Bulls defeat Heat 93 to 89
It’s not a big deal, we didn’t play with Lebron, were still the best team in the eastern conference. This was some of what was being said when the Bulls first defeated the Heat in the United Center in January. Well, last night the Heat got their chance, and once again the Bulls got the best of them beating the new big three 93 to 89.
It was a great game, and extremely fun to watch. I laid out in my preview what the bulls needed to do to win (all be it I guessed they wouldn’t) so let’s see how they looked on my checklist:
Did Derrick Rose step up and hit big shots? Check. He hit on a huge deep two with just over a minute left to put the Bulls up 89 – 84.
Did they play good defense? Check. Simple, they held the Heat under the 100 point mark and forced 14 turnovers.
Did someone step up to hit big shots? Check. Korver with his shot clock beating three late in the fourth, and of cours Loul Deng with the big three at the end.
Overall the Bulls played a great game, and were very impressive. The only real concern I still have is they still seem to be playing to their competition’s level. If they want to be an elite team, and I think they will be, they need to bury the mediocre teams.
Another big story today was the Celtics trade of Kendrick Perkins. Boston had something many teams don’t, the ability to play fast and big down low. Perkins was the heart of that team, he was willing to take on tough assignments on defense and added so much to that team. It will be interesting to see how they respond. What I do know is that this is a very good thing for the Bulls as they continue to push for the top seed in the east.
Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Preview
Well, it’s going to be a simple concept for tonight’s Bulls Heat match up. Defense, defense, DEFENSE!! There is no way the Bulls will come away with a win tonight if they play on the defensive end like the did in Toronto. Carlos Boozer’s inside defense was terrible, he looked like a college freshman playing in his first game.
Last nights game was close, and in the end the Bulls “D” failed them down the stretch. So what has to happen for the Bulls to shut down the new big three tonight? Beside the defense stepping up, I’ll tell you.
First, as if it wasn’t obvious, the Bulls have to play better on D, I cannot stress it enough. Without a solid effort, the Bulls and their lack of another 2 guard will struggle. Solid D does so much more than keep points off the other teams score, it will create points, easy points, for Rose in transition and gain momentum for the Bulls.
Second, Derrick Rose needs to come to play tonight. It seems to me, the Bulls have played to their competition to some point this year. If they would have played last night like they did against the Spurs, they would have found themselves on the winning end. Get Rose the ball, and if he is knocking down his shots, they have a shot to win.
Third, Noah and Boozer are going to have to put together a good game down low and get Bosh into some foul trouble, taking away a part of the Heat’s game. In addition, someone (Korver?) is going to have to hit big shots in the fourth quarter to pull out a win.
Prediction: Bulls 102, Heat 105. Bulls Lose.
Chicago Bulls Versus Toronto Raptors Preview
The Bulls welcome back Joakim Noah to the court tonight against the Toronto Raptors at six in the United Center. This is the first game after the All-Star break for the Bulls, and they will be looking to start this half on the right foot, and I for one am confident the Bulls will show up to play and get the win.
Coming off the break, the team should be well rested, and ready to fire on all cylinders tonight. Let’s go back to those wonderful nine games when the Bulls backcourt included both Noah and Carlos Boozer, and had a 7 and 2 record with that roster. I would look for nothing different tonight, as all reports are Noah is at 100 percent. Although I don’t doubt that he will see less time than normal, playing full speed NBA basketball isn’t something you can just jump back into, he’ll need a quick tune-up.
It may be a little bit like the twilight zone for James Johnson who’s first game back from the break will indeed be at the United Center, he’ll just be on the other side of the court on the Raptors bench. The Raptors have not found them selves on the winning in the last 11 road games they have played, and I don’t expect them to break that streak tonight.
My stat of the night is this, the Bulls have only let four of their last 36 opponents score 101 points or more, the Raptors are a dismal 5-31 when they score less than 101, so what does that mean? The Bulls defense will be the key to success tonight as it most usually is.
Prediction: Bulls 112, Raptors 95. Derrick Rose with 27 points and along with Boozer, and Deng will have a double double in the Bulls win!
Melo, Johnson Traded
The Denver Nuggets sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks just 48 hours before the trade deadline. In addition today the Bulls traded 2009 first round pick James Johnson to Toronto for a first round pick in this years draft.
There is a lot of new information to sort out now, so let’s get started with the Bulls deal. Johnson wasn’t a huge factor on the roster as he averaged 3.8 points and only 1.9 rebounds per game. In terms of this year’s team it’s not a big loss, but in terms of the deal, it may be a major gain. The Bulls are in search of a 2 guard and are searching desperately, rumors have been circulating of the Bulls looking at J.R. Smith and Anthony Parker, however there are issues with both guys. Smith is not known for being a great teammate, and with the locker room being in such a good place right now, perhaps you don’t miss that up. The issue with Parker is that Cleveland wants some of the Bulls young talent, which they are not willing to part with. The Johnson trade may be a move to set up a trade with Cleveland which could go something like two first first round picks for the Cavs and in return the Bulls could get Parker and the guard help they need. Keep in mind though that the pick the Bulls got is actually the Miami Heat’s first round pick that Toronto has rights to.
On to trade number two, Carmelo Anthony finally got what he wanted and got traded to the New York Knicks, so what does this mean for the Bulls? We’ll in my mind I’m not to concerned, does it make everything just a bit harder, yes no doubt. But the fact is Anthony is not the second coming of anyone all that special, yes he’s going to help that team out, but make them title contenders probably not. In an interview with ESPN Derrick Rose talked about how excited he was to get to play the “new Knicks”.
“They’re going to be a tough team,” Rose said after practice on Tuesday. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take them to jell, but that’s a good team right there, especially with the pieces that they added, veterans that have been in the league for a long time that are used to winning. So they’re a team that people are going to have to look out for.”
At the end of the day the Bulls are still as strong as ever, if they keep taking care of business as usual Anthony can go to Miami for all I care, I like our odds. Also one quick note, welcome back Joakim Noah!!
All-Star Recap
Well, it’s wasn’t exactly a great showing for the Bulls in All-Star weekend, as the East lost the game, Rose was eliminated in the first round of the skills competition and Taj Gibson was interesting but at least had a good attitude about his half court attempts.
The All-Star weekend is a fun thing, and a nice little break for everyone involved from the grind that is the NBA regular season. However in an interview with ESPN Derrek Rose had some interesting comments about starting the game.
“I feel like I’m still a rookie compared to all these guys,” Rose said. “You look at KG (Kevin Garnett), this is like his 14th one. He’s got so many stars on the back of his warmup.”
“It makes you want to fight to get more. Makes you want to go in and work out harder, just because you want to get to the All-Star Game the number of years the other guys did. ”
It’s comments like these that make me proud to be a Bulls fan. How easy would it be for a young guy who’s leading one of the best teams in the NBA to say things like “ya, I know I’m good”, and demand respect and blah blah blah. Rose is not only leading this team on the court, but he’s bringing his killer instinct and winning attitude to this club.
Look forward to Wednesday’s match-up against Toronto, I’ll be looking for Joakim Noah to jump right back into the mix and use this game as a sort of “tune up” for what should be a very fun game with the Heat in the U.C.!
