Hard-charging Bulls hit brick wall in Atlanta
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 09 Jan 2012
FORGET the 7-1 start, their best since the 1996-97 season, when some dude named Michael Jeffrey Jordan was still defying gravity.
Forget the six-game winning streak, which propelled them briefly to a tie for the best overall record in this young NBA season.
In the midst of a brutal road stretch, playing 7-of-9 games away from home, the Bulls express stopped by the Philips Arena on Saturday night. Unfortunately, it got stuck with an ugly 109-94 loss at hands of the avenging Atlanta Hawks, whom the Bulls beat 76-74 just four nights before in Chicago.
Again, the Bulls had one of those typical slow starts, playing passively and falling behind early. But this time around, there was neither an improbable comeback nor a spurt of Derrick Rose heroics to save the night.
The Hawks started the game with a 12-1 blast, padded the lead to 33-18 after one quarter before sitting on a 63-45 halftime bulge. The Hawks kept pushing the ball when play resumed, and with 5:52 to go in the third quarter, the seemingly fight-less, uninspired Bulls were basically done, trailing 79-50.
"The reason we lost this game was no defense, plain and simple, "MVP Derrick Rose told the Chicago Tribune.
He couldn't have been more right.
For a team that prides itself as a defensive elite, the Bulls' effort was "embarrasing" as center Joakim Noah aptly described it.
The Bulls surrendered 109 points and did little to stop the Hawks from shooting 47 of 83 from the field for a mighty 56.6 percent clip. The Hawks rained 3s on the Bulls, too, sinking 9-of-12 beyond the arc. To the math-impaired, that's an amazing 75 percent accuracy for shots taken as far as 23.9 feet away from the hoop or 22 feet at the corners.
Expectedly, the hard-charging Bulls conquered the rebounds battle, 43-31, but the Hawks had more assists, 32-21, more steals 16-8, and less turnovers, 13 against Chicago's 19.
Josh Smith led Atlanta's charge with 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Joe Johnson added 17 while ex-Laker Vladimir Rodmanovic sprung from the bench, drained 5-of-5 triples, and chipped in 17 points.
Chicago, meanwhile, couldn't find the ocean form the shore.
The Bulls made just 36 of 82 field goals (43.9 percent) and only one of their starters -- Carlos Boozer -- finished in double figures with 12 points.
Rose had perhaps the worst game of his pro career with 8 points, 6 assists and 5 turnovers. The usually prolific reigning MVP looked like a mere mortal, missing 7 of 10 shots including 0-for-3 from 3-point range.
Luol Deng was held to 8 points. Ronnie Brewer, filling in for the injured Rip Hamilton, managed just 3 points while the 6-foot-11 Noah chalked a meaningless one point.
The Hawks tussle was the Bulls' fourth game in four nights, but considering fatigue as an excuse won't wash.
You see, Atlanta, like Chicago, is also navigating a punishing schedule. Last night's game was the Hawks' third in three nights and nine of 12 nights overall. To make matters worse labor-wise, the Hawks played in four overtime periods in their last two games.
Simply put, the Bulls were outplayed. And badly at that. Which almost, always happens in a long and winding NBA season.
Photo: Josh Smith scored 25 points and rejected six shots in the Hawks' big win over the Bulls.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
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