Bulls pummel Pistons to begin back-to-back-to-back
CHICAGO – The last time the Chicago Bulls played nine games in 12 days, Norm Van Lier was rocking bell bottoms as he entered the late, great Chicago Stadium and Bob Love was raining jumpers in front of an approving Dick Motta.
Not since January 26-February 6, 1972, had the Bulls endured such a stretch, which they navigated at 6-3 thanks to Van Lier, Love, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker, Tom Boerwinkle, Clifford Ray and others.
Monday night brought the third game in this season’s test, and the first in the Bulls’ only back-to-back-to-back set this season. And while at times the performance proved as unfashionable as Van Lier’s trousers, the Bulls pulled away to down the Detroit Pistons 92-68 before 21,530 at the United Center.
The Bulls outscored Detroit 24-9 in the final quarter.
Carlos Boozer posted 23 points and eight rebounds, Derrick Rose added 22 points and eight assists and no starter played more than 33 minutes, 48 seconds as the Bench Mob again provided quality minutes, particularly at the defensive end.
“It’s definitely going to be a tough stretch because we play hard every night,” said Luol Deng, who struggled through a 2-for-12 shooting night. “But it’s all a mind-set. Everybody has to go through it. You’re going to struggle some in terms of energy. That’s where the bench comes in.”
“I liked the way we started on both ends,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.
“Our ball movement was really good. Carlos played terrific. And our bench came in and gave us a lift.”
(Chicago Tribune/mct)
Raptors 97, Timberwolves 87 TORONTO – And so this is how it went Monday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their 97-87 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre: The guy who seemingly couldn’t make a shot – even those given to him for free – played to exhaustion until finally Kevin Love sat slumped at his locker stall at length after a 3-for-16 night, his knees packed in ice, his hands fiddling idly with his phone.
Another who comparatively couldn’t miss – the one who fueled the Wolves’ rally from a 12-point, third-quarter deficit and propelled them into a tied score midway through the fourth quarter – itched to play on, but ultimately J.J. Barea wasn’t allowed.
“Strange game,” Wolves rookie guard Ricky Rubio said.
And Rubio was just talking about a night in which the Wolves trailed by nine points early, led by eight midway through the second quarter, trailed again by as many as those 12 by late in the third quarter and then led by three in the fourth before the Raptors finished with a decisive 20-7 run.
The Wolves’ lack of a scorer who can create his own shot was evident down the stretch, when the Wolves went completely cold and the Raptors rode Italian Andrea Bargnani and Spaniard Jose Calderon home to victory, two nights after they lost by 35 points in Philadelphia.
Barea looked like he could have been that guy for his team Monday.
At least, for 17 minutes he did. That was the playing time set for him by the training staff after he hadn’t played for eight days because of a strained hamstring.
He scored 16 points in those 17 minutes on 5-for-9 shooting, which seemed absolutely torrid on a team that combined to shoot a season-low 33.8 percent Monday.
Ten of those points came in a 17-2 run that ended the third quarter, began the fourth and pushed the Wolves to an 80-80 tie with six minutes left in the game.
That’s when his 17 minutes were up. “I would have liked to,” Adelman said when asked if he wanted Barea to finish the game. “I had to take him out.”
(Star Tribune/mct)
Hawks 106, Nets 101
NEWARK – The New Jersey Nets haven’t been consistent with much this season. But after every frustrating loss, once scene has repeated itself: Deron Williams, near his locker, unable to hide his frustration.
Monday, the Nets suffered another setback; their furious fourth-quarter charge was unable to offset a ghastly first quarter, and they dropped a 106-101 decision to the Atlanta Hawks at Prudential Center.
After this game, however, there was no scowl as Williams stood near his locker.
“I could tell my body language was bad the last couple games, so it’s something I wanted to change,” Williams said. “I’ve got to do a better job of leading these guys. They can’t see me frustrated – visibly frustrated. Because that’s not good for anybody’s confidence.”
Confidence is what the Nets need right now, after dropping their eighth game in nine contests. They may have built some after a solid final three quarters against the Hawks. The Nets’ offense finally came to life – they shot a season-high 46.8 percent from the field and outscored the Hawks in all three of the final quarters. They went on an impressive late run to make things interesting.
Anthony Morrow led the Nets with 20 points, including 11 of the team’s final 16 points. Rookie Marshon Brooks had 19, making his second career start.
But on the night when they finally got their offense going, it was a leaky defense that did them in.
“We just got off to such a lethargic start,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “It’s been something of an epidemic for us this year and we got to do a better job.”
(The Record/mct)