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Check out our preview of tonight's Bulls-Kings matchup at the United Center in Chicago. And for more on the Bulls, please visit Blog-A-Bull
If you had watched nothing but Derrick Rose's press conference after the Chicago Bulls overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, you would be convinced his team had just lost Game Seven of the NBA playoffs. Rose sounded downright depressed after tying a career-high with 42 points and single-handedly fueling Chicago's late comeback that fell short in the extra period.
The man hates losing and, moreover, he considers it his sole responsibility to make sure the cold fingers of defeat never touch the Bulls. The thing is that, while Rose made a mistake or two down the stretch against the Pacers, his team never showed the defense and rebounding that has buoyed it to 49 victories this year. Rose can heap blame on himself all he wants, but Chicago's eight-game winning streak was snapped because the entire team came out flat and, by the time they matched Indiana's energy, time was in too short supply.
Amazing as it may be that one loss could affect the mood around the Bulls after so many victories in a row, Chicago comes home to the United Center looking to prove a point against the Sacramento Kings.
Carlos Boozer is expected to play after missing the last five games with a sprained left ankle. As Derrick Rose scored 19 of the Bulls' final 20 points on Friday, the team really needs a second reliable scorer in the lineup. Luol Deng is also expected to play through a deep thigh bruise that has bothered him for more than a week, though one wouldn't know it from his floor time and production. Taj Gibsonis questionable for the contest with a sprained right big toe suffered late in the game against the Pacers. He is wearing a walking boot but hopes to play as long as the swelling goes down. And so it goes with the Bulls -- as soon as one big man comes back, another goes down.
The Sacramento Kings have struggled through the 2010-2011 campaign, losing 2010 Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans early in the season to severe plantar fascitis. The Bulls defeated the Kings in their only meeting of the season in Sacramento, 96-85. The Kings began a five-game road trip Sunday with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With something to prove defensively and the battle for the top seed in the East hanging in the balance, the Bulls will look to unleash hell on the young Kings at the friendly confines of the United Center.
Kings To Watch For
Rookie Demarcus Cousins is an incredibly skilled big man. He can pass, shoot and rebound at an All-Star level already. But he is a head case of the highest order, an amalgamation of Dennis Rodman and Ron Artest. He was ejected from Sunday's matchup against the Timberwolves for shoving Luke Ridnour. Guard Marcus Thornton, acquired from the New Orleans Hornets at the trade deadline, has been a great pickup, averaging 21.2 points per game.
Bulls To Watch For
It's safe to say that having Boozer back in the fold should help the Bulls. His low post presence on the offensive end provides spacing and gives Rose a consistent pick-and-roll option. Luol Deng loves playing against the Kings, averaging 22.2 points in six contests since 2006.
The Bulls look to begin another winning streak tonight at 7:00 p.m. CDT on Comcast Sports Net.
Follow Zachary Lee on Twitter @rightfieldsucks
Goodness Gracious: Bulls Destroy Kings, 132-92
Apparently the Bulls didn't like the way they played on Friday night in Indiana. Three nights after leaving almost all the scoring duties to Derrick Rose, Chicago had eight players score in double figures on its way to a dominating 40 point victory.
The Bulls' 132-92 blitzkreig was a season-high in points scored and the second-largest margin of victory this year. Chicago outscored the Kings 56-22 in the paint and had 36 points off of 22 Sacramento turnovers.
Starters rested for most of fourth quarter as the outcome was never in doubt. The gulf in ability, and even more so, commitment, was almost as wide as the margin of victory. It is easy to see why some fans have dubbed the Kings, Excramento.
And yet, credit must be paid to this Bulls team as it has surpassed almost all preseason predictions with its 50th win of the season. It is the first time Chicago has eclipsed the 50-mark since MJ and Pip led the team to its sixth championship in 1997-98.
How much the Bulls have changed over the course of this season, from plucky first-round playoff fodder, to developing contender, to downright scary elite squad. As this is the first time most of the Bulls have been in this position, they are still learning how to stomp the teams they are supposed to beat. Tonight was a strong step in that direction.
With 13 games left, playoff seeding becomes the focus as the Bulls remain tied with Boston for first place while the Miami Heat lurk only two games behind. Chicago would love to be in a scenario where Boston and Miami had to play one another before facing the Bulls. While resting the starters before the playoffs begin is a priority, coach Tom Thibodeau must weigh its value against the Bulls' chase for home court advantage.
As for the game, Chicago's offense more than carried the weight of a defense that was still ironing out the kinks early on. Even in a 40 point victory, Thibodeau's first words in his press conference were that he didn't like the first half defense. His message never wavers, yet another reason why the Bulls are in the position they find themselves in.
Omer Asik scored a career-high 14 points on 6-6 "shooting". Unless we're mistaken, every one of those was a dunk. Kyle Korver toyed with the Kings' horrific defense, scoring 18 points and going 4-5 from downtown. Carlos Boozer had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 25 minutes of action. Derrick Rose got a break after attempting to carry the team against the Pacers, notching 18 points, 8 assists and two Sportscenter dunks in 28 minutes of action.
Let's take a moment to enjoy one of them:
Enjoy these moments, Bulls fans. It is a rare gift to root for a talented team with chemistry like we're seeing, to say nothing of Chicago's humble leader and MVP favorite.
The Bulls alternate home and road games for the next ten days, in a strange bit of scheduling. As such they are off to Atlanta to face the Hawks for the third time in three weeks. Gametime is at 7:00 CDT.
Mar 21 10:12p by Right_Field_Sucks