Since I'm 2-0 (details below) and seem to have my roster working out for me, I might hold off on trading for KG this year.

I was thinking of sticking to more realistic roster moves - I don't really have much to offer Minnesota without gutting my team so it's not really feasible anyway.
Chicago 105, Indiana 101
Starting Five
C: Eddy Curry
F: Keon Clark
F: Luol Deng
G: Ben Gordon
G: Kirk Hinrich
Tyson Chandler was available to play but I decided to sit him rather than risk further injury, moving Clark into the starting five. While Clark played well enough in 19 minutes of court time, scoring 8 points on 4/5 shooting and adding 3 rebounds, the pleasant surprise for the game was the play of Andres Nocioni. After he scored 8 points in the first quarter I decided to give him a bulk of the minutes at power forward. It certainly paid off.
Despite the strong play of Nocioni, the Pacers remained with us through the whole first quarter and ran us out of the building in the second, outscoring us 31-19. Jermaine O'Neal and Austin Croshere simply outfoxed Curry repeatedly, scoring at will. When they weren't scoring, guys like Eddie Gill were embarrassing my big men while Artest and Jackson chipped in points from the perimeter and slashing to the basket. A late burst led by my bench (including Harrington and Piatkowski) stopped the bleeding but the damage had been done.
Nocioni had scored 14 points in the first half, so I didn't wait too long to bring him back in the third quarter. The Pacers cooled off and my defense was a little better, and I started creeping back into the game. A couple of fast breaks pushed me right back into the game and by the end of the third quarter both teams were trading baskets again. Jamaal Tinsley appeared to have the last word of the quarter with a jumper to put Indiana up by two, but Piatkowski ran behind a screen from Antonio Davis and nailed a three with 0.6 seconds left in the period.
The game remained close the rest of the way with a couple of lead changes but late in the fourth I managed to build up a four point cushion. It was quickly erased as Curry fouled O'Neal giving him an opportunity at a three point play. He missed the free throw but in the scramble for the rebound the ball fell into O'Neal's hands and he threw it down to tie the game. We traded a couple more baskets before Curry made it 103-101. Tinsley misfired on a long two and Nocioni grabbed the rebound. The Pacers put him on the line, where he made 1/2.
By that stage, Indiana had no timeouts to use so they had to run the length of the floor and put up a quick shot. With Nocioni's miss at the foul line, there was still a chance for them to tie the game with a three. However, they once again failed to score and Nocioni headed back to the line. He again made only 1/2, but the four point advantage gave the Pacers a very slim chance of forcing an overtime. Tinsley fired up a three as time expired but it bounced off the back iron, preserving a hard-fought four point victory.
Noteworthy Performances
Andres Nocioni (CHI): Player of the Game with 26 points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench
Luol Deng (CHI): 14 points, 3 assists
Keon Clark (CHI): 8 points, 3 rebounds
Eddy Curry (CHI): 22 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks
Eric Piatkowski (CHI): 10 points (2/3 3PT) in 12 minutes off the bench
Jermaine O'Neal (IND): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Austin Croshere (IND): 19 points, 12 rebounds
Ron Artest (IND): 17 points, 5 assists
Stephen Jackson (IND): 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
Record: 1-1
Next Opponent: Phoenix
LEAGUE NEWS
- The Denver Nuggets' Kenyon Martin is expected to miss three weeks after sustaining a broken toe.
- The Milwaukee Bucks have signed Corie Blount to a 1 year deal worth $1.1 million
Sorry, no pics yet; nothing really interesting to show.