Bulls keep marching on
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 06 Jan 2012
TUESDAY night at the United Center in Chicago, Derrick Rose and the hard-charging Bulls pulled off a miracle on Madison St and came back from 19 points down in the third quarter to beat the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 76-74.
In that improbable reversal of fortune, Rose, the reigning MVP, dropped 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. He also had seven assists and was unstoppable down the stretch.
The following night, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan, Chicago didn't need neither a dramatic rally nor another superhero effort from Rose. The Bulls shot 52.6 percent from the field (40-of-76) and watched their defense do the rest en route to a fairly easy victory over the once-mighty Detroit Pistons, 99-83.
Returning to his old stomping grounds for the first time as a Chicago Bull, ex-Piston Rip Hamilton chalked 14 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. The masked shooting guard, still going strong at age 33, went 5-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-3 from the free throw line and 1-of-1 from 3-point range.
Hamilton, a 12-year pro, played nine years in Detroit and helped the Pistons win it all in 2004. But after a tempestuous 2010-2011 season, a forgettable campaign that was marred by reduced playing time and bickering with the coaching staff, Hamilton left for Chicago as soon as the lockout was lifted this past summer.
Detroit's faithful, however, appreciated Hamilton's contributions to the franchise and he was applauded heartily by some 9,125 fans who witnessed his return.
Rip admitted being melancholic. "There was a lot of emotion early in the game, being on the visitors' side. I'm not accustomed to it in this building. 'I was just like, Man don't start crying or anything like that.'"
While Hamilton and Bulls were fired up, Detroit sputtered all night on offense and struggled mightily on defense. The Pistons, who fell to 2-4 in the standings under new head coach Lawrence Frank, made only 36 of their 88 shots, including just one of six 3s. They were also outrebounded 40-38 and had only 18 assists against the Bulls' 30.
With a 6-1 won-lost slate, the Bulls own the second best overall record in the NBA, a mere one-half game behind the formidable Miami Heat, who soared to 7-1 in the standings following a 116-109 triple overtime triumph over the Hawks Thursday night in Atlanta.
Chicago's lofty standing comes at a steep price. In one of his forays to the hoop Tuesday night, Rose fell hard and appeared to have hurt his left elbow. X-rays were negative, but according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Rose "had his elbows wrapped in ice and was in obvious pain while dressing in the locker room after the game."
Tough as nails, the 6-foot-3 Rose shrugged off his latest hardcourt scare. "It's just like any other time when you fall,' he said. "It's definitely going to be sore."
The Bulls are in Florida to face the Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic this Friday night. And you can count on Rose to suit up, sore or not. "I'll be fine," assured the 23-year old star.
And just like that, an entire city can heave a collective sigh of relief. Hopefully, with a healthy Rose, the wins can keep coming.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
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