Chicago Bulls Blog – Page 46 – NBA Blog

Coach Thibodeau says Joakim Noah understands why he was benched

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday that Joakim Noah understands why he was benched for much of Saturday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, but Noah declined to speak to reporters once again.

“He understands,” Thibodeau said after the morning shootaround as his team prepared to face the Los Angeles Lakers. “The thing is he’s been around.

“The team has to come first, that’s the most important thing. Sometimes that happens in-game, not a big deal.”

Noah was benched for the final 22:53 of the overtime loss, and Thibodeau expects Noah to respond positively against the Lakers.

— Reported by Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago

Carlos Boozer, Kevin Durant named NBA Players of Week

Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 14 through Sunday, Jan. 20.

Boozer led the Bulls to a 3-1 week, which included wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. He averaged 23.0 points (fourth in the conference) and a league-leading 14.8 rebounds. Boozer recorded a point-rebound double-double in all four contests, including a 19-point, 20-rebound game on Jan. 18 during a 100-99 win over the Boston Celtics.

Durant helped Oklahoma City to a 3-1 record on the week, which included wins over the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. He averaged a league-best 37.5 points and recorded a career and NBA-season-high 52 points on January 18 during a 117-114 overtime win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Miami’s LeBron James, New Orleans’ Greivis Vasquez, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Philadelphia’s Jrue Holiday and Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins

Grizzlies beat weary Bulls in OT, 85-82

The game plan was simple for the Grizzles in overtime: Utilize one of the most imposing front lines in the NBA.

Marc Gasol scored 19 points, Zach Randolph had 13 points and 19 rebounds, and Memphis beat the Chicago Bulls 85-82 on Saturday night.

Gasol and Randolph combined for seven of the nine overtime points for the Grizzlies.

”When we got into overtime we went to our horses, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. We played an inside-outside game. Our All-Star bigs took over the game,” the Grizzlies’ Tony Allen said…

Chicago, playing its third consecutive overtime game in four days, didn’t have enough in overtime. The Bulls played without forward Luol Deng and had to fight back from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit.

Butler, starting in place of Deng, scored a career-high 18 points and Boozer added 17 as the Bulls had a three-game winning streak snapped…

Chicago played without Noah in the fourth quarter and overtime.

”That’s just a coaching decision,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said…

Rudy Gay finished with 16 points and Conley had 13 points and nine assists.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Thibodeau sees smooth transition for Derrick Rose upon eventual return

Though Derrick Rose still hasn’t been cleared for full contact practice, his eventual return from left knee surgery continues to occasionally dominant Tom Thibodeau’s news conferences.

Rose, who again will travel with the Bulls on their two-game trip to Toronto and Boston, is as competitive as they come. But Thibodeau sees no issue between Rose and the Bulls’ management and medical staff as the plan for his return is formulated.

“We’re not worried about that,” Thibodeau said. “There’s been constant communication with Derrick and the doctors. It’s not going to be a problem.”

Thibodeau got asked this latest dynamic in light of Michael Jordan’s well-publicized frustration with management when he wanted to return earlier from a broken bone in his foot during his second season.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Knicks reportedly recorded in-game conversations between Bulls and Melo

In the wake of an incident between Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett that resulted in Anthony’s suspension, the Knicks recorded all in-game conversations between the forward and players around him Friday against the Bulls, a league source has confirmed.

Owner James Dolan ordered Madison Square Garden technicians to place two microphones on opposite ends of the court, a move league sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard was put in place in order to protect Anthony.

The Knicks were trying to ascertain whether other players were going overboard in their trash talking against Anthony, sources told Broussard.

It is not clear whether the recordings will continue, but sources tell Broussard that any move to paint them as Dolan “spying” on Anthony is “flat-out wrong.”

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Bulls shut down Hawks in 97-58 rout

Tom Thibodeau sent a strong wake-up message to his team at a heated shootaround Monday morning. He got the response he was looking for.

Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Luol Deng scored 18 points and the Chicago Bulls held Atlanta to a franchise-low 20 points in the first half of a 97-58 victory over the Hawks on Monday night…

Reserve forward Mike Scott scored 10 points to lead Atlanta as none of the starters reached double figures. Josh Smith and Kyle Korver had nine points each.

Jeff Teague had a layup with 7.9 seconds left to prevent the Hawks’ lowest scoring total in franchise history…

The Bulls held the Hawks to just five points in the second quarter and led 48-20 at the break. Ivan Johnson had a basket for the Hawks with 2:54 left in the first quarter, and Atlanta did not score again until Al Horford’s tip with 5:15 left in the second. The Hawks missed 17 consecutive shots during the drought while getting outscored 14-0.

They finished the 2 for 21 from the field in the second quarter, with Smith making a free throw and a jumper for Atlanta’s other points. The Hawks shot 20.5 percent on 8-of-39 shooting in the first half. Josh Smith was 3 for 10 and Horford 2 for 8 in the opening two periods…

The Bulls set a record for the fewest points allowed, eclipsing the previous mark of 59 by Orlando last March 19. Atlanta’s 20 points in the first half also set a Chicago record for the fewest allowed in a half, bettering the 22 scored by the Knicks in 1999. The Bulls also limited New York to five points in the second quarter of that game…

The Hawks’ previous scoring lows were six points in a quarter (at Minnesota) in 1994, and 25 in a half – accomplished three times, most recently against New Orleans in 2011.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Brandon Jennings scores 35 in Bucks win over Bulls

Brandon Jennings stretched out his arms and held his hands just over the ground as he glided toward center court, celebrating another big 3-pointer with one of Nate Robinson’s usual moves.

Yup, Jennings was listening to Robinson’s trash talk, and he had the perfect response.

The speedy point guard scored 20 of his 35 points in the third quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 104-96 on Wednesday night for their second consecutive victory under interim coach Jim Boylan.

Robinson scored 13 of his 19 points in the first period, but was unable to stop Jennings once he got going in the third.

”A little trash talking before the second half,” Jennings said. ”I guess he felt like he had it going, he was getting the best of me. I really don’t take trash talking too kindly because I don’t really do a lot of trash talking. I warned him, so, hey, it happens.”

Mike Dunleavy had 16 points and Monta Ellis finished with 14 for Milwaukee, which made 10 of 22 3-point attempts. Larry Sanders grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked seven shots…

Carlos Boozer had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who have dropped their last two games against Milwaukee at United Center. The Bulls blew a 27-point lead in the third quarter as Milwaukee snapped a nine-game losing streak against Chicago with a 93-92 victory on Nov. 26…

Luol Deng scored 18 points for Chicago, which was seeking a season-best fourth consecutive victory.

Robinson got the start in place of Kirk Hinrich, who was sidelined with a right elbow injury.

— Reported by Jay Cohen of the Associated Press

Chicago Bulls sign guard Daequan Cook

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard Daequan Cook.

Cook (6-5, 210) is currently in his sixth year in the NBA. Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 21st pick in the 2007 NBA Draft (his draft rights were traded by the 76ers along with their 2009 second-round draft pick and cash considerations to the Miami Heat for the draft rights to Jason Smith), Cook has played for the Heat, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.

In five-plus seasons in the NBA, he has played in 295 regular season games (49 starts) and averaged 6.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 0.8 apg in 19.4 mpg, and shot .374 from the field, .365 from behind the arc and .814 from the line. The 25-year old Cook has also made three trips (40 games) to the NBA playoffs, where he has averaged 3.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 11.6 mpg, .363 field goal shooting, .330 from downtown and .750 from the free throw line. In 2009, Cook won the Foot Locker Three-point Shootout at NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 14 players.

Strong rebounding helps Bulls beat Heat

Even when seated, the Chicago Bulls outrebounded the Miami Heat.

Following one missed shot, the ball rolled between forward Carlos Boozer’s legs as he fell on his backside, yet he still managed to scoop it up and feed a teammate for two more second-chance points for Chicago.

Dominating on the glass and the hardwood, the Bulls became only the third visiting team to win in Miami this season, beating the Heat 96-89 Friday night.

Chicago outrebounded Miami 48-28. The Bulls had 19 offensive rebounds to four for the Heat…

”It always feels good to beat the Heat,” said center Joakim Noah, who had 12 rebounds…

The Heat, who are last in the NBA in rebounds, had won four games this season when outrebounded by 15 or more. But this time the disparity beat them…

James scored 30 points, extending his streaks of scoring at least 20 points to 31 consecutive games this season, and 52 games in a row overall when including last year’s playoff run. He has scored at least 25 in eight consecutive games.

But he had just six rebounds, which led the Heat. Boozer had 12 rebounds for Chicago, and Taj Gibson added nine in 17 minutes…

Boozer scored 27 points after totaling a season-high 31 Wednesday at Orlando. Noah, back after missing one game with flu-like symptoms, had 13 points.

— Reported by Steven Wine of the Associated Press

Daequan Cook to sign with Bulls

Free-agent shooting specialist Daequan Cook will sign with the Chicago Bulls after clearing waivers Friday, according to his agent.

Agent Mike Conley Sr. of BDA Sports told ESPN.com that Cook has agreed to join the Bulls after going unclaimed through the NBA’s waiver process this week.

Despite a number of teams out there that could use an extra shooter — such as Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers, just to name two — Cook went unclaimed after being waived by Houston because any interested team would have had to have sufficient salary-cap space or a big enough cap exception to absorb Cook’s $3.1 million salary.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com