Teams usually struggle when starters and franchise players are constantly in and out of the lineup.
But try telling that to the Chicago Bulls, who hold a record of 25-7, the best in the league.
Derrick Rose missed his fourth straight game due to back issues Thursday night, but it did not matter as the Bulls improved to 7-2 without their franchise point guard and continued their dominance at home by defeating the Celtics 89-80. Granted, most of those wins without Rose came against teams with losing records, but a win is a win. They are now 11-1 at the United Center.
In a tightly contested match up that had the feel of a playoff game, Luol Deng channeled his inner LeBron James with a second consecutive double-double in points and assists by tallying 23 points, 10 assists, and a season high six 3-pointers. To understand the rarity of the past two games, Deng had not had a double-digit assist game in 545 career games. Yet, he continues to do all things necessary to help the Bulls win, further legitimizing his selection to the All-Star game. He had plenty of help along the way.
Mike James, freshly picked up from the D-League by the Bulls for the second time this season, was an unlikely catalyst on both ends of the court in the win despite playing only 17 minutes.
From Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times: “Then Mike James checked into the game. The third-string point guard, who was playing in the D-League at this time last week, twice rescued the Bulls during their 89-80 victory against the Celtics. James wasn’t the only hero — just the most unlikely. “[James] brought toughness to our team,” Luol Deng said. The Bulls were struggling mightily when C.J. Watson picked up his third foul with 6:20 left in the second quarter. Backup point guard John Lucas III came running off the bench, assuming he would be subbing for Watson, only to be told by coach Tom Thibodeau to sit back down. He summoned James instead. The veteran immediately scored with a runner, and the momentum began to turn. With James on the floor, the Bulls ended the first half on a 20-4 run that turned a seven-point deficit into a nine-point lead… It wasn’t only his offense, either. Rajon Rondo had 32 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in Boston on Sunday. Rondo had posted up Watson and Lucas but abandoned that strategy against the 6-2 James and finished with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.”
As the Bulls patiently await the return of Rose, some of the starters that struggled last season due to injuries, namely Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, are coming together and developing the type of chemistry they previously lacked. They became the first Bulls duo to have at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in the same game since Dave Corzine and Charles Oakley did it back in 1986, and dominated the Celtics in the paint.
From K.C. Johnson of Chicago Tribune: “The Bulls improved to 7-2 without Derrick Rose, who sat for the fourth straight time with his sore lower back. “He’s so competitive and wants to be out there so bad,” Deng said. “But I keep telling him, ‘You have to be smart. Don’t come back unless you’re 100 percent.’ We’re going to try to win until then.” Carlos Boozer added 23 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and Joakim Noah contributed 15 points and 16 rebounds. The Bulls, after getting pushed around early, enjoyed huge advantages on the boards and second-chance points. Boozer, in particular, kept finding Noah inside for scores. “Last year, (Noah and I) didn’t have a good chance to play with each other consistently until the playoffs,” Boozer said. “This year, we’ve played the whole year together. You can see how good our chemistry is. We make plays for each other and it’s usually either a dunk or a layup.””
The Celtics continued their stretch of anemic offensive efforts as they failed to score 90 points for the fourth time in five games, all losses. Kevin Garnett led the team with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds, but the rest of the starters shot just 19-of-50. While scoring has been an issue, their biggest issue remains the inability to rebound as the Bulls dominated the glass 52-37.
From Steve Bulpett of Boston Herald: “On a sheet filled with numbers, the stat that mattered most was the 16 in the Bulls’ offensive rebound column. It meant the Celtics couldn’t get out and run. It meant they didn’t complete their defensive assignment by getting the ball. And it meant, ultimately, that Chicago played with a greater overall toughness. “The rebounding has been our Achilles’ heel pretty much all season long,” said captain Paul Pierce after the Bulls had given the Celts a 52-37 overall glass-kicking. “It’s something we’ve got to do a better job of, when you hold a team to 38-39 percent shooting and then they get second opportunities. They were first to a lot of the loose balls. We got our hands on balls, and it always seemed like it ended up in their hands. “And it’s tough to win that way when you’re giving teams second and third and fourth opportunities. It’s definitely demoralizing. You work so hard on defense, challenge the shot and then they get an extra opportunity. “You know that about the Chicago Bulls. You know Joakim Noah. You know Carlos Boozer. Those guys are terrors on the boards.”… “Overall, if you look at the one difference in the game, it was offensive rebounds.”
Losers of four of their last five, the Celtics are now just 15-14. After holding what seemed like an insurmountable lead just a week and a half ago, they are now only a half -game ahead of the Knicks.
As ugly as the first game of the doubleheader on TNT was, an even uglier game unfolded between the Clippers and the Blazers. Chris Paul, playing the worst game of his career, matched Raymond Felton point for point with a total of zero points on 0-for-7 shooting through the first three quarters with more turnovers than assists.
Then came the fourth quarter. Paul scored his first basket of the night with 9:15 remaining, and took complete control from there hitting one shot after another on his way to 13 points to help defeat the Blazers 74-71. It was the first time the Clippers won in the Rose Garden since December 12, 2008. It was also the first time Paul won a game despite having more turnovers than assists.
Both teams were tired from the grueling schedule of back to backs, but the Blazers had it worse playing their third game in three nights without LaMarcus Aldridge.
From Broderick Turner of Los Angeles Times: “The Clippers were playing back-to-back games, arriving here around 2 a.m. Thursday. It was their fifth game in seven nights. But Portland didn’t have room for any sympathy for the Clippers. The Trail Blazers were playing back-to-back-to-back games, and it was their second consecutive game without All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who is out because of a sprained left ankle. Aldridge averages 22.6 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. With Aldridge out, the Trail Blazers went smaller, starting the 6-foot-8 Nicolas Batum at forward. Batum had 19 points, but only two in the second half. The Clippers, who scored only 32 points in the first half, faced their biggest deficit at 50-32 before finally coming to life. “We knew they were going to be tired playing their third game in three nights,” said Blake Griffin, who finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. “Obviously, without LaMarcus, it hurts them a lot.”
In a chippy contest with bodies flying everywhere, Blake Griffin took full advantage of Aldridge’s absence throughout the night and overpowered the much smaller Gerald Wallace with 21 points and 15 rebounds. The Clippers only hit two of 17 3-point attempts, but both makes were back-breakers that came late in the fourth, including Mo Williams’ key 3-pointer with 3:48 remaining in the game to give the Clippers the lead for good, completing a comeback that erased an 18-point lead for the Blazers.
Raymond Felton continued to brick the Blazers’ season away, scoring zero points on 0-for-7 shooting with five turnovers and was replaced down the stretch with Jamal Crawford. Batum came out blazing with 17 first half points, but fittingly to the Blazers offensive story, ended the night with 19 points. Wesley Matthews scored four straight points down the stretch to bring the Blazers within three, but missed the final 3-point attempt that would have tied the game.
The Blazers have been mired in inconsistency for much of the season as they have managed to go on one winning streak of a whopping two games since a blistering 7-2 start. They are now out of the playoffs for the first time this season, sitting half a game behind the Grizzlies at 16-15.
From Joe Freeman of the Oregonian: “The list of reasons behind the Blazers’ meltdown was long, but chief among them was an offense that was pathetic most of the game. After a hot start during which the Blazers scored 27 first-quarter points and shot 55 percent, things disintegrated. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eleven. The Blazers’ leading scorers? Actually, those were the points the Blazers scored in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. Never were they more anemic than when it mattered most, in the fourth quarter. In their first five fourth-quarter possessions, they missed three shots and committed two turnovers. Then they ended just as badly, missing six of their last eight field-goal attempts. “We didn’t execute, of course, down the stretch,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We basically got stagnant and became a one-on-one basketball team.” … But, in a fitting illustration of a game gone horribly amiss for the Blazers, Chris Paul followed with another three-pointer. Suddenly, the Clippers led by four with less than three minutes remaining. They would never trail again, as the Blazers heaved bricks, committed turnovers and fumbled away what once was a sure-fire victory. It was their fourth consecutive home defeat.”
The Pacers desperately needed a win and got the perfect cure by facing and defeating the lowly Nets 93-88 to end a five- game skid.
Danny Granger returned earlier than expected from a sprained ankle to lead all scorers with 32 points, while Dunk Contestant Paul George filled the stat sheet with 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. The Nets have now lost eight straight games and sit at the bottom of the division at 8-23. Brook Lopez reportedly has looked great in practice, and an official announcement of his status will come on Friday, but it may be too late for the reeling Nets.