The AP reports: The Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups because they believed Rodney Stuckey was ready to become a big contributor. On this night, he showed they were right. Stuckey scored a career-high 40 points Tuesday to help the Pistons overcome an injury to Allen Iverson in a 104-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls… The Pistons are 11-11 since Iverson joined the team, but they didn’t need much from him against Chicago… Tayshaun Prince had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit. Richard Hamilton scored 14, while Antonio McDyess added 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench… Larry Hughes led the Bulls with 19 points, while Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon had 18 each before fouling out. Derrick Rose also fouled out, with 10 points.
Category: Chicago Bulls Blog
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Dec 19: Celtics 126, Bulls 108
The AP reports: The world’s fastest man stopped by the new Boston Garden to see the NBA’s best team streak to its 17th consecutive victory. Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt watched from courtside Friday night as the Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 126-108 and improved their record to 25-2. Speedy point guard Rajon Rondo dished out 15 of Boston’s 40 assists as the Celtics jumped to an 11-point lead in the first five minutes and nursed it while the starters sat out the fourth quarter… Ray Allen scored 27 points and Kendrick Perkins scored a career-high 25 on 12-for-15 shooting for the Celtics, who could tie the longest winning streak in franchise history with a win on Sunday night against the New York Knicks. The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers won an NBA-record 33 in a row… Luol Deng scored 19 points with seven rebounds for Chicago, and Andres Nocioni came off the bench after Drew Gooden sprained his right ankle in the first quarter and scored 16.
Tyrus Thomas has concussion
Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas was diagnosed with a concussion after experiencing symptoms during last night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Thomas was evaluated by the Bulls’ team physicians and was seen at Rush University Medical Center last evening for precautionary tests. All tests on Thomas came back normal.
Thomas is day-to-day, pending a resolution of his symptoms, and he will not accompany the team for its game at Boston tomorrow night.
Dec 17: Bulls 115, Clippers 109 OT
The AP reports: After his history-making swipe, Chris Paul helped the Hornets steal a victory from the San Antonio Spurs. Paul set an NBA record with a steal in his 106th straight regular-season game and had 19 points and 12 assists to lead New Orleans to a 90-83 comeback victory Wednesday night. Paul broke Alvin Robertson’s NBA mark—which stood since 1986—when he deflected and quickly corralled an attempted pass by Tony Parker late in the second quarter… David West scored 21 points for New Orleans, hitting a pair of late 3s to help erase a seven-point deficit in the last 5 minutes… Tony Parker led San Antonio with 20 points, and Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Dec 16: Bobcats 110, Bulls 101 OT
The AP reports: D.J. Augustin scored a career-high 29 points in a one-on-one matchup of point guards with No. 1 pick Derrick Rose, and the undermanned Charlotte Bobcats snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 110-101 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. Augustin forced overtime by hitting three free throws with 19 seconds left after Rose fouled him on a 3-point attempt, a call that the Bulls vehemently protested… Derrick Rose was held to six points on 3-of-16 shooting, with seven assists. He had a potential game-winning shot blocked by Emeka Okafor at the end of regulation and Okafor blocked him again just before Augustin’s free throws put Charlotte ahead 105-100… Ben Gordon scored 25 points and Tyrus Thomas added 22 for the Bulls, who dropped to 3-10 on the road and failed to reach .500 for the first time in a month. Luol Deng had 15 points, but missed a key stretch at the end of regulation and OT after his legs cramped up… Okafor added 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, and Raymond Felton scored 21 points as the Bobcats persevered with a small lineup.
Dec 13: Bulls 113, Nets 104
The AP reports: Ben Gordon and the Bulls knew Vince Carter would come out firing after the worst shooting performance of his career, but they overcame that with their depth. Gordon scored 29 points and Derrick Rose had nine of his 22 in the fourth quarter to lead Chicago to a 113-104 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night… Chicago got help from its young front line, who had been inconsistent all season. Tyrus Thomas scored 16 points and Joakim Noah added seven points and eight rebounds for the Bulls, who improved to 8-3 at home… Devin Harris finished with 22 points and seven assists. Carter and Harris were a combined 24-of-25 from the free throw line.
Dec 12: Grizzlies 103, Bulls 96
The AP reports: In a game featuring the NBA’s top scoring rookies, it was a couple of Memphis veterans who carried the offensive load. Rudy Gay scored 29 points and Hakim Warrick added 21, both matching their season highs, as the Grizzlies won their third straight with a 103-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Warrick’s 12 points in the fourth quarter kept the Bulls at bay, snapping Chicago’s two-game winning streak. The win marked the first time the Grizzlies won three straight under Marc Iavaroni, in his second season as their coach… Darko Milicic had a season-high 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Marc Gasol scored 11 for Memphis. Conley had nine points, a career-high 10 rebounds and seven assists. Ben Gordon led the Bulls with 26 points, while Luol Deng had 19. Drew Gooden had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas disappointing
The Chicago Bulls have needed better big-men for a long time. The roster includes Tyrus Thomas, an athletic, thin power forward, and Joakim Noah, a power forward who can also play center. Neither guy is impressing this season and coach Vinny Del Negro has made his displeasure clear. The Arlington Daily Herald (Mike McGraw) reports:
There has been nothing subtle about recent messages sent from Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro to young big men Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas. Noah went from starting at center to not playing at all Saturday against Washington. Thomas, one week removed from a 14-point, 13-rebound game against Philadelphia, sat out Tuesday’s 105-100 win over the Knicks by coach’s decision. Following Wednesday’s practice at the Berto Center, Del Negro listed the specific qualities he’s looking for, not only in Noah and Thomas, but all his players. “We’re trying to play a lot of guys,” Del Negro said. “The guys that are going to focus in, know their roles, commit to it, come with effort every day (will play). I can handle mistakes, but I can’t handle lack of effort and I can’t handle lack of commitment to the team. Those guys know that and they’re working better. That’s always a work in progress with a young team.”
For the season, Thomas is playing 21.5 minutes per game and averaging 6.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks but shooting a miserable 34.4%.
Noah is playing 16.5 minutes and putting up just 3.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.16 blocks, shooting a lousy 40.7% and disappointing 62.1% free throws.
Both have potential to be capable backups, or role-playing starters, but they’ve been lost so far in 2008-09.
Dec 9: Bulls 105, Knicks 100
The AP reports: “I’m not going to turn them down. It’s going to be one of two things. It’s going to go in or it’s not. As long as it’s a good look and one of my teammates finds me, I’m definitely willing to take the shot,” Larry Hughes said Tuesday night after his late 3-pointer sent the Chicago Bulls to a 105-100 victory over the New York Knicks… Drew Gooden led the Bulls with a season-high 22 points and 16 rebounds. Gordon, who tied the game at 97 with a 3-pointer, added 17 points and Hughes had 16. Hughes, who missed the first eight games this season with a dislocated shoulder, sank a game-winner at the buzzer last month against Utah. Al Harrington shot 13-for-21 from the field and finished with 28 points to lead the Knicks, who used only seven players in the fast-paced game. Quentin Richardson added 22 points, while Chris Duhon scored 15, had 14 assists and grabbed nine rebounds in his return to the United Center, while playing 45 minutes and 14 seconds… David Lee had 11 points and 15 boards for New York.
Derrick Rose OK after rolling on knife
Chicago Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose is having a great rookie season and appears good at everything, including injuring himself while lying around at home eating fruit. The Chicago Tribune (K.C. Johnson) reports:
Rose missed Monday’s practice after he needed 10 stitches to close a gash suffered when he said he rolled onto a knife while eating an apple in bed. “It was a silly incident,” Rose said. “I was cutting up some food and I laid on a knife getting lazy in bed. I went to go get a bottle of water, came back, forgot the knife was there, then sat down and sliced my arm. “I panicked when it first happened and called my trainer. It was painful but I should be alright.”
Rose told the Tribune he’ll have stitches in his arm for 10-14 days.
Along with OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies, Rose is one of two early-season InsideHoops.com favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award.