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.

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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.

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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.

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The season is just two games old, but fan forums and message boards are already abuzz about what’s “wrong” with the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls are 1-1 so far, with a come from behind, last second win over the Los Angeles Lakers and an it-wasn’t-as-close-as-it-looks 99-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors. They didn’t look great in either game – far from it – and now face the task of closing out their season-opening four-game road trip with contests against the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers.

No, the Bulls of 2011-12 have not looked like the Bulls that captured – that demanded – our attention last season. Reigning MVP Derrick Rose appears too passive. Rip Hamilton, who’s had his hands full guarding two of the league’s most prolific scorers, has failed to impress on the offensive end. Carlos Boozer has just 21 points and nine rebounds in two games. And it doesn’t stop with individual play, either – the Bulls have given up 34 turnovers and allowed 22 steals…in…just…two…games.

No, those aren’t shortcomings you’d expect to see from a 62-win team, but it is after all still early in the season. Let’s not forget that the Bulls started out last season with a crushing loss to Oklahoma City and a 9-8 record; they responded with a 14-2 spurt to close out December and never looked back.

Be that as it may, splitting a west coast road trip is not necessarily a bad thing, and the Bulls can do just that by getting a win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday (December 29) or the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday (December 30). Given the way the Bulls have played, a 2-2 road trip suddenly doesn’t look all that bad.

Here’s a closer look at the Bulls’ next two opponents.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings are 1-1 with a season-opening a win over the Lakers and a blowout loss on the road to the Trailblazers. They’ve added Chuck Hayes, Travis Outlaw and rookie Jimmer Fredette, and should be more competitive than last season’s 24-win team. Shooting guard Marcus Thorton – a player the Bulls showed interest in last season – blossomed after being traded to the Kings and becoming a starter; he leads the team with a 20.5 ppg average.

What to watch: Expect reigning MVP Derrick Rose, who was 1-of-8 on treys and 4-of-17 overall in a 99-91 loss to Golden State, to be aggressive early, and to look for his missing mid-range game. Boozer has a clear advantage over Hayes at the 4, and should bounce back from a dismal 6-point, 3-rebound (those aren’t typos, six points and three stinkin’ rebounds) game against the Warriors. It will be the Bulls’ third straight game against an elite scorer at the 2; Hamilton was quite ordinary against Kobe Bryant (28 points) and Monta Ellis (26 points), and might have an easier go with Thorton.

Prediction: This is a game the Bulls should, and will, win – Bulls 96, King 83.

On the air: Local coverage and the NBA’s League Pass.

Los Angeles Clippers

As you may have heard, the Clippers added Chris Paul, and big things are expected. But the Clippers didn’t stop there – they also added Chauncey Billups, who starts at shooting guard (21 points in his debut), and forward Caron “Hope I Don’t Have to Leave” Butler (11 points, 10 rebounds in his debut). The Clippers beat the Lakers twice in the preseason, then won for real by thumping Golden State, 105-86 (Golden State then beat up on the Bulls); they play at San Antonio tonight. The Clippers, 32-50 last season, will almost certainly be one of the league’s most improved teams, and should be headed for the playoffs.

What to watch: Rose versus Paul is a matchup I hope to be watching for a long time to come – Rose generally plays well against Paul – but this game will be decided at other positions. Boozer versus Blake Griffin at power forward is a frightening matchup made in hell for the Bulls; Griffin had 61 points and 25 rebounds in two games against the Bulls last season.

Prediction: Other than the Boozer-Griffin mismatch, the Bulls line up well against the Clippers, but this will still be a tough win to get on the road against a newly energized team. Clippers 105, Bulls 96.

On the air: Local coverage and NBA-TV.

Notes: Do you have a top 10 moment from the 2020-11 season? Let me know!….Twenty years ago today, the Bulls knocked off the Sacramento Kings, 127-118; Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen combined fo 60 points.

Sources: Chicago Bulls team page, Yahoo! Sports; Sacramento Kings team page, Yahoo! Sports; LA Clippers team page, Yahoo! Sports,

Other Articles By This Contributor:

Despite 62-Win Season, Chicago Bulls Drop in Preseason Power Polls (December 22)

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. Follow the Bulls’ 2011-12 season from a die-hard fan’s perspective on his blog, A Fan’s Take: The 2011-12 Chicago Bulls.

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

In a game just one day after their Christmas miracle, the Chicago Bulls lost 99-91 to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Dec. 26.

The game was a lackluster one and both the players and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau were unhappy with Monday night’s performance. He wore his anger on his sleeve and after the game said of the Bull’s performance, “No defense. We turned the ball over, put them into the open floor. And gave them a lot of confidence early. You can’t do that against a team like this.”

Just how bad was the game?

The Bulls jumped on the board first, keeping it close during the first quarter as the teams exchanged leads. Around the 3:30 mark, the Warriors moved ahead by four points and ended the quarter with a 30-22 advantage.

In the second quarter, Golden State extended their lead to 19 points around the seven-minute mark. They would keep a double-digit lead until the end of the game.

The Warriors entered halftime leading 57-41.

While halftime adjustments should have been made by the Bulls, they returned to the third quarter cold, missing shots and rebounds. It was getting ugly and the Warriors kept hitting shots from the line.

The Bench Mob entered the game but it didn’t really help. The Warriors ended the third quarter ahead 78-61.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulls remained cold but thawed around the seven-minute mark in a last ditch effort to comeback. C.J.Watson hit some shots; Kyle Korver knocked out two three-pointers and Rose tried to do his magic.

It was too little too late.

Scoring…Luol Deng led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Rose had a quiet game with 13 points (going four for 17 from the floor) and a team-leading eight assists.

So what’s next for the Bulls? They still have two games left in this four-game road series. On Thursday, Dec. 29 they will play the Sacramento Kings. Two days of rest should help the team but there’s a lot of work to be done for a team that comes with such high expectations.

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago resident, it’s good to have the Bulls back this season.

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