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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.

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

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Feel free to leave your comments below.

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.”

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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.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 30, 2011

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Even with reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose off the court twice in the second half because of foul trouble, the Chicago Bulls’ offense never slowed down, thanks to the efforts of reserve guard C.J. Watson.

Rose had 19 points and eight assists, and the Bulls earned a 108-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

But it was Watson who earned many of the accolades for running the Bulls so effectively in Rose’s absence. Watson had eight points, nine assists and five rebounds in 16 minutes in helping Chicago bounce back from a lackluster loss earlier this week against Golden State.

“C.J. did a wonderful job. He did a great job of running our team and getting us some good shots,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Our bench was terrific.”

When Rose left the court with his fifth foul with 7:46 remaining and the Bulls ahead by 10 points, it was the perfect opportunity for the Kings to make a run. But Watson delivered almost immediately, scoring on a driving layup and finding Carlos Boozer for a jumper as the Bulls hiked he lead to 14.

“Derrick told me to be aggressive, and that’s what I did,” said Watson, who had no turnovers and two steals. “I was just trying to play my game and look for opportunities to set up my teammates. It was fun to be out there and help the team win.”

The Bulls ran off 15 straight points early and never trailed again in defeating the Kings, the NBA’s youngest team. Rose helped ignite the first-quarter run Thibodeau was hoping to see.

“The first five minutes of the game we got out and had some easy baskets that were triggered by our defense,” Thibodeau said. “That’s our first priority. It makes the game so much easier.”

It looked relatively easy all game for the Bulls, who shot 54 percent. Boozer had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls (2-1). Richard Hamilton also had 16 points, and Ronnie Brewer scored 12 in a reserve role. Luol Deng also scored 12 points for Chicago, which made 6-of-12 3-pointers.

Marcus Thornton had 20 points, and Tyreke Evans had 19 for Sacramento (1-2). DeMarcus Cousins, who fouled out in the fourth quarter, had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie Jimmer Fredette scored 14 points, and John Salmons had 12.

“They have a very good team and know how to win basketball games, they won 62 of them last year,” said Fredette, who made a pair of 3-pointers and shot 5 of 10. “They know when it’s time to go when we were hoping to take the lead.”

With the Kings trailing by 12, Fredette hit a 3-pointer. Evans followed with an uncontested dunk, cutting Chicago’s lead to seven with 2:53 left. But the Kings never got closer against the veteran Bulls, who made free throws in the closing minutes to secure the win.

Rose picked up his fifth foul against Fredette. Joakim Noah followed him to the bench with his fifth less than a minute later and Chicago leading 96-86.

Foul trouble also sidelined Noah and Rose in the third quarter. Noah got his fourth at 8:01, and several minutes later Rose walked slowly off the court after his fourth. Both players sat out the rest of the quarter, but the Bulls still owned a 25-22 edge in the third.

The Bulls managed to stretch their lead to 85-75, heading into the fourth quarter, behind the scoring of Watson and the veteran Boozer.

“I was kind of mad that the refs got me messed up late in the game,” said Rose, who committed six of Chicago’s 18 turnovers. “I wanted to be more aggressive and attack the hole. We were able to run and play in a good groove. (Fouls) are something I have to get through and can’t worry about. I’m just happy we won the game.”

Urged by Thibodeau to play faster, the Bulls were on the run early, scoring 15 fast-break points in the first 16 minutes. They finished with a 33-14 edge in fastbreak points.

“We defended them pretty well, but we can’t defend breakaway layups,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said. “We have guys crashing the boards, where we have no business doing, and we had guys not rotating back and trying to get steals in the backcourt. The Bulls can run, everybody knew that. If you want to win games, don’t give them layups. Make them run their offense.”

Chicago had a number of fast-break layups in the opening half when it led 60-53. Rose had 11 points and five assists for the Bulls, and Thornton had 11 points for the Kings.

The Bulls open the season with four straight road games, the final one coming Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Last season, the Bulls led the NBA in opponents’ shooting percentage, and were the second-best team in terms of points allowed.

Notes

• The Kings opened by missing 12 of 13 shots.
• The Bulls shot 56 percent in the first half and were aided by their reserves, who made 7 of 9 shots.
• The Kings entered shooting 61 percent from the free-throw line. They made 20 of 34 attempts against the Bulls.
• The Bulls scored 15 unanswered points for a 19-5 lead midway through the first, but the Kings scored the final nine points of the quarter to cut the margin to 30-24.

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By Steve von Horn

– Newsdesk contributor

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Dec 29, 2011 – Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer and the Chicago Bulls are looking to avoid a losing streak when they take on Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. The Bulls got down early on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, and never quite recovered. Derrick Rose had a particularly difficult night during the 99-91 loss, finishing with just 13 points on 4-17 shooting. Although the team stressed the importance of defensive discipline and intensity after the game, the heartbeat of the offense is Rose. If the reigning league MVP doesn’t look right, the Bulls are quite beatable. Here is what the crew at Blog a Bull has to say:

It’s not news that when Rose isn’t playing at MVP-type levels, the Bulls aren’t that great of a team. But what’s more worrisome is when Rose is subpar and the rest don’t even look to be above average. And it starts with what should be the Bulls #2 option, Carlos Boozer. Boozer not only had an anemic 6 points in his 26 minutes, but he was consistently abused by his contemporary (in position and salary) David Lee. Boozer was also partly responsible for no less than three turnovers where Rip Hamilton failed to connect on an entry pass. Noah fared slightly better and Taj Gibson was part of a desperation comeback unit in the 4th quarter, but the entire Bulls frontcourt looked not only slow themselves, but fairly weak: often not being able to finish or getting the ball stripped before they even had a chance to.

The good news for the team is that they are set to take on a Kings team that has developed a well-deserved reputation for poor defensive efforts. After pulling off a surprising 100-91 win over the Los Angeles Lakes in their season opener, the Kings put up a stinker against the Portland Trail Blazers and lost 79-101. Even so, Sacramento is loaded with offensive talent. Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette and DeMarcus Cousins should present a great test for the Bulls defense. Cousins should be a particularly interesting player to watch on Thursday night, because he might finally be putting his immense talent to good use. Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty explains:

The biggest offensive knock on Cousins last season — even bigger than the turnovers, of which there were way too many — was that he took way too many long jumpers. He’s a decent shooter and can get off a jumper against anyone, but his physical make-up and agility are best suited in the pivot. A key development point for Cousins would be to shift his shot structure to rely less on the perimeter and mid-range and more on the post…Through two games, 19 of Cousins’ 32 shooting possessions have come at the rim or on free throws. That’s up at 59 percent … much, much better. He’s missed a lot of makeable layups and struggled at the line so far, but that should normalize so long as he doesn’t force wild shots under the backboard against good defenders

Joakim Noah will likely matchup against DMC on defense, so be sure to keep an eye on how well Noah or Omer Asik can limit interior looks for Cousins. As for Fredette, Evans and Thornton, their talents are a double-edged sword. Known as offensive-minded guards, it may be the case that anything they do in terms of scoring will be matched or outdone by counterpart Derrick Rose. Expect a fast-paced game with plenty of scoring.

Game day/time: Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, 9:00 p.m. CT

Location: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, CA

TV: CSN-Chicago

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Sactown Royalty. And for more news and notes from around the NBA, head over to SB Nation’s NBA news hub.

Read More: Carlos Boozer (F – CHI), David Lee (F – GSW), Joakim Noah (C – CHI), Derrick Rose (G – CHI), Omer Asik (C – CHI), Tyreke Evans (G – SAC), Taj Gibson (F – CHI), Marcus Thornton (G – SAC), DeMarcus Cousins (C – SAC), Jimmer Fredette (G – SAC), Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings

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Chicago Bulls fans, mark your calendars, as there are some great nationally televised games coming up in January. Here’s a rundown of games you won’t want to miss.

January 6 at Orlando Magic: It’s the first meeting of the two teams since Dwight Howard “spurned” – thank goodness – the Bulls and the city of Chicago. The Bulls beat the Magic three times last season, but were also embarrassed in a 107-78 early season pounding. Where to watch: ESPN, ESPN3.

January 13 at Boston Celtics: The Bulls split four games with the Celtics last season, and will meet four times in 2012. Based on Boston’s aging core and slow start – they were 0-2 at this writing – the Bulls should have the upper hand this season. Where to watch: ESPN, ESPN3.

January 16 at Memphis Grizzlies: The Bulls took two games from Memphis last season, but that was before the Grizzlies took Oklahoma City to seven games in a second-round playoff series. That experience will give the Griz some much-needed confidence to start the season. Where to watch: ESPN, ESPN3.

January 25 vs. Indiana Pacers: If you didn’t already have a reason to sign up for NBA-TV, this game, and series, ought to be enough. Despite a quick exit from the playoffs, the Pacers played the Bulls tough last season, and will be one of the East’s most improved teams. Where to watch: NBA-TV.

January 29 at Miami Heat: Drumroll…..This is the matchup that everyone, Bulls and Heat fans alike, are looking forward to. The Bulls swept three games from the Heat last season by a cumulative nine points, and four contests this season should be just as close and exciting. Where to watch: ABC.

The Bulls will also play a nationally televised game against the Washington Wizards on January 30.

All told, the Bulls also will appear on national television 36 times this season: 10 times on ESPN, seven times on TNT, five times on ABC, four times on NBA-TV and 10 times on WGN-America. Chicago area fans can also tune in on ComcastSportNet-Chicago, WGN and WCIU-TV, which share local broadcast duties.

Notes: The Bulls-Lakers matchup on Christmas day was the third most-watched regular-season game ever on ABC, trailing only last year’s Heat-Lakers showdown and a 2004 meeting between Miami and LA…..Sam Smith had a great article on his blog yesterday, Bulls defenseless and offensive to watch vs. Warriors.

Sources: Bulls 2011-12 Schedule, ESPN; Bulls to bask in national-TV limelight, Chicago Tribune.

YCN featured sports contributor Steve Merritt is – for better or worse – a lifelong Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs fan. If you have a question about the Bulls, a story idea or just a general comment, let me know!

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