2004-05 Chicago Bulls Season- Lost in First Round to Indiana

[bullsfan009]

Yeah, no rush, Alex. This has been dragging on a bit, and I'm sure you're busy with other stuff. So whenever

[COOLmac©]

mmmmm from the looks of things....an 8th seed is the best you can grab..

[bullsfan009]

mmmmm from the looks of things....an 8th seed is the best you can grab..

Maybe. There are 11 games left, though, and I'm going to try to go as high up as I can.


I should have another post tomorrow, couldn't get to it yesterday...

[bullsfan009]

I played a game against the Mavs, didn't get the summary done yet though. But, I do have the next PLAYER PROGRESS REPORT!!

BULLS STARTERS AFTER 19 GAMES (games #9-19)
I've divided up the 30-game season into 3 trimesters: GAMES 1-8, GAMES 9-19, and GAMES 20-30. After each one, I'll look at how the starters have fared in comparison with how they played in the previous trimester. (Always good to keep the big picture in mind )

EDDY CURRY

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 12, 44, 14, 12, 18, 22, 15, 18, 12, 13, 14
AVG: 17.6 HI: 44 1st TRI AVG: 16.3 1st TRI HI: 28
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 15, 14, 9, 7, 12, 8, 11, 13, 13, 11, 10
AVG: 11.8 HI: 15 1st TRI AVG: 9.8 1st TRI HI: 17
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 5, 0, 4, 1, 2, 7, 2, 2, 2, 1, 3
AVG: 2.6 HI: 7 1st TRI AVG: 2.3 1st TRI HI: 4
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 3, 4, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3
AVG: 2.2 HI: 4 1st TRI AVG: 2.3 1st TRI HI: 5
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 2, 1, 0, 0, 2, 2, 0, 3, 0, 1
AVG: 1.0 HI: 3 1st TRI AVG: 0.75 1st TRI HI: 1
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 0, 2, 5, 3, 3
AVG: 2.5 HI: 5 1st TRI AVG: 2.8 1st TRI HI: 4

First Trimester Double Doubles: 4
Second Trimester Double Doubles: 8
Observations: The lacking of a “dominant game” that was mentioned in the After 8 Games Report occurred for Eddy in this trimester. He busted out for 44 points and 15 rebounds in game #10 against the Clippers. Eddy has significantly raised his rebounding average in this stretch of games, and his scoring average has increased by more than a point. Everything else is about the same, although it is worth noting Eddy’s lower turnovers-per-game average, which would have been much more noticeable if not for his recent 5-turnover mark three games ago. Overall, Curry has been great in the middle for the Bulls.


TYSON CHANDLER

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 11, 12, 14, 2, 8, 6
AVG: 8.8 HI: 14 1st TRI AVG: 6.9 1st TRI HI: 16
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 12, 10, 9, 11, 9, 13
AVG: 10.7 HI: 13 1st TRI AVG: 9.0 1st TRI HI: 12
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 2, 2, 1, 3, 4, 1
AVG: 2.2 HI: 4 1st TRI AVG: 2.4 1st TRI HI: 5
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 1, 6, 3, 1, 3, 1
AVG: 2.5 HI: 6 1st TRI AVG: 2.8 1st TRI HI: 7
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 2, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1
AVG: 0.8 HI: 2 1st TRI AVG: 1.5 1st TRI HI: 4
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 1, 3, 3, 1, 2, 1
AVG: 1.8 HI: 3 1st TRI AVG: 1.5 1st TRI HI: 4

First Trimester Double Doubles: 2
Second Trimester Double Doubles: 2
Observations: Tyson was traded to the Miami Heat after Game #14 against the Wizards. He was a solid contributor all season, and had raised his scoring and rebounding averages in the second semester. It just came down to the solid play of Eddy Curry, the fact that the Bulls were on a 4-game losing streak and falling out of the playoff picture, and the opportunity to get Dwyane Wade that led to the trade. The Bulls organization thanks Tyson for playing with his contagious and inspiring passion, and for giving 100% every night. We hope he finds success in Miami, as long as it’s not against the Bulls!


ORTHELLA HARRINGTON

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 13, 12, 13, 11, 8
AVG: 11.4 HI: 13
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 10, 12, 10, 9, 7
AVG: 9.6 HI: 12
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 5, 0, 4, 5, 1
AVG: 3.0 HI: 5
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 1, 1, 2, 1, 0
AVG: 1.0 HI: 2
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 1, 2, 1, 0, 0
AVG: 0.8 HI: 2
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 1, 0, 2, 2, 0
AVG: 1.0 HI: 2

Observations: The coaching staff has been absolutely delighted with the play of Harrington, who stepped into the starting power forward spot after Tyson Chandler was traded 5 games ago. To average more points than Tyson and almost as many rebounds was much more than anyone expected. The defensive presence of Chandler is still going to be missed, but Harrington has been solid so far and has shown he deserves his staring spot on the Bulls.


LUOL DENG

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 18, 9, 16, 24, 20, 11, 21, 15, 11, 10, 12
AVG: 15.2 HI: 24 1st TRI AVG: 14.4 1st TRI HI: 26
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 7, 4, 6, 3, 8, 6, 1, 3, 5, 8, 5
AVG: 5.1 HI: 8 1st TRI AVG: 4.8 1st TRI HI: 8
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 3, 4, 1, 4, 2, 2, 0, 3, 0, 1, 1
AVG: 1.9 HI: 4 1st TRI AVG: 1.5 1st TRI HI: 3
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 0, 1, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0
AVG: 1.0 HI: 3 1st TRI AVG: 0.5 1st TRI HI: 2
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0
AVG: 0.5 HI: 1 1st TRI AVG: 1.13 1st TRI HI: 2
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 2, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1
AVG: 0.9 HI: 2 1st TRI AVG: 1.4 1st TRI HI: 5

Observations: Luol has risen his points, rebounds, and assists averages this trimester. He’s doubled his blocks per game number, which has been critical after the trade of team-leading shotblocker Tyson Chandler. Also, Deng’s turning the ball over even less than his low first-trimester number. The coaching staff has been very pleased with Deng all season- his consistency for a rookie has been remarkable.

BEN GORDON

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 20, 15, 19, 26
AVG: 20.0 HI: 26 1st TRI AVG: 16.9 1st TRI HI: 22
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 4, 7, 13, 12
AVG: 9.0 HI: 13 1st TRI AVG: 4.5 1st TRI HI: 8
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 2, 2, 3, 1
AVG: 2.0 HI: 3 1st TRI AVG: 4.3 1st TRI HI: 9
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 0, 1, 0
AVG: 0.3 HI: 1 1st TRI AVG: 0.38 1st TRI HI: 1
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 2, 1, 1
AVG: 1.0 HI: 2 1st TRI AVG: 1.25 1st TRI HI: 3
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 4, 4, 0, 1
AVG: 2.3 HI: 4 1st TRI AVG: 2.4 1st TRI HI: 7

Observations: The Bulls really didn’t want to give up Ben Gordon- overall he’s a spectacular rookie, maybe the best in the league. The fact is, he’s no Dwyane Wade, especially defensively, where the Bulls wanted to upgrade at the SG position. The Miami Heat got a player who can really score- he was averaging 20 ppg in his first 4 games of this part of the season (he missed the first 2 b/c of injuries). Also, Ben surprised everybody by hauling down 9 rebounds per game- DOUBLE what he was averaging initially- in the 2nd trimester. The coach staff was left scratching their heads after they witnessed their 6’2” guard hauling down 25 rebounds in back-to-back games. We wish Gordon all the best for his career with the Heat. It will probably be a good one.

DWYANE WADE

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 18, 19, 16, 20, 14
AVG: 17.4 HI: 20
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 8, 5, 4, 5, 2
AVG: 4.8 HI: 8
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 5, 8, 4, 10, 4
AVG: 6.2 HI: 10
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 3, 1, 0, 0
AVG: 0.8 HI: 3
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 1, 1, 0, 2, 4
AVG: 1.6 HI: 4
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 4, 4, 1, 3, 5
AVG: 3.4 HI: 5

Observations: Wade came over from the Heat for the (big) price of Ben Gordon + Tyson Chandler, but the Bulls management believes he’s worth it. He’s already displayed his amazing versatility- look at his averages of 17-5-6 so far. But wait until he carves out his role and gets into a groove with this team. He has the ability to put up some HUGE games. For “Flash,” it’s wait-and-see for now.


KIRK HINRICH

SCORING GAME-BY-GAME: 14, 18, 16, 12, 42, 14, 14, 18, 16, 18, 24
AVG: 18.7 HI: 42 1st TRI AVG: 14.5 1st TRI HI: 33
REBOUNDING GAME-BY-GAME: 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 10
AVG: 2.7 HI: 10 1st TRI AVG: 2.5 1st TRI HI: 8
ASSISTS GAME-BY-GAME: 4, 14, 10, 7, 9, 8, 8, 5, 8, 2, 10
AVG: 7.7 HI: 14 1st TRI AVG: 8.1 1st TRI HI: 15
BLOCKS GAME-BY-GAME: 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0
AVG: 0.3 HI: 1 1st TRI AVG: 0.62 1st TRI HI: 3
STEALS GAME-BY-GAME: 2, 7, 3, 2, 3, 2, 4, 1, 3, 1, 3
AVG: 2.8 HI: 7 1st TRI AVG: 3.0 1st TRI HI: 7
TURNOVERS GAME-BY-GAME: 5, 6, 1, 5, 7, 2, 3, 4, 2, 5, 5
AVG: 4.1 HI: 7 1st TRI AVG: 3.3 1st TRI HI: 5

Observations: Kirk has been a statistical wildcard this year. His turnover numbers are rising, and they were already way too high. He’s got to concentrate more on taking care of the ball while keeping his aggressiveness. Hinrich still has that potential for a breakout game, and he had two monster games in this period of games #9-19: a 42 point explosion against the Celtics, and a triple double in the Bulls’ last game, against Milwaukee. Upper management believes that the acquisition of Wade will take some of the pressure off of Kirk, and allow him to concentrate more on being a better, smarter player.

[Diogo]

BREAKING NEWS

Bulls guard Eric Piatkowski out for 7 games due to injuries sustained from a fall in his house. Piatkowski is currently unavailable for comment.

Reporter: "Kirk Hinrich, have you spoken with Eric? Do you know what happened?"
Kirk Hinrich: "The way I heard it, he fainted after reading his field goal percentage in the paper. Fell down a flight of stairs and everything."
Reporter:
Eddy Curry: "Or maybe it was Kirk's? Who knows, right? Although, I'm not sure if he has any microscopes at his house..."
Kirk:
Reporter: "Excuse me, excuse me, Mr. Coach Skiles, do YOU know what happened to Piatkowski?"
Skiles: "Yeah, Pike's kid asked him what an assist was, and while a very confused Eric reached for a dictionary, he slipped on his dog's frisbee and...it was an ugly wipeout, man "
Eddy Curry: "Yup, they had to peel his butt off the floor!"
Reporter:
Kirk Hinrich: "Naw, what I heard was..."
Reporter: "FORGET IT!!!

LOL that was funny

[CharHornets]

wow honestly i love reading about your season bullsfan... I have one too in NBA live 2000...we should definitely play online sometime...If you want to play, then email me at Jawalkia@yahoo.com in case i don't check this website. I'm from Chicago too! I know someone from Northbrook!!! Do you go to Glenbrook North or South?? or somewhere else...? Anyway I'll explain my franchise a little later... HOPE TO TALK TO ALL OF YOU GUYS SOON!! IF ANYONEEE HAS NBA LIVE 2000 CONTACT ME IF YOU WANT TO PLAY ONLINE!!!

You can contact me through aim at: justkidding1727

Give me yours too guys!!

[bullsfan009]

Hey, thanks for the compliments, everyone.

CharHornets- I wish I could play online & dominate you ( j/k), but I don't have internet at home, where my NBA Live 2000 game is installed. I do all of my playing and make all of my summaries at home, then put everything on floppy disks and bring them to work, where there's internet. So, I wish I could, but sorry...

My work is in Northbrook, but I grew up in Evanston- and graduated from Evanston Township High School (ETHS) last year. I'm working this year until college...need the money .

Tell me about your season, I'd like to hear it


GAME 20

CHI 88, DAL 87
Captain Kirk Saves the Day- Hits Game Winner to Save Bulls from Lackluster Finish


CHICAGO- The Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks went down to the wire last night at the United Center. With less than a minute left in the ballgame and the Bulls down 87-84, Dwyane Wade sped down the court, and with a bullet pass, found Eddy Curry open down low for a score. The Mavs missed on their end, and the Bulls looked to take the lead on offense. However, their shots faltered and Mavericks center Erick Dampier hauled down the biggest of his 16 rebounds on the night, with 3.5 seconds left.
The Bulls, being down 86-87, were forced to foul immediately. Lucky for them, Dampier would rather get a root canal than shoot free throws- he’s truly horrible from the charity stripe. He missed the first free throw. The Bulls fans got very loud, trying anything to get him to go 0-2. He did just that, clanking the second free throws right to- Dallas forward Josh Howard! Luckily for the Bulls, as Howard was coming down with the board, Andres Nocioni ripped the ball away from him, and the Bulls called for time, down 1 point with 1.5 seconds to go.
Bulls coach Scott Skiles described the Bulls’ play after they were permitted to move the ball to half court: “Well, Dwyane had been playing very well for the game, and so had Kirk, so we tried to have each of them look like they might get the ball, so neither would be double-teamed.”
It was Hinrich who received the ball about 4 feet behind the free-throw line. He shot a high-arching jumper than swished through the basket as time expired. “I think I scraped the ceiling with that one!” Hinrich exclaimed. “Naw, seriously though- I thought we were giving away a game that we should win, and we really didn’t want to lose this one.”
Thanks to Captain Kirk, they didn’t.

GAME NOTES

Wade played extremely well in all facets of the game. “His versatility is amazing,” Dallas superstar Dirk Nowitzki stated. He’s a lot shorter than me, but he was grabbing boards over my head like I was a little man…He’s going to be a great player.” Wade had 14 rebounds to Dirk’s 7.

Chicago product (Proviso East High School) Michael Finley played solidly, as usual, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 10 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast, 5-17 FGs
Harrington: 8 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 4-7 FGs
Deng: 10 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 4-11 FGs
Wade: 20 pts, 14 reb, 7 ast, 9-15 FGs
Hinrich: 22 pts, 5 ast, 2 reb, 10-19 FGs
Davis: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
Nocioni: 4 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2-6 FGs
Duhon: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
Beasley: 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2-3 FGs
Pargo: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Williams: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
TOTALS: 41-92 FGs, 3-3 FTs, 45 REB (11 OFF), 24 AST, 11 FL

DALLAS
Dampier: 2 pts, 16 reb, 4 ast, 1-3 FGs
Nowitzki: 20 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 9-26 FGs
Howard: 10 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 4-9 FGs
Finley: 21 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 9-18 FGs
Terry: 18 pts, 2 reb, 15 ast, 7-17 FGs
Stackhouse: 14 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 5-15 FGs
Harris: 2 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-1 FGs
Armstrong: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 36-90 FGs, 8-12 FTs, 42 REB (12 OFF), 29 AST, 5 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 21 23 26 18---88
Mavericks 19 22 25 21---87
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 3-12 (Hinrich 2-6, Deng 1-3, Wade 0-1, Duhon 0-1, Pargo 0-1), Dallas 7-16 (Terry 3-6, Nowitzki 2-7, Stackhouse 1-1, Finley 1-2). Turnovers: Chicago 16, Dallas 13.

BULLS RECORD: 11-9

[CharHornets]

hey bullsfan it looks like your team is on the rise! oh ok but if/when you do get internet please tell me on here so we can play against each other!! Thanks and i will definitely update on my nba live team in the coming weeks! I just have a lot to do with school and all! Keep the summaries coming man! They are really cool!

[bullsfan009]

Ok will do CharHornets, believe me, I'd love to play. But thanks for the compliments, I'm starting to finally do well after the addition of Wade (although I do miss Gordon )

GAME 21

CHI 103, DET 102 (O.T.)
Wade-Ing For the Moment- Dwyane Wade Comes Up Big in the Clutch Against Detroit


CHICAGO- Eddy Curry carried them there, and Dwyane Wade provided the finishing heroics.
The Bulls battled the defending NBA Champion Detroit Pistons last night at the United Center, and what a battle it was. Eddy Curry provided the devastation down low for the Bulls, scoring 38 points and grabbing 14 rebounds despite being matched up against arguably the best defensive big man in the game: Ben Wallace. Wallace didn’t exactly disappoint, with 13 rebounds and 6 blocks, but surprisingly Curry had his way on the low block for most of the night.
For the Pistons, sharpshooter Richard “Rip” Hamilton led the way, nailing 15 of his 35 shots for a team-high 32 points. His offense kept the game close until the final minute, when the Bulls were trying to put the game away but couldn’t due to Detroit’s suffocating defense. Down 3 points with time running out, Rasheed Wallace showed his offensive versatility by stepping back and hitting a deep three pointer, forcing overtime. His shot caused the United Center crowd to go quiet, and the Pistons bench to go crazy.
In the team huddle between the end of regulation and the start of free basketball, Coach Skiles motivated his team by saying, “We’ve come too far, and fought too hard to give in now. Get your swagger back, come out here and let’s give these fans something positive to talk about on their ride home.”
It almost didn’t happen. Detroit made 3 of its first 4 shots, but went scoreless the rest of the way, thanks to some very tough defense by the Bulls. Dwyane Wade provided the finishing touches with 2 key baskets in the final 30 seconds, including a go-ahead short jumper on the baseline with 6 seconds left. Chauncey Billups’s desperation shot missed at the buzzer, and the Bulls pulled out their second nail-biter in a row.

GAME NOTES

Kirk Hinrich really struggled with his shot, going just 5-20. “That’s embarrassing,” he said, “but I’m never going to stop shooting. You have to believe the next one is going in.”

Wade had another fine overall performance, nearly recording his second consecutive triple-double. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 38 pts, 14 reb, 2 ast, 16-27 FGs
Harrington: 4 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2-7 FGs
Deng: 9 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3-10 FGs
Wade: 24 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast, 11-17 FGs
Hinrich: 13 pts, 1 reb, 10 ast, 5-20 FGs
Davis: 8 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast, 4-6 FGs
Nocioni: 5 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2-5 FGs
Duhon: 0 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
Beasley: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
Pargo: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
TOTALS: 44-97 FGs (45.4%), 13-13 FTs, 48 REB (11 OFF), 27 AST, 8 FL

DETROIT
B. Wallace: 7 pts, 13 reb, 1 ast, 6 blks, 3-10 FGs
R. Wallace: 23 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 11-21 FGs
Prince: 19 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 9-21 FGs
Hamilton: 32 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 15-35 FGs
Billups: 10 pts, 0 reb, 16 ast, 5-14 FGs
Coleman: 7 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 2-5 FGs
McDyess: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
Arroyo: 2 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast, 1-3 FGs
Campbell: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Hunter: 0 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 0-3 FGs
TOTALS: 44-114 FGs (38.6%), 4-6 FTs, 42 REB (18 OFF), 30 AST, 14 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 23 23 25 24 8---103
Pistons 26 20 25 24 7---102
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 2-14 (Nocioni 1-1, Deng 1-5, Wade 0-1, Duhon 0-1, Pargo 0-1, Hinrich 0-5), Detroit 4-15 (Hamilton 2-5, R. Wallace 1-2, Prince 1-6, Billups 0-2). Turnovers: Chicago 23, Detroit 14.

BULLS RECORD: 12-9

[bullsfan009]

GM NOTES: I'm thinking of moving Chris Duhon for a reliable back-up big man. Duhon hasn't done much for me this season, I like his backup's (Jannero Pargo) scoring ability, and after trading Chandler and moving Harrington to the starting lineup, my backup PF has been Jerome Beasley. Could use an upgrade here, I'll keep everyone up-to-speed if I make one last small move before the playoffs

GAME 22

CHI 98, HOU 84
Rockin’ the Rockets- On Houston’s Home Floor, Bulls Win Convincingly

HOUSTON- The Bulls had a very impressive showing last night in the home of the Houston Rockets, the Toyota Center. The Rockets have a losing record this season, despite possessing two of the game’s best players in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. It was much the same story in this game against the Bulls: “T-Mac” had his 32 points, and Yao had 16 points and 5 blocks.
However, the entire Chicago Bulls team showed up to play, and that was way more than Houston could handle. The Bulls outscored their opponent in every quarter, and ran away with the game in the forth, when their solid defense held Houston to 16 points and forced them to commit 8 turnovers.
The Bulls may have only had three players score in double figures, just as Houston did, but unlike the Rockets they had 2 players with at least 10 rebounds, and 3 with at least 4 assists.
Eddy Curry was having trouble shooting over 7’6” Yao Ming, and was held to a season-low 7 points. To make up for this, the two starting guards, Kirk Hinrich and Dwyane Wade, carried the Bulls’ offense in the first half. They combined for 25 of the team’s 49 points at halftime.
And although Kirk and Dwyane were still very good offensively in the second half, Coach Skiles changed up his game plan to account for Luol Deng being simply on fire from the field. Deng was 7-9 with 2 three-pointers, scoring 16 points, in the third quarter alone! Coach Skiles commented: “I started to call a play for Eddy, but my one of my assistants told me I’d be crazy not to keep finding Luol. I’m glad I took the advice.” Deng finished with a career-high 31 points, with a smoking 64% shooting percentage (14-22 FGs).
The Bulls have now improved their record to 13-9 on the season. Since their trade for Dwayne Wade, they have gone 7-1.

GAME NOTES

Superstar Tracy McGrady scored a game-high 32 points. He couldn’t stop Deng, though, and that was the difference in the game.

Orthella Harrington and Juwan Howard had 8 rebounds each in the first quarter alone. They both finished with 14 boards.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 7 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast, 3-9 FGs
Harrington: 8 pts, 14 reb, 2 ast, 3-10 FGs
Deng: 31 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 14-22 FGs
Wade: 19 pts, 3 reb, 11 ast, 9-17 FGs
Hinrich: 23 pts, 0 reb, 7 ast, 10-16 FGs
Davis: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Nocioni: 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2-6 FGs
Duhon: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs (don't ask me what he was doing on the floor!)
Beasley: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
Griffin: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
TOTALS: 42-89 FGs (47.2%), 8-9 FTs, 41 REB (12 OFF), 27 AST, 7 FL

HOUSTON
Ming: 16 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 8-14 FGs
Howard: 6 pts, 14 reb, 2 ast, 2-6 FGs
McGrady: 32 pts, 4 reb 0 ast, 15-23 FGs
Wesley: 15 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 7-18 FGs
James: 4 pts, 1 reb, 12 ast, 2-8 FGs
Mutombo: 1 pt, 3 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Weatherspoon: 4 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 2-8 FGs
Sura: 0 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
Barry: 6 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Padgett: 0 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 39-85 FGs (45.9%), 4-6 FTs, 37 REB (11 OFF), 23 AST, 8 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 27 22 25 24---98
Houston 24 21 23 16---84
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 6-10 (Deng 3-5, Hinrich 3-5), Houston 2-9 (McGrady 1-2, Wesley 1-5, James 0-2). Turnovers: Chicago 18, Houston 19.

BULLS RECORD: 13-9
NEXT GAME: vs. San Antonio Spurs

[COOLmac©]

great game... i dont why the rockets sucks but the bulls ar egetting better by everygame here....

the next game against the spurs will be a good one

[alexboom]

Is there any interesting player in your free agency?

[bullsfan009]

COOLmac- yeah, I don't know why the Rockets were so bad, and have a bad record in my season. I think they're rated highly...

Is there any interesting player in your free agency?

No, unfortunately not because my rosters are not as complete as yours. I'm ignoring free agency in this season, and have CPU trading turned off so that the computer teams do too.

I've been using the Live 2003 Toolkit on Live 2000, and it's really cool. I've already edited the salaries and contract length information for all of the players, (I found this on www.insidehoops.com) as well as the salary cap. I'm going to do lots of player ratings editing next, and some roster work, so that my next season can be in franchise mode

[bullsfan009]

BREAKING NEWS: The Bulls trade guards Chris Duhon and Frank Williams to the Minnesota Timberwolves for forward Eddie Griffin.

Bulls Coach Scott Skiles: We're sorry to part with Chris and Frank, especially Chris who was doing a nice job as the primary backup to Kirk Hinrich. For a rookie, he was very solid. The reason we made this move is because after dealing Tyson and moving Orthella to the starting lineup, we felt our bench was needing a quality big-man. We got one in Eddie Griffin, who can score, block shots, grab rebounds, and has three-point range. We're excited about this move.

Chris Duhon: I think it was the obvious thing to do for the Bulls. They have Jannero Pargo ready to step into the backup PG slot, and to get a solid player like Griffin will be good for them in the playoffs. I thank them for the opportunity, for drafting me into the NBA, and wish them the best.

Eddie Griffin: I was suprised at the trade, but I think I'll fit in in Chicago, no problem. They have some good talent, and a good coach, so I'm just going to come in and show them what I can do.


GAME 23

S.A. 101, CHI 93
Duncan, Spurs Handle Bulls- Tim Duncan Single-Handedly Carried Spurs to Victory


CHICAGO- It’s not fun to play the San Antonio Spurs. Ask anyone in the NBA. Why? First of all, you rarely win. Secondly, they play great, suffocating defense that makes every pass and every dribble a struggle. And finally, they have Tim Duncan.
The Bulls learned about all of this the hard way last night, in a 101-93 loss to the Spurs at the United Center. Tim Duncan absolutely dominated down low, regardless of whomever the Bulls assigned to guard him. Duncan scored 23 points in the first half alone, and finished the game with 39 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. Spurs coach Gregg Popovic commented, “Timmy was dominant tonight. We relied on his offense, and he delivered all night.”
The Bulls started off the game well, overcoming Duncan’s 11 points with solid play from Eddy Curry and Dwyane Wade. They led 25-21 at the end of the first quarter. In the second, the newest Bull, Eddie Griffin, made his debut. He had a few unforced turnovers, but played well overall with 7 points and 3 rebounds in limited playing time. Jannero Pargo, playing in his first game as the primary back-up point guard after Chris Duhon was traded, fared well with 6 points and 4 assists.
The two players whose performances really hurt the Bulls were Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. They combined to shoot 7-25 from the field, and had just 4 total assists between them.
“This was a frustrating game for us, because it was one of those where we never really got into a rhythm,” Bulls coach Scott Skiles remarked afterwards. “We did lose to one of the premier teams in the league, but you’ve got to be able to beat these kinds of teams if you yourself want to reach the top.”

GAME NOTES
Antonio Davis had a nice game off the bench for the Bulls. He scored 12 points on 75% shooting (6-for-8), and grabbed 7 rebounds.

All-Star guard Emanuel Ginobili shot a 1-10 in the first, second, and fourth quarters combined. He had a bad game, right? Not really- just a streaky one. “Manu” was 7-8 in the third quarter.

Dwayne Wade made 9 of his 13 shots, but still is not getting enough attempts for his ability level. Skiles has encouraged the unselfish Wade to look for his shot more.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 23 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast, 9-15 FGs
Harrington: 6 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3-9 FGs
Deng: 6 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2-9 FGs
Wade: 18 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 9-13 FGs
Hinrich: 12 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 5-16 FGs
Davis: 12 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 6-8 FGs
Nocioni: 0 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 0-5 FGs
E. Griffin: 7 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3-8 FGs
Pargo: 6 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast, 2-4 FGs
A. Griffin: 3 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
TOTALS: 40-88 FGs (45.5%), 9-9 FTs, 38 REB (11 OFF), 20 AST, 11 FL

SAN ANTONIO
Nesterovic: 13 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast, 5-9 FGs
Duncan: 39 pts, 15 reb, 5 ast, 4 blk, 17-27 FGs
Bowen: 7 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3-5 FGs
Ginobili: 20 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 8-18 FGs
Parker: 12 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 5-13 FGs
Barry: 2 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1-4 FGs
Horry: 0 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 0-4 FGs
Mohammed: 4 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Udrih: 4 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
Massenberg: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-3 FGs
TOTALS: 43-92 FGs (46.7%), 11-17 FTs, 44 REB (17 OFF), 15 AST, 7 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 25 22 21 25---93
Spurs 21 27 27 26---101
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 4-15 (Hinrich 2-6, A. Griffin 1-1, E. Griffin 1-2, Nocioni 0-1, Wade 0-1, Deng 0-4), San Antonio 4-8 (Parker 2-3, Bowen 1-1, Ginobili 1-3, Barry 0-1). Turnovers: Chicago 14, San Antonio 13.

BULLS RECORD: 13-10
NEXT GAME: @ Toronto Raptors

[LegoTP]

Wow great dynasty, pics would be great ! But as your writing skills are great, it's not a big problem.

[bullsfan009]

Thanks, LegoTP. I just lost to your team!

I checked out your Spurs dynasty- I've never seen one so detailed! I hope you are motivated enough (and have enough time) to get through all 82 games.

I can only handle the 29-game season- I've never done a full 82-game one...

Good luck with your dynasty, and thanks for the compliments

[kibaxx7]

Hey man very good dynasty and trades You got really good writing skills, as LegoTP said. Keep it up (and check my dynasty )!!!

[bullsfan009]

Thanks a lot, nba baller 50- I'll check out your Heat dynasty (you better not have traded Wade!!!)

[bullsfan009]

GAME 24

CHI 100, TOR 96
Bulls Clinch Playoff Spot- Dwyane Wade Carries Team Past Pesky Raptors


TORONTO- For the first time since the 1997-98 season, the Chicago Bulls are going to be playing playoff basketball. Their win over the Toronto Raptors last night improved their record to 14-10 on the season, good enough to clinch at least the 8th-best record in the Eastern Conference.
As far as the game was concerned, the Bulls looked to be off to a blowout victory as they held a 14 point lead early in the second quarter. However, it was all gone by halftime- and then some, as Toronto took a 48-45 lead into intermission. The combination of the Raptors shooting 58% and the Bulls shooting 36% in the quarter accounted for how fast their lead was lost.
The Bulls came out strong in the third quarter again, determined to get the “W.” They were very aggressive, getting to the free throw line 9 times in the period. Their aggression, though, also led to lots of careless play. For the game, the Bulls committed 22 turnovers. “Absolutely unacceptable,” Coach Skiles stated afterwards, shaking his head. “We were very fortunate to win.”
Actually, they were very fortunate to have Dwyane Wade. “Flash” carried the offensive load throughout the game, and especially in the second half when he was 10-14 shooting. He scored a game-high 36 points on an amazing 15-21 mark from the field (71%!)- 12 more points than his high with the Bulls so far this season. After the game, Wade was all laughs and smiles. “I’m very happy that we got this win. I was in the zone tonight, and the guys kept feeding me. And we’re in the playoffs now, so everything worked out great tonight.”

GAME NOTES
The Raptors were led by super-sophomore Chris Bosh, who scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Bosh was selected #4 overall in the 2003 draft, one ahead of Dwyane Wade, and 3 ahead of Kirk Hinrich whom the Bulls selected at #7. Combined with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, and this draft is already shaping out to be one of the best in NBA history.

Kirk Hinrich failed to score in double figures for the first time in 21 games. He also had 7 turnovers. Skiles stated, “If not for his 14 assists and great defense, he wouldn’t have been on the floor. He knows he can play much better, and be more consistent game to game. He’s a young guy with a good heart and work ethic, though- it’ll come.”

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 18 pts, 16 reb, 3 ast, 7-15 FGs
Harrington: 12 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 5-8 FGs
Deng: 13 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 5-16 FGs
Wade: 36 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 15-21 FGs
Hinrich: 9 pts, 4 reb, 14 ast, 4-12 FGs
Davis: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Nocioni: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
E. Griffin: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Pargo: 0 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 0-1 FGs
A. Griffin: 6 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 3-4 FGs
TOTALS: 42-88 FGs (47.7%), 12-12 FTs, 48 REB (15 OFF), 24 AST, 6 FL

TORONTO
Woods: 12 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 6-15 FGs
Bosh: 25 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 12-20 FGs
Rose: 15 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 7-14 FGs
Al. Williams: 19 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 8-17 FGs
Alston: 13 pts, 3 reb, 17 ast, 6-20 FGs
Marshall: 6 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Araujo: 2 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
E. Williams: 0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
Murray: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
Peterson: 2 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1-2 FGs
TOTALS: 45-98 FGs (45.9%), 3-4 FTs, 35 REB (11 OFF), 24 AST, 9 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 29 16 29 26---100
Raptors 17 31 19 29---96
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 4-9 (Deng 3-4, Wade 1-1, Hinrich 0-3, Pargo 0-1), Toronto 3-12 (Al. Williams 1-2, Rose 1-3, Alston 1-6, Peterson 0-1). Turnovers: Chicago 22, Toronto 8.

BULLS RECORD: 14-10
NEXT GAME: @ Utah Jazz

[COOLmac©]

ooohhhh 5 more games left....

can you still make a run for the 6th or the 7th....pls post season standings/early playoof standings soon..

[bullsfan009]

ooohhhh 5 more games left....

can you still make a run for the 6th or the 7th....pls post season standings/early playoof standings soon..

OK, COOLmac, I will. Yes, I'm trying to move up in the standings, but it's tough (take my next game for example )


GAME 25

UTAH 110, CHI 106
Showdown in Salt Lake City- Jazz Handle Bulls at the Delta Center


UTAH- The Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz, is a very tough place to play, as the Chicago Bulls found out last night. The fans are right on top of the court, and are loud and energetic for the duration of the game. They gave their beloved Jazz just a little more energy than the Bulls had, and enabled them to come out on top during a very tight and very competitive fourth quarter.
Both offenses were in high gear throughout the game, and the key players on both teams were clicking: Dwyane Wade and Eddy Curry for the Bulls, and Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, and Mehmet Okur for the Jazz. It was a tight game, marked by short scoring bursts from both squads. Neither could pull away from the other, though.
With the game in its late stages, both teams were working hard on both sides of the ball, trying everything to get the “W.” With 8 seconds left and the game tied at 106, Andrei Kirilenko drove into the lane, and floated up a layup off the glass. The Bulls called timeout, and regrouped for their critical upcoming play.
They got the ball into Dwyane Wade, who had led them to that point with 24 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Wade cut to the rim, got off a short 8-foot jumper in the lane and…MISS! The ball rimmed out, and Jazz center Mehmet Okur grabbed the rebound, his 10th board of the fourth quarter, and 16th for the game.
The Bulls fouled him immediately, but Okur calmly sank both of his free throws to make it a 110-106 Utah advantage. It was a two-possession game, and with about 1 second left, it was game over. It was a tough loss for the Bulls, but one that they can now afford after securing a playoff spot after their previous victory over the Toronto Raptors.

GAME NOTES

Afterwards, Kirk Hinrich commented on the loss, as well as his abysmal shooting night (2-11 FGs): “I don’t know what to say. I’m working real hard on my shot all the time, and sometimes things are clicking out there for me, and sometimes they’re not. It’s my job to become consistent, and that’s not happening yet. Most of the time this season, it hasn’t affected the outcome of the game, but when we lose like tonight, it’s really tough…”

The Bulls gave newly-acquired forward Eddie Griffin the start tonight. “We wanted to see how he would fare against a quality forward in Carlos Boozer,” Coach Skiles stated. Griffin posted 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-10 FGs, while holding Boozer to 13 points and 4 rebounds on 5-18 shooting.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 16 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast, 8-11 FGs
E. Griffin: 8 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 4-10 FGs
Deng: 16 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 7-10 FGs
Wade: 24 pts, 3 reb, 8 ast, 11-18 FGs
Hinrich: 5 pts, 3 reb, 9 ast, 2-11 FGs
Davis: 4 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Nocioni: 11 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 5-8 FGs
Harrington: 6 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 3-7 FGs
A. Griffin: 7 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 3-7 FGs
Pargo: 9 pts, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2-10 FGs
TOTALS: 46-95 FGs (48.4%), 11-11 FTs, 42 REB (7 OFF), 29 AST, 14 FL

UTAH
Okur: 23 pts, 16 reb, 3 ast, 10-18 FGs
Boozer: 13 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 5-18 FGs
Kirilenko: 19 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 7-17 FGs
Harpring: 23 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 11-18 FGs
Eisley: 13 pts, 0 reb, 18 ast, 5-11 FGs
Humphries: 5 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
Snyder: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
Giricek: 11 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 3-4 FGs
Collins: 0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0-2 FGs
Lopez: 3 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-4 FGs
TOTALS: 43-93 FGs (46.2%), 17-20 FTs, 44 REB (14 OFF), 29 AST, 4 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 23 30 28 25---106
Jazz 29 29 28 24---110
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 3-12 (Nocioni 1-1, Hinrich 1-3, Pargo 1-6, Griffin 0-1, Deng 0-1), Utah 5-7 (Kirilenko 2-2, Okur 1-1, Eisley 1-1, Lopez 1-1, Giricek 0-1). Turnovers: Chicago 16, Utah 15.


BULLS RECORD: 14-11
NEXT GAME: vs. Atlanta Hawks

[bullsfan009]

GAME 26

CHI 97, ATL 75
Bulls Blowout Hawks- Lead By As Many As 25 in Rout at the United Center


CHICAGO- The Atlanta Hawks franchise has a lot of work to do. Their roster has perhaps the least talent of any team in the league, and while they do compete, their record shows it. The Bulls completely dominated the Hawks in the first half of their game last night, and then held tight in the second to pull out a 22-point victory. The outcome improved the Bulls’ record to 15-11, while the Hawks fell to a miserable 3-23 on the season.
“About the only thing we got going for us is a high draft pick,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson commented. “We’re embarrassed to represent the wonderful city of Atlanta with such a record.”
The Bulls started the game off hot, taking leads of 10-0, 17-2, and 30-10 before settling for a 34-15 margin at the end of the first quarter. It didn’t get much better in the second for the Hawks, who again struggled offensively and defensively. At the half, the Bulls held a huge 59-34 lead, a 25-point advantage.
It would have taken a special kind of comeback to catch up to the Bulls in this game, one that the Hawks didn’t have in them. And although Atlanta did compete hard and outscored the Bulls 41-38 in the second half of play, obviously, that wasn’t even close to enough.
The Hawks were led in the game by Al Harrington’s 20 points and 5 rebounds, and center Jason Collier chipped in with 9 points and 10 boards. Their two first-round draft picks, Josh Childress and Josh Smith, had nice efforts off the bench with 7 and 6 points, respectively. For the Bulls, a statistical rarity occurred: everyone on the team (who played) scored and assisted. Eddy Curry led the way with 19 points and 8 boards, and Dwyane Wade had a team-high 6 assists.
Bulls coach Scott Skiles commented afterwards, “I thought Atlanta played hard in the second half, and would have made a game of it if they hadn’t dug themselves such a big hole in the first half. They’re really struggling right now, but should have optimism for the future. I like their two rookies, and Al Harrington is a nice player, too.”

GAME NOTES

The Bulls committed just 10 turnovers in the game, their lowest total in 12 games, while dishing out an excellent total of 27 assists. The Hawks had more turnovers than assists (13 to 11).

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 19 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 8-14 FGs
E. Griffin: 14 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 6-12 FGs
Deng: 9 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 4-9 FGs
Wade: 14 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 4-9 FGs
Hinrich: 12 pts, 1 reb, 5 ast, 6-12 FGs
Davis: 6 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3-9 FGs
Nocioni: 3 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1-2 FGs
Harrington: 6 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3-8 FGs
A. Griffin: 6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3-5 FGs
Pargo: 8 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 4-6 FGs
TOTALS: 42-86 FGs (48.8%), 11-11 FTs, 36 REB (9 OFF), 27 AST, 11 FL

ATLANTA
Collier: 9 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast, 3-9 FGs
Gugliotta: 10 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 4-11 FGs
Harrington: 20 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 9-20 FGs
Diaw: 10 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 4-12 FGs
Lue: 9 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 4-12 FGs
Smith: 6 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 3-4 FGs
Childress: 7 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 3-7 FGs
Drobjnak: 0 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
Delk: 4 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1-4 FGs
Willis: 0 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 31-82 FGs (37.8%), 11-15 FTs, 36 REB (11 OFF), 11 AST, 9 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 34 25 18 20---97
Hawks 15 19 22 19---75
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 2-9 (Nocioni 1-1, Deng 1-3, Griffin 0-1, Pargo 0-1, Hinrich 0-3), Atlanta 2-9 (Childress 1-2, Diaw 1-4, Collier 0-1, Lue 0-2). Turnovers: Chicago 10, Atlanta 13.

BULLS RECORD: 15-11
NEXT GAME: @ NY KNICKS

[bullsfan009]

GAME 27

CHI 113, NY 98
Coming Together- Bulls Team Peaking Right Before Playoffs, Handle Knicks


NEW YORK- The Bulls are coming together, and with just 2 games remaining in the regular season, this couldn’t have come at a better time. Their convincing win over the New York Knicks was their 3rd victory in their last 4 games, and improved their record to a season-best 5 games over .500 at 16-11.
The Knicks are in the exact opposite situation as the Bulls. They’ve lost their last 5 games, dropping to 13-16 on the season. And they are dropping in the standings at the worst time, as they are battling for one of the final 2 playoff spots yet to be clinched in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls showed no mercy in this game, as they played with a fire in the early stages. Dwyane Wade got them started with 10 first quarter points, splashing in a couple of jumpers and then attacking the rim with a variety of acrobatic moves. Eddy Curry got off to a great start, too, scoring 8 points down low and also hauling down 7 rebounds.
In the second quarter, the entire Bulls team got hot. Four different reserves scored at least 4 points, and Andres Nocioni and Antonio Davis hit the glass hard, each grabbing 5 rebounds. The Bulls pulled went ahead by 12 at one point, and finished up the first half with a 56-47 advantage.
The Knicks were determined, though, and played their hearts out in the third quarter. They were absolutely scorching hot from the field, shooting 13-18 for a 72% shooting percentage. Allan Houston was a perfect 6-6 in the quarter, and New York rebounded from their 9-point halftime deficit to take a 5 point lead in the late stages of the third quarter. But the Bulls went on their own run, and held a 84-82 lead after 3. Kirk went 4-6 in the quarter, and had some big plays down the stretch of the 3rd, including a nice assist on a three-pointer by Luol Deng.
Knicks coach Herb Williams commented, “We played great in the third quarter- we couldn’t miss. But after I saw that we couldn’t keep the lead, I knew we were in trouble.”
He was right. The Bulls dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 29 points while employing great defense to hold the Knicks to just 16 points on 6-19 (32%) shooting. For the second consecutive game, Eddy Curry posted 10 points in the fourth quarter, and the Bulls rode to a great victory.

GAME NOTES
The Bulls almost had as many blocks as turnovers- 12 to 13.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 24 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 11-16 FGs
Harrington: 6 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 3-8 FGs
Deng: 14 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 5-16 FGs
Wade: 21 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 9-16 FGs
Hinrich: 19 pts, 1 reb, 9 ast, 7-14 FGs
Davis: 6 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 3-7 FGs
Nocioni: 6 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 3-5 FGs
E. Griffin: 8 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 4-7 FGs
A. Griffin: 2 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
Pargo: 7 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 3-6 FGs
TOTALS: 48-96 FGs (50%), 13-17 FTs, 41 REB (13 OFF), 27 AST, 13 FL

NEW YORK
Rose: 9 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 3-7 FGs
K. Thomas: 13 pts, 13 reb, 1 ast, 6-12 FGs
T. Thomas: 13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 5-13 FGs
Houston: 27 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 12-20 FGs
Marbury: 18 pts, 1 reb, 11 ast, 7-20 FGs
Crawford: 6 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Taylor: 4 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 0-4 FGs
Hardaway: 6 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2-3 FGs
Sundov: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
TOTALS: 39-86 FGs (45.3%), 15-21 FTs, 41 REB (12 OFF), 18 AST, 12 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 23 33 28 29---113
Knicks 20 27 35 16---98
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 4-10 (Deng 2-5, Wade 1-1, Pargo 1-2, Hinrich 0-1, E. Griffin 0-1), New York 5-13 (Houston 2-3, Marbury 2-7, T. Thomas 1-2, Crawford 0-1). Turnovers: Chicago 13, New York 17.

BULLS RECORD: 16-11
NEXT GAME: @ SACRAMENTO KINGS

[bullsfan009]

GAME 28

CHI 93, SAC 90
Kings Lose Must-Win Game- Loss to Bulls Eliminates Them From Playoff Contention


SACRAMENTO- The Sacramento Kings needed to win their game last night more than the Chicago Bulls did, but the Bulls played like they wanted it more. The Bulls beat the Kings on their home floor, and the loss eliminated Sacramento from playoff contention in the Western Conference. It was the Kings’ final game of the season, which they finished with a 14-15 record. The trade of Chris Webber to the 76ers in midseason really hurt them, and they’ll miss the playoffs for the first time in many years.
Sacramento had monster efforts from their three best players: center Brad Miller had 23 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 assists; forward Peja Stojakovic scorched the nets for 27 points and also grabbed 14 rebounds; and point guard Mike Bibby had 23 points to go with his game-high 8 assists. Those three guys were not the reason why they lost- it was the fact that Cuttino Mobley and Corliss Williamson combined to shoot 6-for-33 from the field (just 18%!), and the entire Kings bench produced just 4 points, 4 rebounds, and had 0 assists!
So even though the Bulls were severely outrebounded in the game (42-56), put up many less shots at the basket (88-102), and committed 4 more turnovers than the Kings, their more consistent play and better defense got them this victory. A key factor also was their bench, which scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and distributed 7 assists.
Kirk Hinrich led the way with 25 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals, and Chicago also got solid contributions from Eddy Curry, Othella Harrington, and Dwyane Wade. Curry had yet another double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and he also blocked 3 shots in the game. Harrington was put back into the starting lineup after a 2-game experiment with Eddie Griffin, and Orthella responded with a solid 12-point, 9 rebound effort. And finally, Dwyane Wade showed his versatility in scoring 12 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists.
Kings coach Rick Adleman said, “Give Chicago credit. They got us in a game we were really hyped up for. I hope they go far, they deserve it with the way they’re playing right now.”

GAME NOTES
The Bulls (17-11) are clinging to the 4th seed in the East playoff picture. They play their final game of the season next, against the Seattle Supersonics, who have been playing well of late.

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 14 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 7-10 FGs
Harrington: 12 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 5-8 FGs
Deng: 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 4-13 FGs
Wade: 12 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 5-10 FGs
Hinrich: 25 pts, 0 reb, 7 ast, 9-19 FGs
Davis: 6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2-6 FGs
Nocioni: 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2-5 FGs
E. Griffin: 4 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 2-6 FGs
A. Griffin: 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1-2 FGs
Pargo: 4 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 2-4 FGs
Piatkowski: 2 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1-5 FGs
TOTALS: 40-88 FGs (45.5%), 12-12 FTs, 42 REB (10 OFF), 25 AST, 8 FL

SACRAMENTO
Miller: 23 pts, 20 reb, 4 ast, 11-18 FGs
Williamson: 6 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast, 3-15 FGs
Stojakovic: 27 pts, 14 reb, 2 ast, 12-19 FGs
Mobley: 7 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3-18 FGs
Bibby: 23 pts, 0 reb, 8 ast, 10-26 FGs
Jackson: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Ostertag: 0 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Thomas: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs, 0 contribution
Songaila: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs, 0 contribution
Martin: 4 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
TOTALS: 41-102 FGs (40.2%), 4-4 FTs, 56 REB (18 OFF), 21 AST, 12 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls 24 22 25 22---93
Kings 20 22 25 23---90
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point goals: Chicago 1-10 (Hinrich 1-2, Nocioni 0-1, Piatkowski 0-1, Pargo 0-2, Deng 0-4), Sacramento 4-18 (Bibby 3-6, Mobley 1-7, Williamson 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Stojakovic 0-3). Turnovers: Chicago 13, Sacramento 9.

BULLS RECORD: 17-11
NEXT GAME: vs. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

[bullsfan009]

*THE LAST GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON!!!!!!

GAME 29

CHI 116, SEA 113
A Fight to the Finish- Bulls End Season With Shootout-Style Win Over Sonics


CHICAGO- The Bulls won a thriller last night in the United Center, beating the Seattle Supersonics at their own game: scoring a ton of points. Sonics superstar Ray Allen scored a NBA-season high 54 points :crazyeyes: , hitting 8 three pointers in the process. Quarter-by-quarter, Allen scored 16 points in the first, 6 in the second, 16 in the third, and yet another 16 points in the fourth quarter.
The vast majority of his 22 made field goals came on passes from point guard Luke Ridnour, who had an incredible 24 assists, three times Kirk Hinrich’s average (and Ridnour’s, too)!

“I think they ran one play out there tonight, and that was Ridnour-to-Allen. And just to throw us off, once in awhile it’d be Allen-to-Ridnour-to-Allen, ” Bulls coach Scott Skiles laughed. Skiles owns the all-time mark for most assists in a game, with 30 as a member of the Orlando Magic in the early 1990s.
The Bulls were able to overcome these gigantic numbers put up by the Sonics with five players scoring in double figures, and a huge 39-point outburst in the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade scored 14 in the period, in which the Bulls as a team shot a spectacular 68% from the field (15-22). Wade matched Allen basket-for-basket down the stretch, and was aided by timely scoring from Eddy Curry, Kirk Hinrich, and Luol Deng to put the Bulls over the top and get the victory.
This was a huge win for the Bulls. They needed to win this game and for the Boston Celtics to lose their game against the Washington Wizards in order to grab the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and everything worked out perfectly. Boston lost, finishing their regular season with a 17-12 record and settling into the #4 seed in the East, and the Bulls won, improved their record to 18-11, and were guaranteed the #3 spot in the playoffs.
This was big because sitting in the #5 seed is the Miami Heat, a deadly team with Shaquille O’Neal in the middle. The Bulls avoided a first-round confrontation with him, and instead get the #6-seeded Indiana Pacers, who were 15-14 on the year.

GAME NOTES
Seattle’s loss knocked them down to the #6 seed in the West, allowing the Dallas Mavericks to top them and take the #5 seed. This is not what Seattle wanted- now they play the #3 Spurs!!! :lol:

GAME STATS

CHICAGO
Curry: 24 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 9-17 FGs
Harrington: 8 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Deng: 16 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 7-11 FGs
Wade: 24 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 11-17 FGs
Hinrich: 19 pts, 1 reb, 8 ast, 7-16 FGs
Davis: 12 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 5-8 FGs
Nocioni: 6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3-7 FGs
E. Griffin: 5 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-2 FGs
Pargo: 0 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 0-4 FGs
Piatkowski: 2 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
TOTALS: 48-91 FGs (52.7% ), 15-17 FTs, 43 REB (9 OFF), 22 AST, 8 FL

SEATTLE
James: 4 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 2-2 FGs
Evans: 2 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1-2 FGs
Lewis: 29 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 12-21 FGs
Allen: 54 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 22-36 FGs
Ridnour: 18 pts, 1 reb, 24 ast, 7-14 FGs
Potapenko: 2 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Radmanovic: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-8 FGs
Daniels: 0 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 0-2 FGs
Swift: 0 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 0-4 FGs
Murray: 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1-6 FGs
TOTALS: 46-95 FGs (48.4%), 8-9 FTs, 36 REB (10 OFF), 32 AST, 10 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
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Bulls 22 27 28 39---116
Supersonics 31 17 36 29---113
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Three-point goals: Chicago 5-10 (Deng 2-3, Hinrich 2-5, E. Griffin 1-1, Piatkowski 0-1), Seattle 13-27 (Allen 8-13 , Lewis 4-8, Ridnour 1-2, Radmanovic 0-3, Murray 0-1). Turnovers: Chicago 10, Seattle 12.

FINAL BULLS RECORD: 18-11

Next I'll give the final season stats, award winners, and prepare everyone for the playoffs!!!