Chicago (98) at Golden State (83)
Korver shoots down Warriors in fourth
[ Boxscore ]
Kyle Korver made four threes in the fourth quarter
The Chicago Bulls overcame Ben Gordon's struggles from the field to defeat the Golden State Warriors 98-83, thanks in large part to 16 fourth quarter points by Kyle Korver. Korver was 6/ for 10 from the field in the final period including 4 for 8 from downtown, finishing the game with 26 points.
Although Gordon scored a game high 30 points, it wasn't pretty as he missed eight three pointers and opened the second half by missing four in a row. The MVP candidate found other ways to contribute however, handing out ten assists, grabbing seven rebounds and collecting four steals. Carlos Boozer and Tyson Chandler eached finished with double doubles, snaring 11 boards apiece with Boozer adding 14 points while Chandler scored ten.
Golden State managed to keep the game relatively close through most of the first three quarters, with rookie Malachi Diop leading the way. Diop scored a team high 23 points and made three of the Warriors' five three pointers, but received little help offensively from his teammates. Ike Diogi, playing 18 minutes off the bench, was the only other Warrior to score in double digits with 14 points.
The Warriors entered the fourth quarter trailing by ten but Korver's barrage quickly put the game out of reach. Gordon also added 11 points in the fourth to seal the Bulls' 52nd consecutive victory.
Notes: Chicago edged Golden State 45-44 on the boards, with a slight 18-16 advantage at the offensive end...the Warriors committed 24 turnovers and were whistled for 20 personal fouls. The Bulls turned the ball over just 15 times and were charged with eight fouls on the night...both teams attempted just ten free throws with the Bulls making six and the Warriors connecting on eight...the Bulls attempted 28 three pointers, making just eight. The Warriors were 5/15 from downtown...Chicago registered just 21 assists on 42 made field goals. They average 29.5 assists on 47.8 field goals made per game on the season...Shawn Kemp is expected to return to the Bulls' lineup for their next game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Current Record: 75-5
Next Game: @ Milwaukee Bucks; 28-52 (April 28th)
April 28th, 2007
Chicago (104) at Milwaukee (85)
Bulls beat Bucks, finish season 16-0 in the Central Division
[ Boxscore ]
Ben Gordon eludes rookie Terry Constantine with the reverse
In a season filled with records and historic milestones, the Chicago Bulls have managed to squeeze in at least one more achievement before the end of the regular season. Their 104-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks capped off a perfect season against the Central Division, the first time in league history a team has managed to go undefeated within its own Division.
Despite trading baskets with the Bucks early on in the first quarter, it turned out to be another easy victory for the Chicago Bulls as they were able to rest their starting lineup for the entire fourth quarter. Ben Gordon led the way with 30 points on 13/17 shooting, also adding ten assists and five steals. Carlos Boozer had 19 points and eight rebounds while Luol Deng scored 16 and Korver chipped in with 12 off the bench. Mike James also had nine points and seven assists.
Michael Redd led the way for the Bucks with 26 points including 16 in the first half, but it wasn't enough to prevent Chicago from opening up a double digit advantage that swelled to seventeen by halftime. T.J. Ford scored all 11 of his points in the second half while Andrew Bogut finished with 14 points and seven rebounds and Jamaal Magloire contributed 12 points along with seven rebounds of his own but it wasn't enough to prevent the Bulls extending their lead to 28 by the end of the third, having led by as many as 33 in the period. With Chicago's starters taking a seat at the beginning of the fourth, the Bucks managed to open the period with eight unanswered points but were ultimately unable to make a significant run.
Notes: Milwaukee won the battle of the boards 34-31, also edging Chicago with 11 offensive rebounds to 10...the Bucks were just 2 for 10 from downtown. Chicago were 5 for 17 on threes...Shawn Kemp returned from a minor knee injury, scoring four points and collecting one rebound for the Bulls...Chicago registered 31 assists on 46 made field goals. Milwaukee assisted on 16 of their 37 baskets.
Current Record: 76-5
Next Game: @ Milwaukee Bucks; 47-34 (April 29th)
April 29th, 2007
Chicago (119) at Boston (93)
Bulls finish season on a high note behind Gordon's MVP performance
[ Boxscore ]
Ben Gordon throws it down in the open floor
Chicago's 26 point victory wasn't as easy as the final score might suggest, as a determined Boston Celtics team made several runs throughout the game to cut into the lead after falling behind early. An MVP performance from Ben Gordon in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Chicago Bulls however, as the standout guard finished with 38 points, 23 assists, five rebounds and seven steals in the win.
Boston scored the first two points of the game but after that it was all Chicago. Kyle Korver entered the game early after Kirk Hinrich picked up two early fouls and made his presence felt, connecting on three three pointers in the first quarter. Gordon had 10 points and nine assists in the first period, helping the Bulls build what appeared to be a commanding 39-17 lead.
With Gordon on the bench to start the second quarter, the Celtics opened the period with a furious 12-0 run to bring the deficit back to ten. Gordon returned to score 11 points as the Bulls took control of the game once more and stretched the lead back out to 20 at halftime. Four Bulls had reached double digits in scoring by the half led by Gordon's 21, with Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng scoring 12 apiece and Korver adding 16.
The Celtics refused to quit, outscoring the Bulls 27-21 in the third quarter while holding Ben Gordon to just four points, with the MVP candidate misfiring on several easy attempts in the period. Their spirited run continued into the fourth quarter where they managed to narrow the gap to eight at 86-78 while Gordon caught a breather on the Bulls' bench.
Following a timeout, Gordon re-entered the game and quickly to got to work, scoring 13 points while handing out five assists and making five steals to fuel a Bulls run that put the Bulls back up by double digits and sealed another blowout victory. Paul Pierce scored 11 of his 17 points during the Celtics' fourth quarter push and also finished with five assists and three steals.
Ricky Davis led the Celtics in scoring with 24 points including 12 in the second quarter run, but was 12 for 28 from the field. Al Jefferson had 10 points and nine rebounds but was quiet after scoring three early buckets against the active defense of Tyson Chandler. Marcus Banks scored 13 points for the Celtics but also turned the ball over 13 times.
Korver finished with 22 points off the bench for the Bulls while Boozer had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Luol Deng scored 14 points and Tyson Chandler finished just shy of double double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Notes: The Bulls finished the season on a 53 game winning streak, topping the previous record set by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1971/72 season by 20 games...both teams committed 32 turnovers and combined for just ten free throw attewmpts. The Bulls were whistled for seven fouls, the Celtics committed 14.
Final Record: 77-5
Next Game: vs Indiana Pacers (Game 1, Round 1)
That does it for the regular season! April award winners and a playoff preview will be up shortly.
