helped to extend the lead to 17 by halftime. Very impressive game from the rookie in particular. He shied away from his first couple of shots, but then he just seemed to relax a little bit and ended up going 2-5 with 3 assists and a steal. Daequan hit a huge three and Bellinelli has shown that he’s a starter in this league. With heavy minutes (he logged 41), he has been very effective. Quick to the ball, staying ready to shoot, diving on the floor after loose balls, etc. He matched Noah’s team high of 24 pts. The “next man up” and “we’ve got more than enough to win with” mantra that the coach has been preaching all year is finally starting to take root in me. I believe him. Its officially no longer “pie in the sky” thinking.

Best In-Game Tweets

Key Quotes:
“I’m just so proud of this team. We’ve been fighting through so much all year and to be in this situation, play on the biggest stage in the world and to be able to win and now play against the Heat, all these experiences, I (don’t) take those for granted,” - Joakim Noah (C Bulls)

“I thought our guys, we took a big punch in Game 1 and we kept fighting back and that’s been the story of the season,”
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau

“It’s disappointing. We won Game 6, we felt like this was our series, but they came out and played a great game. Noah, like I said, he’s a warrior. He battled through his injuries and just had a monster game. We really had no answers for him down low tonight.” - D. Will (PG BKN)

“They played like they weren’t ready for their season to end. They ran what they wanted, and we were on the back of our heels.” - Gerald Wallace (Forward BKN)

Best Instagram Pics
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What’s Next?
Monday night, 05/06/13 – (Eastern Conference SemiFinals) Chicago at Miami on TNT – 6P CST/7P EST

We are already in South Beach! Quickly preparing to face the champs, who came off of what looked like 4 scrimmage games against the Milwaukee Bucks. The MVP coronation, I mean presentation/announcement was held today for LBJ. No hate, he deserved it.

Injury Report: Kirk Hinrich: Calf Strain | Luol Deng: Viral infection | Rose: Out for season (assumption, no official statement yet)

Gotta say I’m hoping for some rust. Bulls have come this far, why not try to steal game one? Chicago has come out of a war and is in rhythm. Just because the Heat has more talent does not automatically equal a game one loss. I am going to try, and I mean try to put up a preview with matchups, but I can’t make any guarantees. Enjoy the fan goodies above and I hope to be in-game tweeting from @ChiTwnBullsBlog! Follow us for the latest.

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Bulls In Firm Control of Series After Winning 3OT Thriller

Posted on April 28, 2013 by

“…He’s on fire!” – NBA Jam

Game 4 between the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls would prove to be an instant classic. Yes, they’ll talk about this game for years to come. For long time watchers of the NBA, this game can be likened to Reggie Miller’s flurry of clutch threes against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. An epic 8 points in just 9 seconds.

After a missed dunk by C.J. Watson (and subsequent missed FTs by Reggie Evans) that could have ballooned the Nets lead to 16 pts, something crazy happened. Something improbable. Something special. Nate Robinson happened. In one of the greatest shooting performances (with under 4 minutes left in regulation) in an NBA game that we will EVER see, Nate lit the Nets up for 12 consecutive pts. He then assisted Boozer for another reverse layup that tied the game. Tied it. Are you serious? How exciting this post season has become for Chicago Bulls fans and fans of the NBA in general.

An SI article was published before the playoffs even got underway that listed/ranked playoff matchups/series in order based on watchability, and wouldn’t you know it, the Nets/Bulls series ranked dead last?. Granted, game three’s 79-76 contest was pretty horrid offensively, but I’ve come to appreciate hard-nosed defense and half court execution. I actually think its more suited to hotly contested playoff series, particularly in the later rounds.

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How it went down:

  • Bulls were pretty much in control of this game, until they allowed the Nets back in right before halftime with an 8-0 run.
  • Nets took control in the 3rd quarter, snatching the lead, outscoring the Bulls 29-18
  • The Nets unraveled at the 3:45 mark (leading 109-95) after former Bull CJ Watson missed a wide open dunk attempt (since when does he dunk anyway?), and subsequent missed FT’s by Reggie Evans
  • Nate then went a little crazy and hit a three, a runner, a little pop shot at the top of the key, got fouled on a three attempt and hit all three FTs, it was ah-mazing.
  • After that, he switched it up and got a no look to Boozer who hit a reverse layup. Brooklyn was STUNNED.

Then came OT. And then another, and another. This game was almost 4 hours… Even though I was nervous, I knew we’d pull it out. We left ‘em on the mat and I was exhausted when it was done. The game was so epic I wanted to make sure I blogged about it. I’ll try to make it back next week to discuss what I HOPE is our closeout game on Monday.

Best Tweets

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Bulls Tie Together Defensively, Slow Nets and Knot Series 1-1

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

After game one, even the most die hard Bulls fan had to be worried about the Bulls mental state, health, ability to be competitive in the series, etc. Last night’s game reassured everyone that they have the will, toughness and moxie to compete.

Injured or not. Picked to win this series or not. Home court advantage or not. So proud of this team… After a mind blowing whipping in game one, game two showed us that both teams are who we thought they were.

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Bulls defense able to significantly slow DWill, Wallace and Joe Johnson…

Game Notes

Bulls must have had a refresher course in “Challenge the jumpshooter 101″.
Kirk Hinrich, even with Joakim Noah’s late game heroics, is the player of the game. I was left thinking after game one that a healthy D.Will was getting ready to be the superstar of this series (lot of basketball left to be played here, this is only one game), but the job that Kirk did on him last night just shows you that he is not, in my mind, an unstoppable force. He can be slowed, frustrated and taken out of his game. Superstar players find a way. Other defensive standouts: Butler killed Joe Johnson… Joe settled for 17 pts. on 18 shot attempts. Deng quieted Wallace, but that was also a case of Gerald coming back down to earth too. Nets shot under 36%, which is more indicative of what has gone on during the regular season.

Noah got a double-double on a bad wheel.
Noah’s big save on the baseline. His runner that gently kissed the glass before dropping in. HUGE block on Lopez. I mean, what more can we ask of Jo at this point? Thanks #13. Much love. I fear for overcompensation injuries though. Kudos for Thibs making sure he’s not going over his 25 min limit.

Paint points controlled.
If the Nets wanted to beat the Bulls, they had to try from the outside. Only problem is, Lopez has no problems hitting an outside shot. As much as it pains me to say it, neither is CJ. Carlesimo seems content with only playing CJ 25-27 minutes a game since they have a crowded backcourt. Lets see if he makes an adjustment on that in game 3. Bulls outscored the Nets 42-30 in the paint and outrebounded them 44-39.

Bench loved it… #Holdat #WelcomeToChicago

Best In-Game Tweets

What’s Next?

Its going down at the UC on Thursday night!!! I’ll be in-game tweeting from @ChiTwnBullsBlog. Follow us for the latest!

Here’s to the wine and cheese crowd MAKING SOME NOISE! Bulls need you guys. I wish I could go. #SeeRed

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New Goal For Bulls: Relevance in the PostSeason

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

bullsnetsWell Bulls fans, after Saturday’s annihilation, we have reached the “do or die” point in the postseason. Tonight’s game is a MUST win for Chicago. We must go back to the United Center with this series tied up… I just don’t think that in the Bulls fragile state that we can come back from an 0-2 deficit.

Let’s look at a few compelling storylines as we enter Game 2:

Noah as “Willis Reed”

Is this really a good idea? I’ve read that Noah’s Plantar injury is now torn, he looks like he’s walking on hot coals and is being used in extremely limited minutes. What is the medical staff there for anyway? Common sense aside, its a great story, Noah is the heart and soul of this team and I’d go to war with this guy anywhere, any day. Love you Jo. For real.

Deng as “The Invisible Man”

Gerald Wallace killed Deng. I mean he killed him. He was like tissue paper. You know, if we don’t get 22-24 pts. a game starting TONIGHT from Lu, we can forget this series. Start deciding who you want to win the other series out there, I’m not kidding. We have to have offensive production from the three and I don’t know if Lu will have it in the tank after what looks to be a tough, tough assignment for him in guarding Wallace. My God.

DWill as “Remember Me?”

We have no one to stop Deron Williams. I repeat, we have no one to stop Deron Williams. I’ll say it one more time… We have no one, to stop Deron Williams. Kirk is beat up, Nate (even though we desperately need his offensive production) was getting completely abused when he was on him. I’m speechless at this matchup. Butler needs to check Joe Johnson and help Deng with Wallace. Who is going to stop this guy? He’s licking his chops to light us up again.

DRose as “Benchwarmer”

Thibs finally. And I mean finally dropped the charade that Rose is coming back for the postseason. Still not shutting the door completely, he managed, “likely out”. #SIDEEYE. Stick a fork in him Thibs. He’s done.  Noah hobbling around is really, really rubbing salt in the wound of #TheReturn as we got to see Rose on the bench, for only the second time in 83 Bulls games, in a suit, cheering on his teammates. Sooo much political red tape there with the ownership, Reggie, Derrick’s mental state, Adidas. Ewww. More money, more problems. Whatever, hope his rehab continues to go well heading into the summer.

I won’t be around in-game tweeting, I’ve got envelopes to letter, but I’ll be watching. Go Bulls. You can turn it around!!!! #ChicagoStrong

–ct

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Bulls Continue Uneven Season with Loss to Raptors; Miami Next

Posted on April 13, 2013 by

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Perhaps we should confidently look forward to Sunday’s (likely final) showdown in South Beach with Miami? The sub .500 teams have been the biggest problem for Chicago so far. Granted, those teams are playing harder as the season ends… Both for the desire to play spoiler to teams that are moving ahead to the post season as well as earning playing time for next year. Still, you have to think that if the Bulls can raise their game to compete (and win) against the elite teams, these losses seem to be characterized by mental lapses more than anything else.

Another streak broken

Screen Shot 2013-04-13 at 5.47.10 AMHow nice was it to break the Knicks streak at 13? I actually expected us to win this one. New York has too many one-on-one players and they rely on the three and superstar performances by Melo to cover up their core, team weaknesses. Team for team, I still think the Bulls are superior. The rebounding, team defense and ball movement for Chicago is not always pretty, but it can beat NY in a series, I’m convinced.

Derrick Rose’s return
At this point, it doesn’t look like he’s coming back. The way that the Bulls organization and Derrick’s camp are handling this news has become the bigger story. Common sense questions regarding the wisdom of Rose coming back for more physical playoff games/run are met with quotes stating that: “…We’ll look at that when we get there.” Huh? Gar Forman actually said this on Waddle and Silvy last week. So game one of the playoffs comes around, Rose feels ready to play and you need to look at it and do what, exactly? You would think that there would be better planning in place for a max contract/franchise player.

With 4 games left in the regular season, Derrick has also stated that he’s not planning on realeasing a formal statement/announcement that he’s not returning. I expect this to just trail off and perhaps we’ll see Rose suit up for summer league and/or training camp. Maybe Rose wants history to point to the fact that he remained “open” to returning to the Bulls this year, I’m not sure. You have to think that after the Adidas campaign, his brother Reggie’s comments and inconsistent reporting from Bulls management, his reluctance to return to limited game action will always be shrouded in mystery and will likely leave a negative impression on most fans. Such a shame too because he is a beloved sports figure in our city. This was unnecessary.

Injury report as of 04.13
Joakim Noah – Plantar Fasciitis
Taj Gibson – Sprained left ACL
Derrick Rose – Lengthy recovery from repaired ACL

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