Bulls move into tie for first heading into 2007
Chicago beat Cleveland on Saturday night to move into a tie with Detroit for first place in the NBA Central Division. The win was doubly-sweet as the Bulls played without Kirk Hinrich, who aggravated a groin injury in Friday’s win at Toronto.
Luol Deng continued his strong offensive play, scoring a career-high 32 points against the Cavaliers. Chicago went on a 24-point run in the second half to erase a Cleveland lead.
The Bulls are now 19-12 after a 14-3 December. The only negative news is Hinrich’s groin problem, which developed about a week ago. He told reporters that he hoped to play in Tuesday’s game with Phoenix at the United Center.
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Hinrich Sits with a Groin Injury
The Bulls were without one of their core players last night, as PG Kirk Hinrich sat out with a groin injury. Hinrich is hoping to get back on the floor in the next couple of days, but you never can tell with a groin injury, as lateral movement is obviously important in basketball, and an injured groin makes that extremely painful. It’s also one of those tricky injuries that can linger for an entire season if a player tries to come back too soon, but the Bulls and Hinrich will be careful not to do too much too soon.
In Hinrich’s absence, the Bulls are going with rookie Thabo Sefolosha, as Coach Scott Skiles wants G Ben Gordon to continue to light up the league in his role as the sixth man. Gordon strikes fear into every opponent, and for some reason, he’s more effective coming off the bench.
The Bulls should be able to get past this minor injury, as they are a deep team, but you can see for yourself with Bulls tickets from StubHub.com.
Deng Should Keep the Tape on His Wrist
A lot was made of the controversy surrounding James Posey’s flagrant foul on Luol Deng the other night, but perhaps it was a blessing in disguise for several reasons. First, it seemed to inspire the Bulls, who not only went on to beat the Heat and the Raptors, but they also took down the Cavaliers last night in a battle of two teams near the top of the division standings.
Secondly, it seems to have lit a fire under Deng. He scored 25 points in the win over the Raptors, but topped that performance by pouring in 32 last night. He’s done this all while sporting a taped right (shooting) wrist as a result of the fall he took from the fould from Posey. These games represent his highest scoring output in three weeks.
If you want to see Deng and the Bulls continue to move towards the top of the Eastern Conference, pick up some Bulls tickets at StubHub.com.
Bulls/Heat an Emerging Rivalry
There was more to the game the other night between the Heat and the Bulls than the take-down flagrant foul that resulted in the ejection/suspension of James Posey and the sprained wrist for Luol Deng. The game was physical, hard-fought, and wrought with emotion and intensity.
Heat Coach Pat Riley was upset at what he felt was a dirty play by Kirk Hinrich that resulted in an injury to superstar Dwyane Wade, and there was a lot of talk between the teams before, during and after the contest that wound up in a Bulls victory. These two teams are growing to seriously dislike one another, and that stems back to their playoff series from a year ago. If they meet again in this postseason, it’s going to be well worth the effort to obtain Bulls tickets to see what unfolds.
Bulls Show Depth in Win Over Raptors
One of the signs of a good team in the NBA is the ability to have different players step up and perform when needed. The Bulls are beginning to look like one of those teams, and last night’s win over the Raptors is a perfect example of their depth. Last night, it was Luol Deng, playing with a sprained wrist from a hard foul against the Heat, who led the Bulls with 25 points, 19 of which came in the second half as the Bulls held won their 15th straight against the hosts in Toronto.
The Bulls parlayed a dominant second quarter, in which they outscored the Raptors 28-14, into their 18th win of the season overall and they kept pace with the Pistons and Cavaliers in the division. If you want to continue to see this team continue to rise, go to StubHub.com for Bulls tickets.
Posey suspended for taking down Bulls’ Deng
The Chicago Bulls were outraged at Miami’s James Posey for taking down Luol Deng in Wednesday’s game. The NBA agreed on Friday, suspending Posey for a game for the flagrant foul.
The play happened in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s 109-103 win over the Heat. Posey pulled Deng down from behind, although Miami coach Pat Riley tried to claim Posey was just trying to block Deng’s shot.
“There was no intent except to block the shot,” Riley said after the game. “He didn’t go after his head.”
Riley also complained about Kirk Hinrich injuring Dwayne Wade earlier in the game when Hinrich allegedly grabbed Wade’s wrist on a screen. Wade also suffered a sprained wrist.
The Bulls begged to differ. Ben Gordon said Posey’s play, “was way more blatant.” Posey was suspended for a game last year when he took down Hinrich in the playoffs. Deng sprained his wrist on the play but looked fine on Friday, scoring 25 points in Chicago’s win over Toronto. Posey missed Miami’s game with the Nets on Friday. The Bulls face the Heat at home on Jan. 27. That should be a most interesting night at the United Center.
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Bulls hanging tough
Despite that hiccup on Dec. 22 (an inexcusable loss at the New York Knicks), the Chicago Bulls have been keeping a strong December going. After Friday night’s 107-97 win at Toronto, the Bulls are now 13-3 in December heading into Saturday’s home game against Cleveland.
The Bulls are now 18-12 on the year, tied with the Cavaliers for second place in the Central Division.
Luol Deng showed no ill effects from his sprained wrist, suffered in Wednesday’s win over Miami. Deng scored a game-high 25 points as the Bulls beat the Raptors for the 15th consecutive time. Deng was 11 of 16 from the floor.
It was also a big win because it came away from the United Center. Chicago is just 5-10 on the road this year and had lost its last three - including that terrible loss to the awful Knicks.
As the Bulls head into the new year, they have put themselves in good position for a run at the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference - the NFC of the NBA - finishing the season over .500 should be good enough for a playoff berth. Finishing 10-16 games over .500 should earn home court advantage in the early rounds.
After Saturday’s game, Chicago is off until Tuesday when it hosts Pacific Division leading Phoenix, which recently had a 15-game winning streak snapped. The Bulls have several key games in January, including Jan. 6 (hosting Central Division leading Detroit), Jan. 15 (hosting San Antonio), Jan. 20 (hosting Northwest Division leading Utah) and Jan. 25 (hosting Southwest Division leading Dallas). That’s a home schedule worth checking out.
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Is Ben Wallace Proving to Be Worth the Investment?
People around the NBA shuddered when the Bulls gave Ben Wallace a four-year, $60 million contract. The common cries included such “points” as he’s not an offensive player, he’s on the downside of his career, he’s never going to dominate again and the rest of the Pistons made him better.
However, Wallace is proving all the critics wrong. His statistics are consistent with previous years, and he’s one of those players whose stats simply don’t tell the story. He got off to a rough start, as did the rest of the Bulls, including the ridiculous controversy over wearing a headband, but he’s overcome that, and the Bulls’ record is showing it.
Wallace is delivering the defensive presence the Bulls need in the paint, and his passing is letting sweet shooters like Ben Gordon light it up from the outside. If you want to see true intimidation on the basketball court, go to StubHub to secure some Bulls tickets, and you won’t be disappointed.
Ben Gordon - Is there a Deadlier Shooter in the NBA?
If a basketball coach could draw up the perfect jump shot, all he or she would need to do is check out a video of Ben Gordon. Gordon simply doesn’t miss if he’s given any room, and many times that room isn’t even necessary. Even though Gordon has been the topic of several trade rumors in recent years, he’s found a nice niche in Chicago coming off the bench.
In fact, national writers are beginning to notice, as Gordon’s role as a sixth man is headed to potentially-historic levels. Gordon can go off for 40+ points on any given night, and his presence makes everyone around him instantly better. If you want to see a truly beautiful stroke, pick up some Chicago Bulls tickets and see Gordon live.
It’s All Starting to Come Together
After a horrible start to the season, the Bulls have been putting things together quite nicely over the past couple of weeks. They’ve won seven of their last ten games, and the players’ rolls are beginning to take shape. The Bulls recently won a thriller over the defending champion Miami Heat, and that game was a microcosm of what this team can achieve over the long season. Ben Gordon, one of the sweetest shooters in the game, had 40 points and Ben Wallace had 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. They’re still chasing the Cavaliers and Pistons, but they’re gaining ground quickly.
Bulls fans have been waiting for nearly 10 years for this team to rise towards the top of the NBA once again, and Bulls tickets now offer fans a chance to see the team do just that. There may not be a more complete team in the league, as the Bulls can score, rebound, defend and share the ball. Come see what’s causing all the excitement at the United Center, and you’re sure to be entertained by a top-notch display of team basketball.