Johnson’s 41 Too Much For Bulls

The Bulls were unable to overcome 41 points from Atlanta’s Joe Johnson in the team’s 129-117 loss to the Hawks on Saturday.  The Bulls rolled out a starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Thabo Sefolosha, Tyrus Thomas and Aaron Gray with Luol Deng sidelined with an ankle injury.  Each of the five starters played more than 30 minutes in the contest and contributed solidly.  They didn’t get much help from the bench, though, and the defensive effort was lackluster all around.  The Hawks are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, so there isn’t much reason to fret if you’re a Bulls fan.  The loss does drop the team to 13-17 overall this season and currently positions them on the outside looking in as far as playoffs go.

Chicago received good performances from their starting backcourt of Gordon and Rose, who combined for 60 points in the contest.  Gordon was hot from deep, hitting six of his eight attempts from behind the arc.  This backcourt combination is proving to be more formidable than anybody thought going into this season.  Rose is playing beyond his years and Gordon is having his best season as a pro, albeit in a contract year.

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