Bulls improving with lineup changes, Tyrus Thomas return

Sam Smith of Bulls.com reports:

Slowly, though perhaps steadily, the Bulls are turning into a team. That’s 8-3 now since they moved Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson into the starting lineup, since Tyrus Thomas returned from injury, the team’s second four-game winning streak in that span with Friday’s 121-119 double overtime victory over the Washington Wizards thanks to Derrick Rose’s game winning 10 footer in the lane with 5.4 seconds left.

Not long ago a team that routinely was collapsing down the stretch, unable to find enough points and big game players, uncertain and uneven, the Bulls go into their final Western Conference trip of the season averaging 108 per game the last six games and with Rose officially a closer as he finished off Friday with a career high 37 points.

“Usually we were always a team that let it slip toward the end if we were in a close game,” said Rose, who rimmed out a potential game winner at the end of regulation. “It shows how much we’re improving and we’ll get better. These are the type of games you dream about when you are younger. I’m playing in my hometown, so everybody is standing up cheering. I’ve got the ball in my hand and everybody is looking at you and seeing what you are going to do. You hit the shot. It’s crazy. I really couldn’t believe it. I don’t show no emotion anyway, but I was happy. I think I missed like 20 something of these to lose games, too. To hit this one told me I’ve come a long way.”

Stan Van Gundy talks with frustrated Rashard Lewis

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Stan Van Gundy talks with frustrated Rashard Lewis

Coach  Stan Van Gundy said he met with PF  Rashard Lewis on Thursday “for quite a while” to discuss his frustration — and the team’s.

Lewis said after Wednesday night’s game loss to the Denver Nuggets that he wasn’t getting quite enough shots.

Does he have a point?

“Yes and no. We need to find more shots for our keys guys, but part of it is the defense is keying on those guys, especially on Rashard,” Van Gundy said. “Part of it his energy and aggressiveness. I talked to him quite a while (Thursday).

“I think he’s frustrated. That’s a bit of the problem. There’s sort of a frustration running through our team. Rashard had made a comment that sometimes it feels like we’re a last-place team. That sort of sums up a little bit of where our guys are right now.”