BM GAME WRAP: It was the return of Richard “Rip” Hamilton to his old stompin’ grounds and stomp he did. Rip finished with 14 pts, 5 ast and 3 rebs to help the Bulls cruise to the easy win. D.Rose added a few highlights in his 17 pts, 10 ast, 2 stl and 2 reb effort. Two other starters put in good games with Carlos Boozer (19 pts, 3 stls, 2 asts and 7 rebs) and Joakim Noah (13 pts, 11 rebs, 4 ast, 2blk) both reaching double figures.
The game was never close, but the Bulls stayed focused, showed great team ball and got the W they showed up for.
“The ball moved,” Thibodeau said of 31 assists and 25 fast-break points. “We made the extra pass. Our spacing was better. We ran the floor hard.”
Bulls 6-1 will travel to Orlando to take on “Superman” and the Magic Friday, January 6th at 7:00pm (cst).
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‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN): Taj “The Tajmanian Devil” Gibson who played a very solid all-around game. Gibson finished with 12 points, 7 boards, 4 dimes and two blocks in only 20 minutes. ————————————————————————————-
BM GAME WRAP: This game started with possibly the worst basketball played in the Thibodeau era. Sloppy play and extremely poor shooting put the Bulls in a 19-point 3rd quarter deficit. But the Never say die mentality of this Bulls team showed up yet again as the lineup of D.Rose, Luol Deng, Kyle Korver, Omer Asik and Taj Gibson got the Bulls back in it.
In the end it was the D.Rose and Luol Deng(21 points, 8 reb, 2 ast, 2stl, 1 blk) that carried the team to the victory in the 4th quarter. Derrick asserted himself to show the world he is the MDP (Most dominant player on the planet - thanks to Stacy King!) scoring 17 in the forth to finish with 30 points, 7 dimes, 1 board and a block.
“Derrick was sensational down the stretch, made big play after big play,” Thibodeau said. “You can’t say enough about Luol. He rebounds, defends, cuts, is active, tough, smart.”
Bulls 5-1 will travel to Detroit to take on Rip Hamilton’s old team the Pistons on Wednesday, January 4rd at 6:30pm (cst).
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‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN): Omer “The Turkish Hammer” Asik who again played extended minutes (28 minutes) and displayed his elite defensive game with Noah in foul trouble. Asik finished with 2 points, 9 boards,2 ast, 1 steals and 3 blocks. ————————————————————————————-
BM GAME WRAP: Last season The Bulls proved that playing at the UC would not be as easy task for opposing teams as they went 36-5 at home. This year the Bulls started their 2012 campaign with a bang, as the Bulls took the lead and never looked back. The lopsided victory featured strong efforts all around but the 17 points and 11 rebounds from Carlos Boozer, 16 points and 6 assists from D. Rose and the 17 points, 2 steals, 5 assists and 7 rebound effort from Ronnie Brewer were the gems.
The win showcased suffocating defense that held Memphis to 31% shooting from the field, as the Bulls out-rebounded the Grizzlies 55 to 40. About the only thing that did not go the Bulls way in the home opener was an injury sustained to CJ “Quiet Storm” Watson. Testing today showed that the injury sustained was a sprained elbow, and he will be listed as day-to-day.
Bulls 4-1 will play host to the Atlanta Hawks (who are coming off a win against The previously undefeated Miami Heat) on Tuesday, January 3rd at 7pm (cst).
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‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN): Omer “The Turkish Hammer” Asik who played 24 minutes and displayed why he is a youngster that the Bulls are very high on. Asik finished with 8 points, 8 boards, 2 steals and 3 blocks. ————————————————————————————-
BM GAME WRAP: For the first few minutes, this game was all about the hype of “Lob City” and their highlight plays. However after the Bulls settled down, it became apparent that CP3 and Lob Angeles were no match for D. Rose and this deep Bulls team. Derrick Rose put on a clinic in the house that Paul and Griffin own. Rose finished the night off with 29 pts, 16 ast, 8 reb and 1 steal and had the crowd chanting “MVP” at the end.
All five Bulls starters reached double figures and started to look like the title contending team that Bulls Nation has come to expect. The Bench Mob produced when called upon and it became clear in the 4th that the Bulls depth was no match for the Clippers “show”.
Bulls 3-1 will play their home opener on Sunday, January 1st at 7pm (cst). ————————————————————————————-
‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN): Ronnie “Basline” Brewer played 14 minutes showing off great defense and continued hot shooting (2-2 FGs, 1-1 3pt, 2-2 FT). ————————————————————————————-
BM GAME WRAP: The Bulls jumped out to an early first quarter lead (thanks to aggressive play by D.Rose, 19 pts and 8 asts), only to see it disappear by halftime. With Rose and Noah plagued by foul trouble early, the Bulls looked the Bench Mob to provide the needed support. CJ “Quiet Storm” Watson responded in one of his best all-around games by putting up 8 pts, 9 dimes, 5 board and 2 steals in only 16 minutes. Omer “The Turkish Hammer” Asik played solid defense throughout, and Ronnie “Baseline” Brewer was instant offense scoring 12 points ins 12 minutes.
Another bright spot was the resurrection of Carlos Boozer. Consistently knocking down 15-18 foot jumpers and showing some post moves, he finished with 16 points and 15 boards.
It was the first game all year that the Bulls started to look like the team that lead the league in wins last season.
Bulls 2-1 play the LA Clippers and the new-look “Lob City” attack Friday night at 9:30 (cst). ————————————————————————————-
‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN): CJ “Quiet Storm” Watson played 16 minutes and showed an all-around game finishing with 8 pts, 9 dimes, 5 board and 2 steals. ————————————————————————————-
BM GAME WRAP: Minus a late fourth-quarter rally, the Bulls looked like they left all their heart and in focus in Los Angeles from the night before. In a rare performance in the Thibs era, the Bulls seemed completely lost on defense and had no answers to counter the Warriors up-tempo attack. Golden State was constantly the aggressor in this one, and outplayed the Bulls on both ends of the court. Chicago turned the ball over 20 times, while the Warriors added 16 steals. With the Bulls trailing by 16 for what seemed most of the game, the Bulls were forced to try and played catchup “small ball”. About the lone bright spot was Luol Deng who finished with 22 points, 8 rebs and 1 stl.
Bulls 1-1 and are headed to play the Kings Thursday night at 9pm (cst). ————————————————————————————-
‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN): CJ “Quiet Storm” Watson played extended minutes and tried to ignite a 4th quarter rally hitting three straight 3-pointers during one stretch. Watson finished with 13 pts, 2 rebs, 1 ast and 1 stl (3-10 fg, 3-6 3pts) bringing energy off the bench. There was some encouragement for the Bench Mob seeing Kyle “Hot Sauce” Korver finally get in a rhythm late and deliver 11 pts (3-5 3pts) in only 17 minutes. ————————————————————————————-
BM GAME WRAP: What a way to celebrate Christmas…a huge Bulls win over the LA Lakers! D. Rose led the way (22 pts and 5 ast) and provided the last minute game winner. However, it was Loul Deng that had the all around game (21 points, 7 rebs, 3 ast, 4 stl and 1 blk!) with lockdown D that helped lead the Bulls to victory. The Bulls showed their toughness pulling out the win even though they trailed by 6 points with only 54 seconds left.
Bulls 1-0 and are headed to play the Warriors tonight at 9:30 (cst). ————————————————————————————-
‘MOBBER OF THE NIGHT (MoN):Ronnie “Baseline” Brewer played extended minutes and showed his defense skills while matched up against Kobe most of the night. Ronnie did the Bench Mob proud and turned in a very solid overall game finishing with 6 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast and 1 stl.
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Merry Christmas to all. Wishing all of BullsNation Peace, Joy and Love during this holiday season. Go Bulls!
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Tuesday, December 20 :: Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: Pre-Season Game 2
There were two big stories heading into the game that had Bulls fans excited. First, the debut game for the Bulls new SG, Richard Hamilton. Rip played solid (13pts, 6 ast and 4 reb) and showed why he will be a vital addition to our MVP Derrick Rose. Speaking of Derrick Rose, the second big news of the night was his signing of a 5-year extension to keep him with the Bulls for years to come (press conference at 11am (CST) Wednesday, December 21. Derrick played well finishing with 12 pts, 9 ast and 5 reb on the heels of this breaking news.
With the addition of Rip, the Bulls starting 5 looked great and showed why the might be the most complete team in the league. The Bulls leading scorer was Carlos Boozer with 24 points and 7 rebs.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Friday, December 16 :: Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: Pre-Season Game 1
The Bulls got off to a very rough start, but managed to pull together in the second half and win. The Bench Mob picked up right where they left off last season. With Derrick Rose in foul trouble early, CJ Watson came off the bench and delivered (15 points, 6-10 shooting, 3-3 3pts, 4 boards). Taj Gibson played a solid all-around game with 12 points and 9 boards. Rookie, and newest Bench Mob member, Jimmy Butler looked solid shooting a perfect 3-3 from the floor to finish with 8. Loul Deng and D.Rose led the Bulls with 16 points each.
The Bulls will play Indiana at home on Tuesday night in the pre-season finale. It is expected that newest Bull Rip Hamilton will start at the 2-guard spot. Go Bulls!
