Hoops4theSoul

Kirk Hinrich and the Bulls Were More Focused Tonight; However, the Execution Wasn’t There When It MatteredLos Angeles Clippers 97, Chicago Bulls 91

The defensive urgency and overall effort were much better tonight for the Chicago Bulls; unfortunately, the end result was the same. Chicago dropped to 0-4 on the young season as the surprising Clippers rode the hot hand of Cuttino Mobley (33 points on 13-17 shooting from the field) to its third victory in three games this year without injured superstar Elton Brand and promising point guard Shaun Livingston.

In simple terms, Chicago’s offense stagnated when it mattered most in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers were able to put together a late run in the final minutes after struggling for most of the second half following a red-hot first 24 minutes that featured the team shooting at a staggering 60 percent clip.

Tonight’s game showed that the Bulls have sensed the immediacy of turning this thing around; however, it also fueled the fire of other’s questions about the validity of this team as a contender as currently assembled. With that said, the season is still too young to make any bold moves or predictions with this team.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Kevin Garnett and the Celtics Outlasted Andrea Bargnani and the Raptors in Overtime

Unseen Ray Allen Buzzer Beater in Overtime Ends Great Game

Well it sounded like a great ending to the NBA Game of the Day between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors. With the Celtics leading by three points with seven seconds to go in overtime, Toronto point guard T.J. Ford hit a three to tie the game. After a Celtics timeout, Boston guard Ray Allen hit a three out of the corner as time expired to give the Green and White a 98-95 victory.

Unfortunately, Comcast Boston’s coverage of the game lost its video feed in the final 10 seconds of overtime, leaving us NBA League Pass viewers to listen to the audio. And before the highlights could be retrieved, League Pass cut out once the Celtics sent the game to its post-game studio.

With all the final dramatics considered and despite the fact that the final video wasn’t present, this game was indicative of Boston’s potential with the Big Three while also showing that the Raptors need to get more respect. Toronto is going to be a tough out in the playoffs.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Andres Nocioni and the Chicago Bulls Fell to 0-3 on the Year with a Loss to Andrew Bogut and the BucksMilwaukee Bucks 78, Chicago Bulls 72

While getting off to a surprising and disappointing 0-3 start to the 2007-2008 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls have been a step slow on defense and had nowhere to go on offense. Simply put, the Bulls have looked awful on both ends, playing with little energy, urgency or desire as an entire team.

Last night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks was indicative of a team struggling to find itself and develop any consistency, and more importantly, get back to the style of ball that has made this team a joy to watch the last couple of seasons.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Andre Iguodala and the Philadelphia 76ers Came Into Chicago and Whipped the Bulls Philadelphia 76ers 96, Chicago Bulls 85

What is it with these recent Chicago Bulls teams getting off to such slow starts under Head Coach Scott Skiles? The Bulls were outworked, outhustled, outrebounded, outeverythinged tonight during a very discouraging 96-85 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a less-talented team that played with more determination and heart than Chicago. It was that simple. With that said, it’s still early in the season, but Chicago is off to its typical slow start.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming Got the Houston Rockets an Impressive Win in Utah Tonight! For a guy who’s been heavily criticized for his will to win, Tracy McGrady was urgent tonight while leading the Houston Rockets to an 11-point road win against the Utah Jazz. McGrady scored 47 points on a sizzling 17-27 shooting tonight while Houston’s depth was impressive, with new acquisitions Luis Scola and Mike James playing key roles. While only two games, Houston is living up to its new look under first-year Head Coach Rick Adelman.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



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