CHICAGO -- A tired, injury-ravaged Chicago Bulls went on a tedious 7-game road trip recently, the longest out-of-town trip they've had in recent years.
It began encouragingly last January 28 when the Bulls stampeded the Los Angeles Lakers 114-91 at the Staples Center, and it ended with a loud thud on February 6 when the Bulls were stunned by the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-105, at the Target Center.
All told, the Bulls finished the road trip at 2-5, a low 40 percent winning clip.
The sixth stop, a swing in Charlotte, was emblematic of the Bulls' struggles this season. They fought hard but fell short after another poor fourth quarter effort. And the absence of four starters certainly didn't help ----- Joakim Noah (shoulder), Nikola Mirotić (appendectomy) and the "Slash Brothers" comprised by Derrick Rose (Illness) and Jimmy Butler (right knee sprain).
The depleted Bulls left Charlotte that night losers to a 108-91 beating. The Hornets were on a four-game home stand at that time and they came out strong in Buzz City and defended their turf well, winning three of four.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist came out hot in the first quarter to lead the Hornets' swarm, scoring 10 points in nine minutes on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. Gilchrist, who has since been diagnosed with a torn labrum, finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks,
Spencer Hawes registered 13 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte while Kemba Walker had 30 points in a historic night in which he surpassed Glen Rice as Charlotte's No.3 all-time scorer with 5,655. .
Hawes and Kemba sure didn't help the Bulls' cause.
Pau Gasol, a two-time NBA champ with the Lakers, led Chicago with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Taj Gibson chipped in 11 and seven boards while Doug McDermott and E'Twaun Moore combined for 26 points.
But as decent as their offense was that night, the Bulls simply lacked the firepower to turn back the charging Hornets at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
Two nights ago, the Bulls went back home to the familiar confines of the United Center where they hosted the Atlanta Hawks. Undermanned and still feeling the lingering effects of that long road trip, the Bulls were ran over by the soaring Hawks, 113-90.
The Bulls head to the All-Star break with a precarious 27-25 record, seventh place in the competitive Eastern Conference. They return to action on February 18 in Cleveland to play the Cavs at the Quicken Loans Arena. After that they have three straight home games.
With the playoffs just around the corner, the Bulls need to get healthy and they need to play much better to right what appears to be a sinking ship.
The Bulls have sorely missed the energy and hustle of their emotional leader, Joakim Noah, who is out indefinitely following surgery for a separated shoulder.
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