Even though the Chicago Bulls were facing an inferior opponent in the Memphis Grizzlies when the teams played on January 1^st, I was concerned that Chicago might not play so well following their successful west-coast road trip. However, not only did the Bulls jump on the Grizzlies early, they continued to impose their will for the entire game, resulting in a 104-64 victory. This was by far the their best performance of the season and here are a few keys as to why the Bulls were so dominant against the Grizzlies.

Defense and rebounding:

The Bulls were up by as much as 46 points at one juncture and a lot of that was because of the solid defense they played. Chicago limited Memphis to just 27 percent shooting in the first half and 31 percent for the game. Chicago was also more aggressive on the boards, posting a 55-40 advantage. This would mark the second straight contest in which the Bulls out-rebounded their opponent by a double-digit margin.

Carlos Boozer:

Boozer had another solid outing, scoring 17 points along with 11 rebounds, including 11 points during a second-quarter run that gave the Bulls a 54-28 lead and put the game out of reach early. What I liked about Boozer’s game was he scored a lot of his points around the basket, rather than hoisting up rainbow jumpers from 15 feet out. Even more to the point, Boozer was 7-of-10 from the field and did his damage in just 24 minutes of action. Being that I’m critical of his game when he is not playing well, it is only fair that I give him credit when he does live up to expectations.

Ronnie Brewer:

Ronnie Brewer did a great job starting for Rip Hamilton, who had to sit out because of a groin injury. His stat line was 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. I realize that it’s early in the season to offer too much praise, but Brewer’s game has improved a lot from last season. He has always been able to finish around the rim, but now he is showing that he can be a reliable mid-range shooter as well.

Before Chicago acquired Rip Hamilton, a lot of people felt Brewer had the potential to be the starting two-guard if the Bulls decided to stand pat. I didn’t agree with that assessment because his game seemed somewhat limited coming into the season. However, he is raising a lot of eyebrows and he could be a huge difference-maker if he continues to play at this level.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been a Bulls’ fan since the 1987-1988 season. James is currently a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and sports contributor for Sports Rantz magazine. For interesting discussions about the NBA, NFL and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

Comcast Sports Net Channel 37

“Home Is Where Rout Is”, Neil Hayes, Chicago Sun-Times

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

The Chicago Bulls could do no wrong Sunday in their season debut at the United Center, crushing the Memphis Grizzlies in a lopsided, 104-64 affair to open the New Year with a bang and send a simple message to visitors: This is our house, baby.

While there are plenty of positives from which to choose, the story of the night was the Bulls’ suffocating defense. It was, in a word, brutal: The Grizzlies managed just 12 first quarter points, and shortly before the end of the third quarter, were shooting 23 percent from the field with twice as many turnovers (12) as assists (6). Yikes.

On the other end of the floor, the Bulls were led by Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer.

Boozer played like a man possessed: He double-doubled before halftime and finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds in just 24 minutes of action. He showed some of the explosiveness he’s recently lacked, and even made some decent defensive plays. He’s now averaging 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per 36, which is close to what the Bulls want, need and expect from their $70 million man.

Brewer, however, gets player of the game accolades. Starting for the sidelined Rip Hamilton (sore groin), Ronnie had 17 points (the most he’s ever had with the Bulls) with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Brewer was, well, vintage Brewer: Always around the ball making something good happen.

Overall, the Bulls’ offense was good but never great, which may sound strange for a 40-point win. They overcame a slow start shooting by sharing the ball (24 assists), using the fast break (33 points) and dominating the paint (+20). The Bulls have now averaged 108.7 ppg the past three games, and are averaging 101 ppg on the season, good for sixth best in the league (bet you didn’t expect that).

Not only did the Bulls get the win, they got it while getting a chance to rest their starters. Only two starters – Luol Deng and Brewer – played more than 30 minutes, as the Bench Mob closed out the game.

A win is a win, who cares if the Grizzlies were missing a couple of players, but this was a win at home, and a rather convincing one at that. The Bulls were a league-best 36-5 at home last season, and absolutely must win home games during this short NBA season.

Winning your home opener by 40 is a good way to get started.

Notes: The Bulls are 4-0 in home openers during the Derrick Rose era….. The +/-’s from last night’s game were utterly ridiculous. Brewer was +48, no other starter was less than +35….. Brewer is 4-for-4 on three’s this year; he made just six all of last season on 22 percent shooting….. Deng has held Rudy Gay, a career 18 ppg scorer, to 14 points on 3-of-22 shooting the last two times he played against the Bulls….. The win moved the Bulls to 4-1 for the franchise’s best start since 1996-97, when…well, you know….. The Bulls last played on New Year’s Day in 2005; Eddy Curry had 22 points in a 105-90 win over the Orlando Magic….. The Miami Heat may be 5-0, but the teams they’ve so far played are a combined 4-10.

Sources: Boozer leads Bulls past Grizzlies 104-64, Associated Press/Yahoo! Sports; Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls recap & box score, ESPN.com; Bulls win 40-point laugher in home opener, Chicago Tribune;

Other Articles By This Contributor:

Chalk One Up for Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau (December 31)

Bulls, Heat Will Meet in Eastern Conference Finals: Fan Forecast (December 23)

Top 10 Moments of Chicago Bulls’ 2010-11 Season (December 22)

YCN featured sports contributor Steve Merritt is – for better or worse – a lifelong Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs fan. He’s followed the Bulls since 1969, when he tuned in after bedtime on a cheap dime store radio tucked under his pillow.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Gotta run!.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 1, 2012

CHICAGO — Carlos Boozer isn’t interested in winning over his critics. He’s interested in something else.

“To win,” he said.

The Chicago Bulls figure to do plenty of that, particularly if he keeps playing like this.

Boozer scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Bulls coasted in their home opener, pounding the Memphis Grizzlies 104-64 on Sunday night.

Derrick Rose finished with 16 points even though shots weren’t falling for him in the early going. Ronnie Brewer scored 17 with Richard Hamilton a late scratch because of a groin injury.

The game was so lopsided that fans started calling for backup Brian Scalabrine in the third quarter, with the outcome clearly in hand. It was, easily, the most dominant performance of the young season for a team with soaring expectations.

With their eyes on a championship, Bulls took three of four out West, beating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener and capping the trip with a victory over the Clippers. This time, they dismantled the Grizzlies.

“It’s a major step back,” Memphis’ Rudy Gay said. “This is the NBA. The game definitely shouldn’t have gotten out of hand like that. We’re all professional athletes. We need to come up with a better showing than that.”

Boozer led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago built a 54-28 halftime lead, scoring down low and hitting mid-range jumpers as if they were breakaway layups. He had 11 points during a 13-3 second-quarter run that bumped Chicago’s lead to 48-27. Not a bad home debut for a guy who heard his share of boos there last season, particularly down the stretch.

“I’m not even worried about it, honestly,” said Boozer, who missed the first month a year ago because of a broken right hand after signing with Chicago and was limited by a turf toe injury in the postseason. “I don’t know which story you guys are trying to write, but I’m going to tell you this – we’re just worried about getting better every day.”

At 4-1, the Bulls are off to their best start since the 1996-97 team won its first 12, and they won this one easily even though Luol Deng (11 points) had a quiet night and the ball wasn’t falling for Rose early on.

He missed his first five shots and was 4 of 10, but he was aggressive from the start and helped set up his teammates. That’s why coach Tom Thibodeau his statistics didn’t really reflect his performance.

“He gives you whatever the team needs,” Thibodeau said. “He got us off to a really good start — defense, pushing the ball up the floor. When you push the ball like that, it gets everyone moving.”

The only downer for Chicago was Hamilton getting scratched from the lineup and C.J. Watson leaving with a sprained left elbow injury in the fourth quarter after a scramble for a loose ball with Josh Selby near midcourt. He had his arm in a sling afterward and was scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

Hamilton, who tweaked his groin against the Clippers, is day to day.

Those injuries aside, it was a good night for the Bulls. They outrebounded the Grizzlies 55-40, outshot them 46.4 percent to 31 percent and outscored them 33-13 on the break.

It was simply a brutal night for Memphis, which got just five points from Gay. Zach Randolph bruised his right knee and scored only two points in 11 minutes.

Josh Davis and Sam Young were the only Grizzlies to score in double figures, with 10 points apiece. Jeremy Pargo, who grew up near Rose on Chicago’s South Side, hit only 2 of 13 shots and finished with four points filling in for Mike Conley, who missed his second game with a sprained left ankle.

“It was embarrassing and humiliating,” coach Lionel Hollins said.

Notes

• Conley participated in the morning shootaround and did some pregame work. He said the ankle is improving, but he remains day to day. “I’m going to try to get some more rest for it and get it stronger with a couple of extra days of rehab before I get back on the court.”
• Pargo, who is two years older than Rose, deflected questions about their matchup before the game, saying, “I’m excited to play with my teammates and do our best to get a win.”

What do you guys think about this.

Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a layup against Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the NBA game on January 1, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Gary Dineen/Getty Images)

There is the quick update of the day.

In the Chicago Bulls final four-game road trip, they came out strong and beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-101 on Friday, Dec. 30.

Derrick Rose led the team offensively and everything seemed to come together for them.

The Bulls got off to a slow start as the Clippers jumped to a 7-0 lead. They maintained seven-point leads throughout most of the first quarter but within the last minute, the Bulls tied it up and ended with a 29-28 lead.

In the second quarter, the pace picked up and the teams exchanged leads when it wasn’t tied. The Bulls found success from the line and within the quarter’s last minute, Joakim Noah showed up and pulled the Bulls ahead to enter halftime with a 57-52 advantage.

Returning from the break, the Bulls maintained a small lead but the Clippers weren’t going to give up that easily. Blake Griffin kept hitting free throws for Los Angeles but Luol Deng and Rose kept the Bulls ahead. The Bench Mob took over and helped the team see an 83-77 lead as it entered the final quarter.

The Bulls kicked it into gear in the fourth quarter as Rose extended the lead from his successive free throws. Throughout the quarter, the Bulls led. Around the seven-minute mark, they began hitting three-pointers while the Clippers’ Griffin kept making shots to tighten the Bulls’ lead but it wasn’t good enough on this night.

Rose was on a mission to beat the highly-touted Clippers and Chris Paul. He was very successful.

Scoring…Rose led the team with 29 points,16 assists and eight rebounds. Playing against his first NBA coach for two seasons, Vinny Del Negro said of his former player, “Derrick is just a handful and we all know that. I didn’t think we ganged up on him enough. He got too many free throws, but he also hit some tough shots in the fourth quarter, stepping behind the line and hitting some 3s.”

Deng and Noah both added 19 points with Rip Hamilton contributing 16 points.

Next up? The Bulls host Memphis on Sunday, Jan. 1.

As a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan and Chicago resident, the Derrick Rose era has been an enjoyable one.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Derrick Rose’s aggressive play has helped the Chicago Bulls to their best
start since their most recent championship season. He might not have much
trouble keeping that energy going in the next game.

The reigning league MVP should receive an enthusiastic reception as the
Bulls take on the Memphis Grizzlies in their home opener Sunday night.

Rose got off to an uneven start to this lockout-shortened campaign as he
scored 22 points in a thrilling win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas
Day, then struggled during a loss at Golden State the next evening with 13
points on 4-of-17 shooting.

The point guard bounced back to hit 53.6 percent of his shots in the final
two games of a season-opening road trip and had his best performance of the
season while spoiling the new-look Los Angeles Clippers’ home opener Friday.

Rose had 29 points, 16 assists – one shy of tying his career high – and
eight rebounds during a 114-101 victory. The effort help the Bulls finish off
their trip with back-to-back victories and improve to 3-1 for the first time
since 1997-98.

“The last two games he’s been very, very aggressive and our team has played
with a lot of force offensively,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Rose will try to continue those efforts while helping his team win a fourth
consecutive home opener and post a third straight victory over the Grizzlies
(1-2), which would mark the longest streak in the series since the Bulls claimed
the first seven meetings. Chicago swept Memphis last season for the first time
since 2004-05.

“We have a lot of confidence, but we still need to go out there and play
hard. It’s not going to be easy game. They’re a hard-working team,” Rose said.

Rose recorded his only career triple-double during a 96-84 win in Memphis on
Jan. 17, and scored a team-best 24 points during a 99-96 win at the United
Center on March 25.

Luol Deng was also instrumental in those victories, averaging 25.5 points on
61.3 percent shooting. He enters this contest scoring 18.5 points per game, just
off his career best-average of 18.8 from 2006-07.

Deng and the Bulls will face a Grizzlies team coming off its first win of
the season, a 113-93 rout of Houston on Friday. Zach Randolph led the way with
23 points on 11-of-14 shooting but impressed coach Lionel Hollins just as much
with his defense.

“That’s what I’m trying to focus on, just better D, helping my guys out and
being in the right position,” Randolph said. “Defense wins games. I know I can
score with the best of them, and rebound with the best of them. (Working) on
defense there’s going to be a trickle-down effect.”

Marc Gasol added 20 points for Memphis, which had averaged 88.5 points over
its first two games. The Grizzlies had six players in double figures, including
Chicago native Jeremy Pargo. The rookie, brother of former Bulls guard Jannero
Pargo, had 14 points while starting in place of Mike Conley, who is dealing with
a sprained ankle.

Memphis might need Pargo’s help to end its losing streak to Chicago. The
Grizzlies averaged 90.0 points over the two matchups in 2010-11, their
second-lowest mark against any opponent last season ahead of only the 86.0 per
game against Orlando.

That’s all the news for today.

The Chicago Bulls were looking to close out their four game road trip on a high note when they faced the Los Angeles Clippers on December 30^th. Of course most of the talk coming into this game was the point guard match-up between Derrick Rose and Chris Paul. As always, Rose was more concerned with winning the game rather than focusing on the individual stats.

During the first few minutes of the game, it appeared that it was going to be a repeat of the Bulls’ loss to the Golden State Warriors from a few nights ago as the Clippers jumped on the Bulls early. However, Chicago would eventually settle down and for the second straight game, they used a huge run in the fourth quarter to close out an opponent. As a result, the Bulls wrapped up their west-coast trip with a 114-101 over the Clippers. Here is a quick look at my marquee players from this game. .

Derrick Rose had another good game with 29 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds. While the stat line is impressive, what was equally impressive was all of his shots came within the flow of the offense. Rose was also efficient from the field (8-of-14) and connected on 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. When Rose gets to the line that many times, the Bulls are a difficult team to beat.

Joakim Noah, who had the unenviable task of guarding Blake Griffin, played well scoring 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. Griffin did have a double-double (34 points, 13 rebounds), but Noah and the Bulls did a decent job of limiting Griffin to jumpers down the stretch after giving up several dunks and lay-ups early on. The Bulls will definitely need more games like this from Noah if they are going to be successful not only during the regular season, but come playoff time as well.

I can’t conclude this piece without giving credit to Luol Deng (19 points, 8 rebounds). Deng has been the Bulls’ most consistent player so far this season. He led the team in minutes played last year and will probably do so this year as well. With his ability to score and rebound, along with holding his own on both ends of the floor, it’s strange that he doesn’t receive more credit for his contributions to the team.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been a Bulls’ fan since the 1987-1988 season. James is currently a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and sports contributor for SportsRantz magazine. For interesting discussions about the NBA, NFL and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

WGN Channel 9

“Rose turns L.A. into Sob City”, Neil Hayes, Chicago Sun-Times

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Finally – a game Chicago Bulls fans can be pleased with, even if coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t.

Led by a spectacular effort from reigning MVP Derrick Rose, the Bulls on Friday knocked off Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-101, to close out what this die-hard fan is calling a wildly successful four-game West Coast road trip to open the season.

As expected, the Clippers provided some great highlight reel material with impressive dunks by Griffin – what a move to open the game! – and DeAndre Jordan, but Rose stole the show, and in a pretty big way. He finished with 29 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, and generally did exactly what a point guard is supposed to do – get everyone involved and make them better.

And involved they were. All five Bulls starters finished in double figures, and all five had at least five rebounds and one assist. Luol Deng turned in his usual 19-point, 8-rebound performance, Joakim Noah had 19 and eight, and Rip Hamilton, looking smoother every game, chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists.

It was the second straight game the Bulls showed across the board improvement after looking rough and ragged in an opening season win over the Los Angeles Lakers and an ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors. Ball movement was crisp and clean (29 assists on 39 buckets), turnovers (12) were down, the Bulls dominated the boards (45-31), and the D, while allowing the Clippers to shoot .51 percent from the field, made another baby-step forward.

The successful road trip should help soothe fans who were growing anxious after the team’s subpar showings to open the season, and it puts the Bulls in a great position to turn a sluggish start into something more.

Last season, the Bulls lost three of their first four road games, then five of their first nine, en route to compiling a 9-8 overall mark. And then boom!, things really took off, the team won 14 of its next 16 games and never looked back. In other words, it took the team about 17 games to find its rhythm, and they played roughly .500 ball while doing so.

This season, the Bulls have already won three of their first four road games, and the upcoming schedule is not overly intimidating (although they do play seven of the first nine on the road). The way I see it, the Bulls could be, say, 12-5 or even 13-4 through its first 17 games. How huge would that be in a 66-game season?

Sure, there are plenty areas that still need improved – just ask Thibs, there always will be – but this fan will take a .750 winning percentage on any road trip, let alone a West Coast road trip to open the season.

Notes: Rose made Paul’s 15 points, 14 assists and four steals seem somewhat pedestrian….. Noah said Rose’s showing was “one of the best performances I’ve ever been a part of.”….. Speaking of Jo, it was good to see him hitting the offensive boards (5), getting put backs and drawing fouls (10 of 11 from the line)….. The Bench Mob had 21 points and 10 rebounds to just 11 points and five rebounds from their counterparts….. Ronnie Brewer is now 7-for-7 from the field with three threes the past two games….. Rose and Deng both played 42 minutes; don’t know how sustainability that is this early in such a compressed season….. Someone should tell Griffin that chest pounding after a dunk – when your team is down by 13 – just isn’t cool.

Sources: Chicago Bulls at LA Clippers box score, ESPN; Bulls pull away in 4th to beat Clippers 114-101, Associated Press/Yahoo! Sports; Bulls finish 3-1 trip with 114-101 win, Chicago Tribune.

YCN featured sports contributor Steve Merritt is – for better or worse – a lifelong Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs fan. He’s followed the Bulls since 1969, when he tuned in after bedtime on a cheap dime store radio tucked under his pillow.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

There is the quick update of the day.

LOS ANGELES (AP)

With Derrick Rose attacking, the court opened up for the rest of the Chicago Bulls. They hit their shots and Rose did just about everything else to help his team wrap up a successful season-opening West Coast trip.

Rose had 29 points and 16 assists, and the Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 Friday night.

”I just wanted to win. That was the biggest thing,” he said. ”It was a lot of hype because this was their first home game.”

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah added 19 points apiece and Richard Hamilton had 16 for the Bulls against their former coach, Vinny Del Negro.

”Derrick is just a handful and we all know that,” said Del Negro, who coached Rose his first two seasons in Chicago. ”I didn’t think we ganged up on him enough. He got too many free throws, but he also hit some tough shots in the fourth quarter, stepping behind the line and hitting some 3s. And when he does that, it puts a lot more pressure on you.”

Blake Griffin had 34 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who kept it close most of the way coming off a 25-point loss at San Antonio. Caron Butler added 16 points and Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists in his matchup against Rose, the NBA’s MVP last season.

”We were up to the challenge, and we were capable (of winning),” Griffin said. ”But we’ve got 63 more, so we’ll be all right. We’re going to win games, but we’ve got to get better defensively. I’ve got to do a better job with my shot selection and knock down those jumpers.”

The Clippers, who outshot the Bulls and outscored them in the paint, got within three early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by rookie Trey Thompkins.

Then the Bulls took over.

Ronnie Brewer hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws before Rose made two free throws, then Deng hit a 3-pointer from in front of the Clippers’ bench to give Chicago a 97-84 lead.

”It makes me feel good knowing that I have shooters,” Rose said. ”Everybody was hitting the shots they were supposed to hit. That is the difference this year. We’re way better (offensively).”

Griffin singlehandedly fueled the Clippers’ offense with eight straight points that included a ferocious dunk in which he walked away with his fists clenched and his teeth gritted. Still, it left his team trailing by eight points with less than five minutes to play.

The Bulls effectively used 3-pointers to keep the Clippers at bay in the fourth, when they hit four, including two by Rose.

”They were getting to the rim, kicking out, doing a good job of finding guys for corner 3s, and they had guys spotting up on the perimeter,” Griffin said. ”So we’ve got to do a better job of helping and getting out and contesting those 3s. I can live with contested 3s, but not wide-open ones.”

The Bulls finished their trip with a 3-1 mark, losing at Golden State. Rose was disgusted with his effort in the eight-point loss on Monday.

”The last two games he’s been very, very aggressive and our team has played with a lot of force offensively,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. ”Derrick showed a good resolve.”

Chicago moved out to a seven-point lead in the third quarter, when the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan picked up his fourth foul and was forced to sit down for more than eight minutes. He finished with 10 points.

”I guess I can’t play that aggressive,” he said.

Mo Williams and Butler hit consecutive 3-pointers as part of a 13-6 run that helped the Clippers tie the game at 77. But the Bulls answered with six straight points while the Clippers missed their final five shots to lead 83-77 going into the fourth. Deng had 10 points in the quarter.

The Bulls closed on a 10-2 run, including four straight by Noah, to lead 57-52 at halftime. The first two quarters were mostly back and forth, with the Clippers leading by eight in the first 12 minutes.

Griffin and Paul took to the court before tipoff to thank the fans for their support, with Griffin saying, ”We’re going to try to make this a season you won’t forget.”

Los Angeles opened with a bang, making its first six shots, with Paul feeding Griffin for a two-handed dunk on the Clippers’ first basket. Jordan had the crowd roaring with his one-handed dunk off a ball tossed toward the basket by Butler.

Notes: The Clippers fell to 5-8 in home openers at Staples Center. … Rose heard chants of ”MVP” when he was at the free throw line. ”It’s great, especially when you’re on the road,” he said. … Paul has yet to beat Rose in five career games. His previous four losses came when Paul played for New Orleans. … Clippers PA announcer David Courtney introduced Williams as Chauncey Billups during pregame intros. Billups was the first player introduced and he sat out with a sore right groin. … Boxer Floyd Mayweather attended the game.

Comment Below!.

This wasn’t quite what the Clippers had in mind, not after all the excitement and hope they had generated because of the players they had acquired and retained.

This wasn’t quite the way the Clippers had hoped to start the 2011-12 season, not after finding a way to win their regular-season opener against Golden State.

But the Clippers have lost two straight games, both to teams considered members of the NBA elite, the latest in front of their own fans who saw them lose their home opener, 114-101 to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night at Staples Center.

While the media waited in the press area for Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro, he could be heard raising his voice at his players.

“I was yelling,” Del Negro said. “It was the truth.”

His team still isn’t playing good defense, something he mentioned to the media.

Two nights after a 115-90 loss at San Antonio in which the Spurs shot 56%, the Clippers allowed the Bulls to make 50% of their shots and gave up 114 points.

Del Negro also addressed his team’s rebounding problems, after the Bulls beat them on the boards, 45-31. The Clippers have been outrebounded in all three regular-season games and both exhibition games.

“Our defense and our rebounding [are] obviously an issue,” Del Negro said. “We’re giving up too many points right now.

“We have a lot to work on, especially on the defensive end. It’s more just becoming a team and it’s more becoming just the trust factor.”

Derrick Rose showed why he was the NBA’s most valuable player from last season, penetrating seemingly at will, drawing fouls and hitting key shots in the fourth quarter.

Rose, who finished with 29 points and 16 assists and was 10 for 11 from the free-throw line, made a three-pointer to give the Bulls a 15-point lead, then another after the Clippers had closed to within 10.

Rose capped his night by finding Joakim Noah for a basket and a 110-95 Bulls lead, leading some fans to chant “M-V-P.”

“We changed up our coverage on him,” Del Negro said. “But he’s seen them all right now. Derrick is just a handful, and we all know that.”

Blake Griffin had 34 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists for the Clippers. But when DeAndre Jordan picked up his fourth foul with 8:34 left in the third quarter, it put them in a bad spot. Brian Cook replaced him but he also had four fouls through three quarters.

At the start of the fourth quarter, when it was time to give Griffin a rest, rookie Trey Thompkins was forced into action again.

After Cook got his fifth foul, Jordan came back into the game, only to pick up his fifth foul going over the back of a Bulls player.

That forced the Clippers to go small, with the 6-10 Thompkins and 6-7 Ryan Gomes.

The night began with the Clippers being introduced, each of them coming out one of the tunnels.

Leave your comments on the news below.

Derrick Rose had 29 points and 16 assists, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Clippers 114-101 Friday night.

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah added 19 points apiece and Richard Hamilton had 16 for the Bulls against their former coach, Vinny Del Negro.

Blake Griffin had 34 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who kept it close most of the way coming off a 25-point loss at San Antonio. Caron Butler added 16 points and Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists in his matchup against Rose, the NBA’s MVP last season.

The Clippers, who outshot the Bulls and outscored them in the paint, got within three early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by rookie Trey Thompkins.

Then the Bulls took over.

Ronnie Brewer hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws before Rose made two free throws, then Deng hit a 3-pointer from in front of the Clippers’ bench to give Chicago its largest lead of the game, 97-84.

Griffin singlehandedly fueled the Clippers’ offense with eight straight points that included a ferocious dunk in which he walked away with his fists clenched and his teeth gritted. Still, it left his team trailing by eight points with less than five minutes to play.

The Bulls effectively used 3-pointers to keep the Clippers at bay in the fourth, when they hit four, including two by Rose.

Chicago moved out to a seven-point lead in the third quarter, when the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan picked up his fourth foul. He finished with 10 points.

Mo Williams and Butler hit consecutive 3-pointers as part of a 13-6 run that helped the Clippers tie the game at 77. But the Bulls answered with six straight points while the Clippers missed their final five shots to lead 83-77 going into the fourth. Deng had 10 points in the quarter.

The Bulls closed on a 10-2 run, including four straight by Noah, to lead 57-52 at halftime. The first two quarters were mostly back and forth, with the Clippers leading by eight in the first 12 minutes.

Griffin and Paul took to the court before tipoff to thank the fans for their support, with Griffin saying, “We’re going to try to make this a season you won’t forget.”

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

Thanks for reading! .

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Derrick Rose had 29 points and 16 assists, and the
Chicago Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Los Angeles Clippers
114-101 Friday night.

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah added 19 points apiece and Richard Hamilton had 16
for the Bulls against their former coach, Vinny Del Negro.

Blake Griffin had 34 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who kept it
close most of the way coming off a 25-point loss at San Antonio. Caron Butler
added 16 points and Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists in his matchup
against Rose, the NBA’s MVP last season.

The Clippers, who outshot the Bulls and outscored them in the paint, got
within three early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by rookie Trey
Thompkins.

Then the Bulls took over.

Ronnie Brewer hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws before Rose made two
free throws, then Deng hit a 3-pointer from in front of the Clippers’ bench to
give Chicago its largest lead of the game, 97-84.

Griffin singlehandedly fueled the Clippers’ offense with eight straight
points that included a ferocious dunk in which he walked away with his fists
clenched and his teeth gritted. Still, it left his team trailing by eight points
with less than five minutes to play.

The Bulls effectively used 3-pointers to keep the Clippers at bay in the
fourth, when they hit four, including two by Rose.

Chicago moved out to a seven-point lead in the third quarter, when the
Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan picked up his fourth foul. He finished with 10 points.

Mo Williams and Butler hit consecutive 3-pointers as part of a 13-6 run that
helped the Clippers tie the game at 77. But the Bulls answered with six straight
points while the Clippers missed their final five shots to lead 83-77 going into
the fourth. Deng had 10 points in the quarter.

The Bulls closed on a 10-2 run, including four straight by Noah, to lead
57-52 at halftime. The first two quarters were mostly back and forth, with the
Clippers leading by eight in the first 12 minutes.

Griffin and Paul took to the court before tipoff to thank the fans for their
support, with Griffin saying, “We’re going to try to make this a season you
won’t forget.”

Los Angeles opened with a bang, making its first six shots, with Paul
feeding Griffin for a two-handed dunk on the Clippers’ first basket. Jordan had
the crowd roaring with his one-handed dunk off a ball tossed toward the basket
by Butler.

NOTES: The Bulls finished their season-opening road trip with a 3-1 mark.
… The Clippers fell to 5-8 in home openers at Staples Center. … Rose heard
chants of “MVP” when he was at the free throw line. … Paul has yet to beat
Rose in five career games. His previous four losses came when Paul played for
New Orleans. … Clippers PA announcer David Courtney introduced Williams as
Chauncey Billups during pregame intros. Billups was the first player introduced
and he sat out with a sore right groin. … Boxer Floyd Mayweather attended the
game.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Read More: Chris Paul (G – LAC), Mo Williams (G – LAC), Chauncey Billups (G – LAC), Richard Hamilton (G – CHI), Derrick Rose (G – CHI), Blake Griffin (F – LAC), Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Clippers, Dec 30, 2011 7:30 PM PST

In an exciting opening 24 minutes at Staples Center, the stars did not disappoint, as the Chicago Bulls took a 57-52 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers at halftime. Blake Griffin had 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half for the Clippers. Derrick Rose had a double-double in the opening half with 11 points and 10 assists, scoring all 11 of his points in the first quarter.

Chauncey Billups did not start Friday thanks to a right groin strain, but that didn’t stop the public address announcer from introducing Billups in the starting lineup…as Mo Williams walked onto the court. Williams scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds, and dished out three assists in the opening half.

Chris Paul scored seven points, had five assists and two steals in the first half for the Clippers, playing their first home game of the season. Los Angeles shot 56.4% (22 for 39) in the first half, including four of seven three-pointers.

Richard Hamilton scored 12 points to lead the Bulls, who shot 48.9% (22 for 45) in the first 24 minutes. Chicago led 29-28 after the first quarter.

For more Clippers news and information, be sure to read Clips Nation.

There is the quick update of the day.

After a lackluster performance against Golden State, the Chicago Bulls pulled it together and beat the Sacramento Kings 108-98 on Thursday, Dec. 29.

The team showed a lot of depth; Rip Hamilton appeared more comfortable and they looked like they’re finding their groove in this very new season.

The Bulls got on the board with a jump shot by Carlos Boozer and the team took a 19-5 lead by the 5:36 mark. The Kings tightened the game but the Bulls maintained the lead. The first quarter ended with a Bulls 30-24 advantage.

Chicago would lead for the entire game.

In the second quarter, the Bulls got into foul trouble but stayed ahead. The bench mob entered and advanced the team’s lead to 15 points at 7:29. The Bulls entered halftime ahead, 60-53.

After halftime adjustments, Sacramento returned in the third quarter and made it a two-point game at 9:35. They had success at the foul line and kept on the Bulls. Rose stepped out but the team held onto its lead.

Entering the final quarter 85-75, the Bulls stayed consistent even as Rose again briefly left at the 7:46 mark due to foul problems. Joakim Noah soon followed with his own foul issues.

The Bulls had a 10-point lead and kept it that way thanks to good defensive play.

Once again the bench mob excelled with solid play by C.J. Watson. Pinch hitting for Rose because of fouls, Watson played for 16 minutes and added eight points, nine assists and five rebounds.

The Bulls shot 54 percent, helping them with the win. Grabbing an early lead and keeping it was also important to the game. They were 6 for 12 in three-pointers and had 18 turnovers.

Scoring…Rose led in scoring with 19 points and eight assists. It was a team effort with Boozer contributing 16 points and 15 rebounds. Hamilton had a good game, adding 16 points.

Ronnie Brewer and Luol Deng each scored 12 points.

Next up for the Bulls is their final game of a four-game road series. They play the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Dec. 30.

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago resident, it’s great to see the Bulls playing well again.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.