There is still no timetable for Derrick Rose‘s return. His groin injury is still bothering him, and he said it is going to take a while to “get (his) rhythm back” when he returns, and he also said he hopes to be back by the end of the regular season.

Coach Tom Thibodeau is pleased with Rose’s progress, saying that he is “doing more and more … moving along the way we anticipated.”

What may be more impressive, however, is that the Bulls have won 7 of their last 10 games and still sit 3.5 games ahead of the Miami Heat for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

We all know how crucial home-court advantage can be in the playoffs. Can the Bulls maintain this narrow lead over the Heat and secure home court advantage for the inevitable showdown between the Bulls and Heat?

I believe they can, and I also believe this time without Rose is actually going to benefit the Bulls in the long run.

We’ve had a chance to see the depth the Bulls have in the backcourt, with John Lucas and C.J. Watson proving to be more than adequate backups. We’ve seen Joakim Noah get his head back in the game; Carlos Boozer return to form (at least somewhat); and Luol Deng solidify his case as a premier small forward in the NBA.

Things are falling into place for the Bulls, and when they face Miami this year (assuming the inevitable), things may be different than last season.

I still feel that the Bulls need a better second fiddle than Boozer or Deng, because of the Heat’s front loaded “Big Three,” but the Bulls’ defense could end up being the difference maker. Stopping a team like the Heat, who arguably have two of the top five players in the league and another top 15 in Chris Bosh, won’t be easy. But Noah provides the shot blocking and the Bulls’ perimeter defenders are top notch, as well.

There’s only a couple weeks left in the regular season, but I think the Bulls will be just fine, and when Rose returns, they’ll be able to gear up for a possible title run.

Source: Real GM Wiretap via Neil Hayes, Chicago Sun Times

CHICAGO — Luol Deng understands it might not mean much if the Chicago Bulls are still banged up once the playoffs roll around. Even so, he has a good feeling as the postseason approaches.

“I think we learned so much from last year,” he said. “I think as a group, we’re more confident this year.”

A run to the Eastern Conference finals whetted their appetite. Now, they’re looking for more, but there’s still work to be done before they can really get down to business. Games like this are just another step, another obstacle, and they keep finding ways to clear them.

Deng scored 20 points, Joakim Noah added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Chicago beat the Detroit Pistons 83-71 on Friday night.

The Bulls scored the final eight points after the Pistons closed within four with just under 5 minutes left and came away with their 14th straight win against Detroit. In the process, they improved their league-best record to 42-11, even though star Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton remained sidelined by injuries.

Deng came through again after scoring 22 in in a lopsided win over Atlanta on Wednesday and Noah was his usual relentless self, helping Chicago win again despite all its bumps and bruises.

Rose missed his ninth straight game because of a right groin injury, but the Bulls improved to 14-5 without the defending league MVP. Hamilton has barely been able to get on the court because of a variety of injuries after signing with Chicago.

He was hoping to return from a sprained right shoulder against his former team, but he sat out this 13th consecutive game after participating in the morning shootaround and going through warmups. Whether he or Rose plays Sunday at Oklahoma City remains to be seen, although coach Tom Thibodeau said Hamilton is “real close.”

“I just thought another day would be good,” he said. “I talked to him before the game. I was not quite comfortable with him playing yet.”

The Pistons were hardly a picture of health with Rodney Stuckey (sore left hamstring) and Ben Gordon (sore right groin). Austin Daye started at shooting guard and finished with 11 points.

Brandon Knight scored 16 points, and Tayshaun Prince had 14 after tying a season high with 29 in an 87-75 win over Cleveland on Wednesday. Greg Monroe added 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the Pistons remained winless against the Bulls since beating them at the Palace of Auburn Hills in December 2008.

They were dominated 53-37 on the boards and got outscored 38-24 in the paint. They shot just under 37 percent for the game. They didn’t even attempt a free throw until Jason Maxiell made 1 of 2 midway through the third, and they were 6 of 7 for the game. All that helps explain why they managed just 10 points in two of the four quarters and failed to crack 80 for the fourth time in five games.

“It just came down to a lot of offensive rebounds for them,” Knight said. “They were able to finish off possessions.”

The Bulls appeared to be in good shape after an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter made it 73-61, but the Pistons weren’t finished.

They cut it to 75-71 on Knight’s jumper with 4:50 left, but didn’t score again after that. Chicago’s C.J. Watson then hit two free throws, and Noah fed Boozer for a basket after rebounding a missed 3 by Kyle Korver, making it an eight-point game with just under four minutes left. A tip-in and dunk by Noah over the final 1:15 rounded out the scoring and preserved the win for the Bulls.

“He was tipping everything in, blocking shots, rebounding, running the court hard, making plays for everybody,” Carlos Boozer said.

Notes: Thibodeau dismissed an ESPN.com report that he’s “dismayed” the Bulls haven’t given him a contract extension. “I don’t know where that’s coming from,” he said. “I’m not worried about any of that stuff. I’m under contract. I’m fine with everything here.” The Bulls hold an option on him for next year, and they probably would like to keep him, considering what he’s accomplished in two seasons. … Pistons coach Lawrence Frank couldn’t resist taking a playful jab at the Bulls when asked before the game about Stuckey and Gordon. “They’re both day-by-day,” he said. “What has Derrick Rose been a game time decision for two weeks?” Stuckey was injured in the first quarter against Cleveland on Wednesday. Gordon missed his second straight game. … The Bulls have won 12 straight at home against the Pistons since a loss on Feb. 24, 2006.

On Wednesday, March 21, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors, 92-84.

The Bulls needed a fourth quarter rally to pull off the win as they continue to march along without Derrick Rose on the court. Good teams find a way to win and the Bulls are that team.

Rose sat out for game No. 5 and is slowly on the mend; he continues to be day-to-day.

Wednesday’s win came from a recurring theme for this season: the Bull’s depth. Players again stepped up to cover the hole made by Rose’s absence. While he is the field general on the court, his troops are learning to lead without him. Some wins (such as Wednesday’s) aren’t pretty but the Bulls get it done.

After entering halftime with a 51-43 deficit, the Bulls needed to make some changes; you knew that taking home an L was not an option for coach Tom Thibodeau. He doesn’t like to lose.

It was a chilly third quarter for the Bulls and they trailed 69-62 entering the final quarter. I really couldn’t believe they were going to let the Raptors beat them.

But the Bench Mob stepped up and got the win for the team. Or should I say John Lucas III was the fourth quarter’s MVP.

The diminutive journeyman scored his 13 points for the night in the final quarter. It was a slow first half for the guard but when he was called off the bench by Thibodeau, he contributed.

Lucas said of Wednesday’s play, “I just wanted to come in with a lot of energy. The first half I felt like I was flat and I wanted to make it up. I said, ‘I’m just going to give it everything I have and just go out there and play my hardest and leave everything on the court.’”

Fellow Bench Mob player who stepped in the final 12 minutes was Kyle Korver. He also waited to score his 10 points of the night at the end, including one three-pointer, to contribute to a much-needed 20-0 run.

Taj Gibson added eight points.

Once again overcoming their injuries, Loul Deng led the team in scoring with 17 points and 10 rebounds while filling in for Rose, C.J. Watson, added 15 points.

The next game for the Bulls is a rematch against Toronto on Saturday, March 24.

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

Carlos Boozer scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds, John Lucas scored 20 points off the bench and the Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 85-59 on Monday night. 

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau also became the fastest coach in NBA history to earn 100 career victories. The Bulls won for the fifth time in six games.

They also improved to 3-1 over the past four games playing without guard Derrick Rose, who continued to nurse a sore groin.  

Dwight Howard had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Magic, who had 19 turnovers.  

The Magic have lost three of their last four since posting a three-game win streak. They’ve also now gone six straight quarters without scoring at least 20 points.  

Turnovers were a factor in the Magic’s loss to the Bulls in early January and they again played a huge role Monday as Orlando’s miscues yielded 25 of Chicago’s points. By comparison, the Bulls’ 16 turnovers only led to seven points for the Magic.

Orlando trailed by double-digits for most of the second half, before cutting a 15-point Bulls’ first-half lead to 12 entering the fourth quarter as its early turnover issues began to subside.

The Bulls’ offense was steady down the stretch, though, and Joakim Noah’s three-point play on a two-handed dunk over Glen Davis with 6:54 to play in the game put them up 72-52 to end any comeback hopes.  

The Bulls took advantage of the Magic’s initial turnover issues to build a 48-33 halftime advantage.  

Orlando opened the game with a 5-0 spurt, but Chicago got hot at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 10-0 run that included three straight 3-pointers by Lucas.

Boozer’s 16 first-half points paced a Bulls’ team that shot 50 percent (20 for 40) in the opening 24 minutes, while the Magic connected on just 38 percent of their attempts (14 for 36).  

Chicago also scored 16 points off 11 Magic turnovers and scored 22 points in the paint.  

NOTES: Rose missed his 14th game of the season after sitting just six games in his first three NBA seasons combined. He appeared in 81 regular-season games in two of those seasons. … Howard received his ninth technical of the season in the third quarter. … Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said that the focus for the Magic over their final 19 games would be on reducing turnovers and building better defensive habits. “We’re just not building solid habits and making good enough decisions,” he said. “And at the end of the day, you are going to hit the playoffs and you are going to be left with your habits. We’re running out of time. We have 5 1/2 weeks and it’s time.” … The Magic dropped to 7-8 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.
 

On Saturday, March 17, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 89-80.

After a disappointing loss on the previous night, the team pulled it together for the win. They have not had two consecutive losses since early February and I’d have to think a change in this stat would be unacceptable to the Bulls‘ skipper Tom Thibodeau.

The Bulls again had to figure out a way to win without Derrick Rose, who continues struggling with a groin injury. The team was able to beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday, March 14 but played poorly and lost without the MVP on Friday, March 16 against Portland.

Fortunately the team has been able to rely on its bench when it’s been short of starters. For Saturday’s game the difference maker was C.J. Watson. He is filling in for Rose as he recovers from his own injury, a sprained ankle. Watson is taking one for the team and dealing with pain on a daily basis.

On Saturday, he led the team in scoring with 20 points. He came out with a lot of energy and became the offensive weapon the team sorely needs. Against Portland on Friday, Watson only added 10 points but if he can play through the pain, it will be less painful without Rose.

Adding to Saturday’s win was Joakim Noah. He had a lot of energy in the second half of the game and had been a much-needed defensive weapon-something that the team struggles with on an almost game by game basis lately.

Noah had 13 points with 11 rebounds on Saturday.

Luol Deng was clutch against the 76ers in the last few minutes of play but only came away with six points for the night. He has also been struggling with an injury and his opportunity to heal has been a concern. While not wanting to miss games now, it’s also important to have a healthy Deng for the playoffs.

Is Thibodeau or Deng to blame for the constant play versus resting? I’d say a little bit of both.

The Bulls will face another tough team on Monday, March 19 against the Orlando Magic. They have been able to move forward without Rose’s 22.8 average points per game but it can’t last forever as the players who are stepping up take an additional toll on their bodies. I am skeptical that more injuries are on the way with the team’s gritty play.

As for Rose, he is a day by day status and as of Saturday night, Thibodeau was uncertain if he’d play on Monday.

I think we’ll see him on the court against Orlando.

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

CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will miss Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers because of a strained groin.

Rose sat out his 12th game of the season. The Bulls are 8-3 without him, including a 106-102 victory over Miami on Wednesday night. Rose has also been limited by back and toe problems this season.

C.J. Watson started at point guard in place of Rose.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Despite LeBron James’ “The Decision” airing more than a year and a half ago, it’s still pretty clear the Miami Heat have a target on their backs. However, that target is no longer because people are seething about how it was all handled, now it’s because the Miami Heat are consistently talked about as being the favorites to win it all. I can’t say that’s an unreasonable assumption given the talent they possess on the team, but the Chicago Bulls made a statement about that assumption –taking down the Heat 106-102. Further, they did it without Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton.

This development is no “Gotcha!” moment, it’s simply a nice win over a really good team. It feels good, it gives the Bulls a one-game-stronger advantage on the first seed, but I wouldn’t want to be running an injured Luol Deng and John Lucas III instead of Rose out there on a regular basis. This is no sleight against Lucas (he played magnificently), but I’m going to assume the man isn’t going to shoot 9 for 12 every night. The game was a blast to watch and showcased the Bulls’ impressive depth. However, if the injuries don’t begin to clear up, that depth will begin to disappear.

All the above said, this Bulls team is a joy to watch play together. With or without –preferably with– Rose, this team time and time again shows poise, unity, and just good old fashioned talent.

It’s kind of frustrating when fans or announcers take one weakness and blow it out of proportion. Since the Heat lost the game (and four of their last seven), their weakness –lack of size– has been highlighted. Of course I’ll agree that that is a weakness of this Heat team, but they’re 31-11. Whatever that weakness might be, it must not be that easy to capitalize on. They’re still pretty darn good.

The Bulls are too. If they can get healthy (and remain so), I think the Bulls can win it all this season. While they still haven’t found that true number two scorer behind Rose, I think they have strengthened other areas of their team enough to be able to take down the better teams in the league.

Only time will tell if either of these teams can take the next step come playoff time, but whatever happens, for now, I love watching the Chicago Bulls play basketball.

Brian is a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed the NBA throughout.

Sources

Bulls Take Down Heat

Bulls//Heat Boxscore

CHICAGO — John Lucas III scored 24 points, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 106-102 without Derrick Rose in a charged showdown between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams on Wednesday.

The Bulls built a 16-point lead in the second quarter, were up 11 at halftime and boosted it back to 17 in the third after a push by Miami. They then hung on after Miami closed within two in the closing minute for their 11th win in 12 games. Even better, they won without their superstar, and they did it on a night when Dwyane Wade scored 36 and LeBron James finished with 35 points for Miami.

Wade did his best to lift the Heat down the stretch scoring 19 points over the fourth quarter. His jumper with 1:20 left cut it to 100-96, and it stayed that way until Chicago’s Kyle Korver hit two free throws with 17 seconds remaining.

The Heat weren’t finished, though.

James Jones nailed a 3 with 10 seconds left to make it a three point game, and he hit another one with 6.8 seconds to go after Korver buried two more free throws, pulling Miami within 104-102. Lucas then clinched it when he hit two foul shots with six seconds remaining, giving the Bulls the win on a night when Rose watched from the sideline with a strained groin.

That had to feel particularly good since the Heat clinched the Eastern Conference championship the last time they visited Chicago.

Lucas III provided a huge spark off the bench, missing his previous career-high by one point, and led six Bulls in double figures.

Joakim Noah chipped in with 14 points and four blocks. Korver and Ronnie Brewer scored 12, Luol Deng and C.J. Watson added 11 apiece, and Chicago’s bench outscored Miami’s 56-15.

While Wade and James dominated, Chris Bosh struggled in a big way for the Heat. He scored 12 but was just 3 of 15 from the field as Miami lost again after falling to Orlando the previous night.

Notes: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra indicated Miami won’t be too active before Thursday’s trade deadline. “Our focus is on this group,” he said. “We feel we have enough.” … Heat F Mike Miller missed his second straight game because of a sprained left ankle, and Spoelstra said there’s no timetable for his return. … The Bulls signed veteran guard Mike James to a 10-day contract.

Derrick Rose scored 32 points and the Chicago Bulls sent the New York Knicks to their sixth straight loss, 104-99 on Monday night.  

Rose shot 12-of-29 from the floor and had six rebounds and seven assists as the Bulls earned their 10th win in 11 games.  

Taj Gibson had 15 points and a team-high 13 rebounds for Chicago, which outrebounded New York by 18. The Bulls entered the game leading the league in rebounding margin.  

Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points and Amare Stoudemire added 20 for the Knicks, but the two combined for just seven points in the fourth quarter.

Jeremy Lin had 15 points and eight assists for New York but shot just 4-of-11 from the floor and had little luck stopping Rose.

Carlos Boozer scored 15 points and Joakim Noah had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls. Rookie Jimmy Butler played a key role with eight points in 29 minutes, making several big energy plays to excite the sellout crowd.  

The Bulls’ dominance on the boards led to the key basket of the game midway through the fourth quarter. With the shot clock expiring, Rose flipped up a long shot that bounced off the back of the rim, but Gibson chased down the rebound, bringing the United Center crowd to its feet.  

Then Rose cut behind Lin, who had turned his head, took a bounce pass from Noah and threw down a thunderous, one-handed dunk to put the Bulls ahead 91-84 with 6:01 to play.  

JUMP SHOTS: The Bulls were missing three players — All-Star forward Luol Deng (left wrist), starting guard Richard Hamilton (right shoulder) and backup point guard C.J. Watson (left ankle). The Bulls haven’t lost consecutive games since Feb. 5-7, 2011 — a franchise-record stretch of 75 games.

On Saturday, March 10, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz, 111-97.

The Bulls are again dealing with a number of injured players. Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Richard Hamilton and C.J. Watson all sat on the sidelines on Saturday but fortunately this Bulls’ team has a lot of depth and found an easy win.

In the first quarter, the Bulls got off to a slow start and watched the Jazz take a slight lead. The Bulls missed a lot of shots but good play by Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer in the last two-plus minutes enabled them to finish the quarter at 22-22.

The Bulls came out running in the second quarter and took a 31-22 lead by the 9:43 mark. Both teams went cold and by 3:36, it was a two-point game. Derrick Rose took charge, grabbing seven points and the Bulls entered halftime with a 48-41 advantage.

After the break, Rose continued his best to extend the Bull’s lead. The Jazz wasn’t doing much and by 6:22, the Bulls took their first double-digit lead. They got hot and extended their advantage. By the end of the quarter, the Bulls led 79-63.

In the final quarter, the Bulls started slowly. The Jazz were trying to get something going but only narrowed the lead to nine points. At 6:15, the Bulls had a 20-point advantage thanks to two Korver three-pointers. He hit another one to get the Bulls to the century mark.

The Jazz hit a flurry of shots in the game’s final three minutes, but it was too little, late as the Bulls had too wide of a lead.

The Good… Playing with a depleted team, the Bulls still had enough depth for a win. Korver said of the situation, “We try to find a new way to answer this question every day. This is what we’ve been doing.”

The Bad…The Bulls shot 7 for 18 three-pointers.

Scoring…Boozer led the team in scoring with 27 points. Korver added 26 points and Rose contributed 24 points (13 assists).

Next up? The Bulls will play the Knicks on Monday, March 12.

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

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

Derrick Rose had 24 points and 13 assists, Carlos Boozer scored 27 and the Chicago Bulls pounded the Utah Jazz 111-97 on Saturday night.

Kyle Korver scored a season-high 26 points, and the Bulls got back to winning after their season-high eight-game streak ended with a loss to Orlando on Thursday. They turned a seven-point halftime lead into a 16-point advantage going into the fourth quarter and came away with a lopsided victory on a night when both teams were short-handed.

The Bulls were missing All-Star Luol Deng, who was out because of pain brought on by a torn ligament in his left wrist. Joakim Noah sat out with an illness, and guards Richard Hamilton (right shoulder injury) and C.J. Watson remained sidelined.

The Jazz were without starting guards Devin Harris (stomach virus) and Raja Bell, who was away from the team for unspecified reasons. Coach Tyrone Corbin called it “an internal matter” that he expects to be resolved soon.

Utah had no answer for the Bulls, though.

Rose perked up after a slow start and Boozer and Korver dominated their former team, leading Chicago to an easy win. The Bulls still haven’t dropped back-to-back games this season, and that wasn’t about to change on a night when they shot just under 56 percent.

Boozer made 13 of 17 shots. Korver was on target, too, nailing 6 of 11 3-pointers, and had seven rebounds and six assists in his best game of the season.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 26 points. Al Jefferson scored 16 and Josh Howard added 15 points, but the Jazz simply were overwhelmed, losing for the second time in as many nights.

Rose scored seven points over the final 3:24 of the first half to help the Bulls build a 48-41 lead after Utah pulled within two at 39-37, and Chicago dominated the rest of the way.

The Bulls scored 31 in the third quarter, and led by as much as 18 in the final minute of the period.

The crowd was roaring after John Lucas III stole the ball from Jamaal Tinsley and fed Taj Gibson for a hard two-handed dunk. Ronnie Brewer then stole a pass from Al Jefferson and hit two free throws to make it 79-61 with 12.8 seconds left, before Tinsley nailed a short turnaround jumper.

NOTES: Asked before the game if Bell’s situation would be a distraction, Corbin said: “No distraction, no. I wouldn’t expect so. We’ve got the Bulls, and that’s enough distraction for everybody.” … Watson appears close to returning after missing his fourth straight game. “He did some running, some shooting today,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The swelling’s down. We’ll see where he is (Sunday).”