Oct
31
New Jersey Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 103 OT
by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com
If this game tonight wasn’t a microcosm of the Chicago Bulls’ recent struggles against the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford and the team’s overall problems in closing games with this core, then what is?
Mired in foul trouble in the first half, the Bulls fell apart in the final two minutes of the second quarter, watching an eight-point deficit balloon to 15. Chicago was led back in the third quarter by the hot-shooting Ben Gordon, defensive presence of Luol Deng and steadiness of Chris Duhon off the bench.
Chicago would get the game down to one late in the third quarter as the Nets struggled to get anything going on offense. However, as been the story for this franchise the last couple of years, the Bulls stagnated and couldn’t pull away from New Jersey, eerily similar to the team’s loss to the Nets in the regular season finale last season. Chicago was down big in that game, rallied in the third quarter and got stuck in neutral in the fourth quarter. That defeat of course cost the Bulls the number-two seed in the Eastern Conference.
New Jersey would take a seven point lead with about a minute and a half left in tonight’s game, but Chicago would storm back. An Andres Nocioni three would tie the game with a little more than 30 seconds left, and Chicago would actually have a chance to win the game in the final possession. Ben Gordon held the ball for about 12 seconds and then attacked, having his jumper partially blocked by Vince Carter. Ben Wallace’s put-back at the basket fell short as the game went to overtime, where New Jersey pulled away thanks to the great effort off the bench by reserve Antoine Wright, who had 21 points.
Ultimately, this was the type of game that fuels the fire for those pessimistic about the Bulls. Chicago still lacks a go-to scorer late in games. Gordon looked like it in the third quarter when he scored 14 points, and Deng played his heart out. A lack of a superstar sadly doesn’t give the Bulls enough credibility with the NBA’s awful officiating as a Carter and Richard Jefferson can put their head down, go into the lane, create contact, scream and get the foul call their way.
As for the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich was in foul trouble all night and had five fouls not even midway through the third quarter. The foul shooting discrepancy tonight was very disturbing with New Jersey shooting 41 free throws and the Bulls only getting to the line 26 times. Even with that considered, this is nothing surprising as the Bulls are always in foul trouble. That’s how it was last year, in the preseason and on opening night.
Chicago still should have won this game, despite foul trouble, sleep walking and being slow on defense in the first half. However, the Bulls lack of a killer instinct, especially when coming back and having the Nets on the rope, is what cost them in the end. As any Bulls fan can attest, it was apparent that Chicago was going to lose that game once unable to pull away in the fourth.
As for New Jersey, this team is not a Finals contender, regardless of what anyone tells you. Without Kidd, this team is nothing. Kidd had 13 assists but it wasn’t one of his greatest games. With that considered, Kidd had Chicago’s defense in trouble all night once he turned the corner on the defender. Kidd always knows where all four teammates are on the court and is deadly when the defender can’t stay in front of him.
As for the other two-thirds of the Nets’ Big Three, Carter and Jefferson are plodders out there who jump into defenders and draw questionable fouls on the defense. While New Jersey may have gotten this game tonight and given Chicago its twelfth straight loss at the IZOD Center/Continental Airlines Arena, this team will not be able to get away with this against Boston, Detroit and even the Bulls later in the season.
Player of the Game: Antoine Wright, New Jersey Nets
Wright was excellent tonight and played the exact opposite game of a Carter and Jefferson. Wright was 4-for-7 from beyond the three-point line, making big trifectas when the game was hinging in the balance and attacking the rim with ferocity rather than looking to create ticky-tack fouls like the worthless Carter and disappointing Jefferson.
Grading the Bulls
Kirk Hinrich B- : Hinrich aspires to be first-team defense this year, but the refs don’t treat him like a Bruce Bowen or another player on that squad. Hinrich was aggressive early in the game before being sent to the bench with two quick fouls. He sat out of most of the second quarter and third quarter with fouls, and was decent when he returned in the fourth. Hinrich never got into a full rhythm with the foul trouble. He took some questionable jumpers in the fourth quarter and overtime, and needs to realize that he can really open up this offense by being a penetrator and draw and kicker. His dribble drive and assist on a Ben Wallace dunk in overtime is a perfect example of this point. Key Number: 6 fouls in 25 minutes.
Ben Gordon C+ : Gordon had a very uneven performance tonight. He was the aggressor in the third quarter, getting the Bulls back in the game with 14 points. However, he was very quiet in the fourth quarter and overtime. For a guy who wants to be paid top dollar, Gordon needs to get back to being that fourth-quarter killer that he was as a rookie. While finishing with 27 points, Gordon also had six turnovers. Gordon needs to be more aggressive coming off the high screen and roll and look to get into the lane for his floater. Still Chicago would not have been in the game without Gordon. Key Number: 6 Turnovers.
Luol Deng B : Luol settled for the jumper a bit too much tonight and needs to think about slashing first and then spotting up. With that said, Chicago needs to get Deng on the block more as he is tough down low (although the refs rarely aid him with foul calls). With Gordon, Deng got Chicago back in the game in the third quarter, and his fourth quarter steal from Carter for a fast-break dunk should have the play that turned the game fully in the Bulls’ control. Key Numbers: 22 points on 9-17 shooting, 11 rebounds.
Tyrus Thomas C- : Thomas played with much better energy in the second half and focused on doing the little things like hustling and rebounding after Chicago foolishly tried to run its first two plays on offense in the first half through him. Thomas played very soft down low with the ball tonight, more worried about drawing contact than with finishing strong. Thomas needs to think of slamming the ball through the goal when down low and be more primitive than contemplative. Thomas’ offensive game has a long way to go, and regardless of what anyone says, this guy is not going to hit the mid-range jumper off the screen and roll. Thomas needs to be an energy guy off the bench who gets this team into gear when it stagnates, like in the fourth quarter tonight. Chicago needs an energizer bunny, and Thomas can fill this role. If he doesn’t, Joakim Noah will once he gets healthy. Key Number: 4 points on 1-7 shooting (only one dunk, the only way this kid can score at this point).
Ben Wallace C- : Wallace had a few big offensive rebounds in the second half as the Bulls came back, and was the victim of some bad foul calls. With that said, Wallace is a far cry from the table setter that he was in Detroit. Wallace needs to be the Bulls’ emotional firestarter on the court. He only had five rebounds tonight, even though he still does a lot of little things that don’t show up in the box score. Still at $15 million per year, Chicago needs more from Big Ben. Key Numbers: Only 5 rebounds in 37 minutes.
Chris Duhon A- : Duhon’s a good player when aggressive. However, Duhon tends to be aggressive one night and then stuck in mud the next. Tonight, Duhon was an aggressor, scoring 10 points and dishing six dimes. He was a big contributor in the third quarter run. Key Numbers: 6 assists in 30 minutes off the bench.
Andres Nocioni C- : Scott Skiles hit it on the head with Nocioni in the playoffs last year. Nocioni is always on edge, and it’s apparent early what you’re going to get from him. Nocioni was God-awful through the first 47 minutes of this game. However, his cold-blooded three with under a minute sent the game to overtime, and Nocioni was the lone bright spot for the Bulls in the extra five minutes. Key Number: 1 Three-Pointer, a big one late in the fourth after a miserable first 47 minutes.
Joe Smith A- : Smith gave the Bulls exactly what they need from him, steady minutes. Smith was a key player in the third quarter run, hitting a couple of long jumpers and working hard on the boards. If he stays healthy, Smith should give the Bulls a little more than what they got from P.J. Brown last year. Key Number: 22 quality minutes.
Thabo Sefalosha D- : Thabo played well through most of the second quarter. With that said, his sloppy passing late in the second quarter, including two straight cross-court passes that were picked off by the Nets, helped New Jersey extend an eight-point lead to 15. Key Number: 2 turnovers late in the second quarter swung this game.
Head Coach Scott Skiles C : The Bulls scrapped and got back in this game, a hallmark of what the team has been under Skiles. With that said, Skiles needs to get it through to his team about the need to be the aggressors, especially on offense early in the games, as the refs don’t respect them. Skiles also should have gotten a technical tonight and gotten the message across to the refs to call it both ways. Key Number: Zero technicals, needed to get one with awful officials tonight.
Overall Synopsis: Make that 12 straight losses in New Jersey for the Bulls. With that said, one loss does not make a season. There were some nice flashes at times, but way too much inconsistency and many defensive lapses, especially on the boards. This is the type of the game that will have a moron like Jay Mariotti writing in tomorrow’s Chicago Sun-Times how the Bulls need to get Kobe now. Forget about that idea. Kobe’s a punk.
Chicago definitely needs to be play with way more urgency, but should give the players who’ve gotten the franchise back to respectability one more season to prove that their up to the task. At least, these players are worth rooting for. Kobe’s a gigantic jerk capable of sabotaging a season when unhappy. Just ask the Lakers. Chicago General Manager John Paxson needs to squash these Kobe Bryant trade rumors , and let his Bulls forget about these distractions, regardless of the current difficulties in extending Deng and Gordon.
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New Jersey Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 103 OT
Good defense by the New Jersey Nets drama boys, if only we could patch up the difference, this will be a New Jersey good season. They are running, switching in defense, rebounding see those efforts. We don’t have yet the Nets team down.
I which I could see some Nets games live. I was looking for tickets all the good seats on ticketmaster were taken I had to check broker. And man you don’t want to do that especially for the New Jersey Nets. Thanks god there sites like Ticketwood which work as comparators here is the site
Nets Tickets
http://www.ticketwood.com/nba/NewJersey-Nets-Tickets.php.
I like slam dunks that take me to the hoop my favorite play is the ally-hoop,
I like the pic n roll,i like the given goal its basketball yo, yo lets go!
Go Nets Go!!!