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Bulls not sitting pretty on top of NBA By Michael Scott PhilBoxing.com Mon, 26 Mar 2012  CHICAGO -- On paper, it appeared like the Chicago Bulls had one of those "easy" games on the schedule when they hosted the Toronto Raptors Saturday night at the United Center. The Bulls were poised for their 40th win and an outright berth in the 2012 NBA playoffs. A sellout crowd of 21,841 was on hand, ready to celebrate and turn the U.C. into the notorious Madhouse at Madison Street. But nothing is ever easy in the NBA. Not only did the "coronation" turn out to be a tight competition, it nearly ended into a huge upset as the Raptors outplayed, outworked and outhustled the Bulls. In the end, though, the Bulls escaped with a narrow 102-101 cliffhanger. But it required overtime to seal the deal, and it took a last-second prayer from Luol Deng to, thankfully, finally, dispatch the stubborn Raptors. The victory pushed the Bulls' record to an NBA-best 40-10 slate, which to the math-impaired means they are a formidable 30 games above the .500 mark. Toronto, meanwhile, fell deeper into the NBA abyss with a dismal 16-33 record. And while the Chicago Bulls now sit on top the NBA standings, their latest brush with near-defeat did not sit well with Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. "We were very fortunate, lucky," he said during a postgame press conference at the bowels of the United Center. "They outplayed us from the start, dominated us, outrebounded us by 14, played harder. We didn't play well," Thibodeau added. Indeed, the Bulls did everything to lose Saturday night's contest. Besides being outrebounded 58-44, the Bulls couldn't find the ocean from the shore. They shot just 41 of 103 field goals (39.8 percent) and 3 of 23 three-point shots (13 percent). The Bulls also clanked 9 of 26 free throws. Chicago did have more assists, 23-19, and fewer turnovers (9 against Toronto's 18), but the Bulls' performance against a vastly inferior team was weak and spiritless. Still, there were flashes of brilliance, especially in the second quarter, when the Bulls stampeded to a 17-2 run that turned a 20-30 deficit into a 37-32 bulge. But they went hot and cold from that point on and barely escaped defeat when Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani missed an open 3 as time expired in regulation. Derrick Rose missed his sixth straight start with a strained groin, but CJ Watson took over the point guard chores with some aplomb, scoring 23 points alongside 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Deng, the night's hero, also had 23 while Carlos Boozer led all scorers with 24. Jose Calderon, a 30-year old Spaniard from Canada, steered the Raptors offense with quiet effeciency. A six-year NBA pro, the 6-foot-3, 211-pound Calderon drilled 8 of 13 shots for 20 points while dishing 10 assists. James Johnson pumped 20 for Toronto while Bargnani, a 7-footer with the sweet shooting touch of a Dirk Nowtizki, added 17 and 7 rebounds. Ugly as it looked, the bottom line is that the Bulls are piling up the wins, which crucial as the 35-11 Miami Heat are inching closer in the battle for the top spot and homecourt advantage in what is anticipated by many as a Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals showdown this May. Yes, the Bulls look good with a 40-10 record, but not all Bulls faithful are ready to pop that champagne. Rose remains sidelined by a groin imjury, and the more he sits out, the tighter, the rustier he gets. Richard Hamilton is out with a separated shoulder. He could return in time for the playoffs, but at age 32, Rip and his best years might have already been separated. Deng is playing with torn ligaments in his wrists that require surgery. His courage is laudable, but the physicality of playoffs basketball could inflict more pain and render him less effective. C.J. Watson is still nursing an ankle injury. I could go on and on and on. But you get the point. It's lonely at the top. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Michael Scott.  |
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