SB Nation Chicago - Asik, Bench Fuel Bulls To Convincing Win In Orlandohttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2011-03-04T22:05:21-06:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/17945572011-03-04T22:05:21-06:002011-03-04T22:05:21-06:00Bulls Front Line Helps Capture First Win In Orlando Since 2007
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<p>As he returned to the bench exhausted and on the receiving end of a standing ovation from every one of his teammates, you had to wonder what was going through the mind of <span>Omer Asik</span>. In four short months, the 24 year old <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Bulls</a> rookie has gone from relative unknown, to wild card, to playing crunch time minutes against <span class="caps">NBA</span> superstar <span>Dwight Howard</span>. On Friday, <span>Tom Thibodeau</span> made Asik the first man off the bench, and in return the Turkish center made his coach look like a genius. With Noah in foul trouble and Boozer struggling, Asik filled the void with 5 points, 13 rebounds and one hell of a defensive presence in the middle.</p>
<p><span class="caps">ESPN</span> analyst and former coach Hubie Brown, a man who has seen his share of <span class="caps">NBA</span> games, went out of his way time and time again to praise Asik’s play during the course of the Bulls 89-81 victory. He understands that an active big man patrolling the paint directly translates to victories. When you out-rebound the league’s 5th best rebounding team 50-30, wins will follow. For the Bulls, Asik’s development means they now own one of the league’s deepest front lines, one that puts up double digit offensive rebounds on a near-nightly basis.</p>
<p>Along with Noah’s trademark scrappy play, Asik and the Bulls frustrated Howard all night, including a second quarter technical foul when the Magic star was whistled for swinging his elbows after the play. It would be easy to look at this win, the Bulls first in Orlando since the 2007 season, and find few faults. However <span>Carlos Boozer</span>’s struggles, which began when Noah returned to the lineup, are becoming less of a coincidence and more of a trend. Boozer went 5-17 from the floor for 12 points and 9 rebounds, and looked out-of-sync from the opening tip. Granted it has only been four games since the Bulls have featured their entire roster, but Thibodeau must find a way to get his star power forward untracked.</p>
<p>The Bulls bench set the tone, scoring 32 points to the Magic’s 13, with <span>Kyle Korver</span> and <span>C.J. Watson</span> combining for 18 points. It took a few minutes for Chicago to shake off the hangover from their second-half collapse in Atlanta. But from the halfway point in the first quarter on, the Bulls played stone-cold lockdown defense.</p>
<p><span>Derrick Rose</span> (24 points, 4 assists) did enough to get the win, but struggled once again going 0-5 from behind the arc with 5 turnovers. More than once he hesitated when given the open shot, and is now 6 for his last 36 from distance. He has not looked his normal, amazing self since the Bulls beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> in Chicago before the All-Star break.</p>
<p>Regardless, a road victory in Orlando should be celebrated, even more so as the Bulls notch their 42nd win of the season. With 22 games left on the schedule, Chicago already has more victories than either of their past two Playoff seasons under former coach Vinnie Del Negro.</p>
<p>With the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> lacking an interior presence, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> trading away their front court depth at the deadline and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> struggling outside of the aforementioned Howard, the Bulls arguably have the deepest, most talented front line in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps it is optimistic outlook, but Asik’s ascendance may be the thing that pushes Chicago from playoff team to title contender.</p>
<p><i>Follow Zachary Lee on Twitter @rightfieldsucks</i></p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2011/3/4/2031063/asik-bench-fuel-success-bulls-win-orlando-first-time-sinceZachary Lee2011-03-04T16:37:57-06:002011-03-04T16:37:57-06:00Chicago Bulls Vs. Orlando Magic: A Preview Of The Playoffs
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<p>As the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Bulls</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Magic</a> enter Amway Arena as relative yin and yang, it is hard to predict which version of each team will show up on Friday night. The Bulls have had an incredible season, but a bad loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a> and Wednesday's breakdown against Atlanta have Chicago in full gut-check mode. The Magic have struggled early on, going so far as to overhaul their roster with an early-season trade, but last night's incredible 24-point comeback win in Miami gives them a boost few saw coming. <span style="line-height: 9px;">Whether due to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a>'s struggles or the Magic's fortitude, the box score shows that </span>Orlando put up a 40-9 run to close out one of the Eastern Conference's elite. Regardless of circumstances, that deserves the Bulls clear-eyed attention.</p>
<p><span>Derrick Rose</span> is coming off his worst game of the season, one in which he went 1-10 from the floor with six turnovers during the Bulls second half collapse in Atlanta. Few players have shown the ability to bounce back from adversity the way Rose has in his short career. Look to the Bulls' heartbreaking loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> for evidence: After missing a last second game-tying free throw, Derrick Rose took the responsibility for that loss straight to the Berto Center where he worked relentlessly on his free throw shooting. Before the loss, he shot 77% from the line. Now? 83%. Bulls fans can only hope that his track record of mental strength continues tonight in Orlando.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the Bulls officially signed free agent guard/forward <span>Rasual Butler</span>. While he provides extra bench depth and may eventually help reduce Deng's minutes, he should not be expected to break into the Chicago rotation any time soon. Thus it will be up to Chicago's stars to step up in what will surely be a playoff atmosphere.</p>
<p><b>MAGIC TO WATCH FOR:</b></p>
<p>If Derrick Rose is the favorite for MVP at this point in the season, Magic center <span>Dwight Howard</span> cannot be far behind. He has single-handedly buoyed Orlando as his new teammates have found their roles. During the offseason he spent a great deal of time working on his post moves with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, and the results have been impressive. <span>Jameer Nelson</span> could be described as the poor man's Derrick Rose. He is a capable scorer, lightning-quick, and when he plays well the Magic seem to follow. The mid-season acquisitions of <span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> and <span>Gilbert Arenas</span> have not played out exactly as Orlando had hoped, but with <span>Jason Richardson</span>, <span>J.J. Redick</span> and <span>Brandon Bass</span>, the Magic have enough depth to succeed in spite of it.</p>
<p>The Bulls were crushed by the Magic early on this season, but returned the favor in the United Center in mid-January. With only one victory dividing these teams in the standings, the stakes are high. Expect a barn-burner.</p>
<p>The marquee matchup of heavyweights begins at 6:00 CST on CSN Chicago, also nationally on ESPN. Let's get ready to rumble.</p>
<p><i>Follow Zachary Lee on Twitter @rightfieldsucks</i></p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2011/3/4/2330878/chicago-bulls-vs-orlando-magic-a-preview-of-the-playoffsZachary Lee