Chicago Bulls Hot Links Wednesday. The Playoff Push is on.

Chicago Tribune.

Playoff races don't allow much time for pain or sympathy, and the Bulls knew they had an able substitute in their 99-91 victory over the Pistons anyway.

Kirk Hinrich — remember him? — stepped in and stepped up with 24 points, eight assists and three steals as the Bulls placed all five starters in double figures to close to within one game of the Pistons for seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The teams meet again in Detroit on April 13.

"In no way is Kirk a backup point guard," John Salmons said.

The Bulls, who got double-doubles from Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, also increased their lead to two games over Charlotte for the eighth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, no small detail considering the Bobcats own the tiebreaker. Milwaukee fell to 21/2 games back.

Daily Herald.

Hinrich's reward for the extended effort? Getting booed by some of the United Center fans during his postgame interview, which aired on the videoboard. His offense was missing a free throw with 17.9 seconds left that would have given the fans free Big Macs.

He apologized on camera and wasn't fazed by the negative reaction.

"I have thicker skin than that," Hinrich said with a laugh. "Anytime you can get your fans involved like that, it's extra incentive."

The Bulls actually scored their 98th point with 2:32 remaining, so the whole team was at fault for falling short of the century mark.

Anyway, the teams at the top of the Eastern Conference standings probably aren't shaking in their high-tops at the thought of facing the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

But by taking care of Detroit, the Bulls (34-38) moved within 1 game of seventh place in the East.

The Pistons (34-36) were as bad as advertised, playing without Richard Hamilton (groin), Rasheed Wallace (calf) and Allen Iverson (back). Detroit has gone 12-24 since Jan. 10. The Bulls improved to 8-1 in their last nine home games and play seven of their final 10 contests at the United Center.

Chicago Sun Times.

A week ago, simply eking into the playoff picture was a worthy goal.

But with the 99-91 victory Tuesday over the Detroit Pistons in a nationally televised game, the Bulls are only one game behind seventh-place Detroit and four games behind sixth-place Philadelphia.

Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich tries to muscle past Detroit guard Arron Afflalo. Hinrich led the Bulls with 24 points, replacing the injured Derrick Rose, who was out with a badly bruised right wrist.

Kirk Hinrich led the Bulls as he slid seamlessly into his old role as the starting point guard, replacing the injured Derrick Rose, who was out with a badly bruised right wrist.

''We have a system, and Kirk knows it as well as anybody,'' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''We did not run as many pick-and-rolls, but when we did, Kirk was aggressive.''

Hinrich had team highs in points (24) and assists (eight) while directing Del Negro's 17th different starting five of the season.

Chicago Bulls Blog.

It’s an interesting dynamic for these Bulls players, who seems to sag in enthusiasm when the roster is full. It’s tended to cause coach Vinny Del Negro confusion in rotations, which has flowed down to the players. But even with the heavy load of minutes, which can hurt, like it seemed to when the Bulls faltered at the end of the loss to the Lakers Saturday, these players seem comfortable not having to fight for minutes.

“With the shorter rotation I think everyone really knows what their rolls are,” said Gordon, who always can be counted upon for the most direct answers. “I think we moved the ball well. Kirk did a really good job being aggressive and he gets everyone moving out there on the offensive end. It was different because Kirk's style and Derrick's style is completely different. The tempo is different.”

That, too, is an intriguing observation because Hinrich tends to be less an offensive weapon attacking the basket than the talented Rose. There’s long been murmurs of jealousy toward Rose this season, about the organization’s outward commitment to the rookie. I get the sense the players like Rose personally. But Gordon also has played with Hinrich for several years and they showed Tuesday they can fit together well.

Bulls Sign Linton Johnson.

Sam Smith from Chicago Bulls Blog.

Though the ultimate NBA journeyman and Chicago native, the nephew of Bulls near great Mickey Johnson, returns to where it started for him in the NBA in 2003.

The Bulls announced the signing of the 6-8 Johnson, a hustling wing defender with limited offensive skills, on Wednesday to a 10-day contract. It will be Johnson's second stop with the Bulls, now nine teams in parts of six NBA seasons, including twice each with the Bulls and Suns.

Bulls Hot Links Monday. Bulls making a playoff push amid injuries.

KC Johnson of Chicago Tribune.

Monday is an important day for the Bulls, for reasons that have nothing to do with their playoff-push matchup against the Miami Heat.

Sources said Luol Deng will consult with an orthopedic surgeon in Miami who has extensive experience in treating tibial stress fractures to detail the fifth-year forward's options.

These range from surgery now to surgery after the season, shutting down for the Bulls' final 19 games to begin a rehabilitation process without surgery or playing through pain and beginning a rehab process after the season.

Brian Hanley of Chicago Sun Times.

Kirk Hinrich didn't practice Sunday because of a bruised right quadriceps but said he would play tonight when the Bulls begin a three-game road trip at Miami.

It's the same injury that has kept Tim Thomas out for more than a week. Hinrich played only five minutes of the second half Friday in a 117-102 victory over Milwaukee after taking a knee from Richard Jefferson. He had an ice wrap on his thigh Sunday.

Kirk Hinrich did not practice on Sunday, but is expected to be in the lineup against Miami tonight.

''He's not doing real well, and we need him, no question,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''He's got a pretty big bruise, and he's really stiff. If Kirk can play, I know he will.''

Thomas and Luol Deng (shin) also sat out practice, and neither is expected to play tonight as the Bulls try to solidify their hold on the last playoff berth.

Mike McGraw of Daily Herald.

One of the reasons the Bulls were willing to trade for center Brad Miller was to be a formidable partner with Rose in the screen-and-roll. Miller, 32, is a savvy veteran and has a decent midrange jump shot if opponents collapse on Rose.

"You've got to be aggressive and really go at the big guy when they switch the screen, so that you're going downhill with a head of steam," Miller said of Rose. "He just found a way to get to the cup really well."

Rose took advice not only from Del Negro and Miller, but also Kirk Hinrich. In the locker room after the game, Hinrich's drawing of a screen-and-roll play still was visible.

"Kirk came in here and drew it up on the board for me (at halftime)," Rose said. "He told me to slow it down a little bit, something that Chris Paul does."

Added Miller, "Everybody's fast (in the NBA), and the hardest part with young guys is telling them to slow down. I think I perfected the slow-down part of it."

your friendly bulls blogger of Blog a Bull.

But with an easy ending schedule and underwhelming competition for that playoff spot, the Bulls will still probably make it. It doesn't matter.

I don't mean "it doesn't matter" in the perspective that only championships matter and the Bulls aren't winning a championship. A playoff 'run', no matter how brief, is better than barely missing. Important for Derrick Rose to get more games, and take part in a playoff atmosphere, get more pub on national TV, etc.

But, considering that Charlotte loss had me abandon hope of a 6th seed, with Vinny in a playoff series the Bulls are going to get waxed. Absolutely crushed. I have zero confidence in any series against the Cavs, Celtics, or Magic that they'll come out with any scheme or matchup adjustment (creation?) that will narrow the talent gap in any respect.

KC Johnson of Chicago Tribune.

Re-sign Ben Gordon.

That's definitely not the craftiest lead in journalism history, but, if e-mail response is the goal, it could be one of the most effective given the polarizing effect Gordon's game has on Bulls fans...

Gordon has told those same confidants he is leaning toward signing elsewhere. But Gordon also said he would never sign the Bulls' offer last summer, then tried to after the Bulls pulled it.

Some might say too much apparent acrimony has happened for Gordon to re-sign. But a dominant characteristic of Gordon's tenure has been his professional pride and ability not to hold grudges.

Gordon doesn't like coming off the bench, but when he's in that role, he attacks it like a starter. Rare is the morning shootaround—home or away—that Gordon doesn't stay after to work on his shot.

Bulls Hot Links Sunday. Bulls win in dramatic fashion, Luol Deng injured.

Daily Herald.

Thanks to Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, who scored 11 points each down the stretch, the Bulls finished the game on a 23-3 run and pulled out a shocking 105-102 victory.

"I was just trying to go, no matter who was in my way," said Rose, who had been sitting out in the fourth quarters of recent games. "I was just trying to go no matter what and try to create something."

There was sobering news after the game, however. X-rays showed that forward Luol Deng has a possible stress fracture in his tibia and could be lost for the season. He'll have an MRI on Monday to further assess the damage. Forward Tim Thomas sat out the second half with what coach Vinny Del Negro called a quad tendon strain in his left leg.

Chicago Tribune.

Trailing by 17 points with 5 minutes 51 seconds left, the Bulls outscored the Houston Rockets 23-3 the rest of the way. They took the lead on Derrick Rose's floater with 32 seconds left and held on for a 105-102 victory.

The triumph provided the bookend for a ridiculous five-day period in which the Bulls defeated two of the best teams in the league in Orlando and Houston sandwiched around two embarrassing losses at mediocre New Jersey and last-place Washington.

The ups and downs continue, however, as X-rays on Deng showed a likely stress fracture of the right shin. Deng, who said he had been bothered by the injury for the last several weeks, left the game after playing 9:18 in the second quarter, scoring six points and committing three turnovers. He will undergo an MRI.

Chicago Sun Times.

General manager John Paxson was matter-of-fact when asked about the team's road trip.

''I'm not going to bash everybody,'' Paxson said. ''They were two games where you had chances, and we didn't take advantage of it. And when you don't take advantage of things in this league, it makes it more difficult.

''The next couple of weeks aren't going to get any easier. If our guys want to make the playoffs, they're going to have to find a way to do it on the floor. We let eight Washington players score in double figures. And we came out down 12-2. We didn't come out ready to play. If you ask every player in that locker room, they would say the same thing. If they don't, they weren't at the same game I was.''

Bulls Hot Links Saturday. Insert Stimulus Joke Here.

Daily Herald.

Against the lowly Washington Wizards, the Bulls started the game in a fog, ended it in a stupor and suffered a baffling 113-90 loss in the nation's capital.

"I'm speechless right now," Bulls guard Ben Gordon said. "To come in here and lose to the Wizards by 23 points, it's inexcusable. I don't know what to say. We didn't do anything well tonight."

Obama took his seat just before the opening tip, which delayed the start of the game and drew a big ovation from fans and players alike. The former Chicago resident met with the Bulls on Thursday after they toured the White House.

But if Obama gave the team any kind of pep talk, it did not produce an inspired performance.

The Bulls fell behind 12-2 and 25-10 at the start but got back within 2 points well before halftime. The game was close until late in the third when the Wizards scored on 11 of 12 possessions to stretch a 2-point lead to 81-67 with 1:15 remaining in the quarter.

Chicago Tribune.

The Bulls pulled to 49-45 by halftime, fell behind by 14 again as Antawn Jamison (27 points) and Mike James posted huge third quarters for the Wizards but then appeared to gain momentum from a Kirk Hinrich three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer.

But Washington grabbed seven of its 19 offensive rebounds in the fourth and turned the blowout into a dunk contest, consistently beating the Bulls on backdoor cuts.

"We didn't play with any sense of urgency," Hinrich said. "We got our butts kicked, which is what usually happens when you play like that."

Sun Times.

Coach Vinny Del Negro has taken some heat following other recent losses, but this one was squarely on the players' shoulders.

''We didn't come out with any toughness or urgency at the start of the game,'' Del Negro said. ''That's the reason we didn't get off to a good start. We let them get in a rhythm. [Antawn] Jamison and [Caron] Butler are a handful, and other guys came in and got going.

''They killed us on the glass and pretty much every aspect. They just played better than us.''

The Wizards are worst in the Eastern Conference, but the Bulls made them look like a playoff team. Jamison led eight Washington players in double figures with 27 points.

Sam Smith of Chicago Bulls Blog.

And coach Vinny Del Negro, with Luol Deng scoring four points on two of eight shooting and Tyrus Thomas seven points on one of six shooting and both put back in the game in so called garbage time at the end, suggested he might consider adding some of his players to the nation’s unemployed, at least as far as their starting roles are concerned.

Asked about whether he is considering a lineup change, Del Negro said: “I’ll think about that.”

Del Negro made a big, early substitution with the Bulls down 18-8, lifting Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, though the Bulls still trailed 27-18 after one quarter.



Del Negro went extensively with John Salmons into the second quarter, and Salmons was the best Bull player of the night with 25 points. His second quarter play helped get the Bulls within 49-45 at halftime. Though the starters held firm to open the second half and were within 57-55 four minutes in, Del Negro then brought Salmons in for Tyrus Thomas, and soon thereafter Miller for Noah and Hinrich for Gordon.

That group with Rose saw the Wizards go ahead by a dozen and lead 83-74 after three quarters before Washington blew the game open early in the fourth quarter.

And it was the 14-44 Wizards enjoying themselves with Butler pumping his fist at Obama after a three pointer and Chicagoan JaVale McGee slamming a lob from Butler and saluting Obama.

A sad day for Bulls fans who mourn the loss of two Bulls legends.

Bulls legends Johnny "Red" Kerr and "Stormin" Norm Van Lier ded yesterday. Chuck Swirsky of Chicago Bulls Blog sums up the roller coaster ride of emotions...

On Thursday I experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It started off so innocently with a cup of tea with my fellow broadcasters Neil Funk and Bill Wennington. In early afternoon prior to our arrival at the White House to meet President Barack Obama we learned of the passing of Bulls great Norm Van Lier. Later that evening we learned that Johnny "Red" Kerr had left us as well. Two great men. Two great legends in Chicago basketball history.

Norm and I would chat before practically every Bulls home game. In fact, our last conversation was Tuesday about three hours before the Bulls tipped off against Orlando. We talked about his #2 jersey that Tim Thomas now wears. He was proud of that number. As I told him on Tuesday, #2 in the program but #1 in your heart! He was great to me and I will always appreciate his kindness and his enthusiasm for the city of Chicago and the Bulls. He loved the Bulls and loved when the Bulls played with intensity, that was his style that made him one down and dirty rock solid NBA player for many years. I am still in a state of shock while I'm writing this blog.
Johnny was an icon with the franchise and was such a wonderful human being who touched the lives of so many people. The celebration of Johnny's life at the United Center a few agos touched all of us. To the Van Lier and Kerr family I can assure you that Norm and Johnny will always be in our hearts and we will never, ever forget them as the spirit of their passion and love for the game and for the Bulls will be in ourt hearts forever.

Our trip to the White House has left me speechless. In my wildest dreams if someone told me one day I would be standing next to the most powerful man in the world I would have said, "Take this guy to the nearest hospital... now!" President Obama was tremendous. Personable, articulate, great sense of humor. Wow. Before we met the President we received a tour of the White House. We entered a room where former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy lay in rest. We saw the White House kitchen. The green room, the red room, etc. Just a crazy day. President Obama is the real deal.

Friday night the Bulls need to get back on track and take care of business against the Wizards. They just can't afford to lose against teams that are sub .500 and without key stars.
Ben Wallace broke his leg in Cleveland's loss rto the Rockets. LeBron failed to register an assist for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. Rockets looked great and they're at the United Center Saturday. All the more reason to get this game tonight here in DC The Lakers pounded Phoenix scoring 132 points.....132. The honeymoon is over in the Valley of the Sun. The Lakers now 48-10, a league best. Albert Haynesworth is joining the Redskins...that's the buzz in DC. Talk about a stimulus package! Manny turns down 45 million for two years? What's up with that?

Chicago Bulls Hot Links Thursday. Bulls lose to NJ, Gordon laments Stupid Shots and Stupid Decisions (not talking about his contract)

Daily Herald.

Playing on the road at New Jersey on Wednesday night, the Bulls built a 9-point lead late in the third quarter before Nets guard Devin Harris turned the game around almost single-handedly.

The lightning-quick Harris scored 19 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter as New Jersey rallied for a 111-99 victory to pull even with the Bulls for ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls (26-32) were ahead 78-69 with 1:38 left in the third quarter after a Kirk Hinrich basket.

Then while the Bulls missed 14 of their next 15 shots, Harris scored 14 points in a 24-4 run as New Jersey jumped in front 93-82 with 5:26 remaining. Most of his points came on either long jumpers or drives to the basket off screen-and-rolls.

John Salmons finally ended the cold spell with a 3-pointer, but the Bulls went on to miss three more long jumpers as the deficit ballooned to 16 points.

Bulls By The Horns.

And if I sound even remotely bitter, it’s because I am. Harris was burning Derrick Rose, so Vinny Del Negro resorted to what’s become his favorite “trick” as of late: He benched Derrick for the final 4:52 of the fourth quarter. Before hitting the pine, Rose had attempted only one shot in the quarter. Vinny, of course, wanted to put a better defender on the court. But here’s the problem: Devin scored 9 points while Derrick was in and then 10 points after Vinny replaced him with Kirk Hinrich.

Okay, look, we all know Kirk is a better defender. But as By The Horns reader AK Dave pointed out the other day, Hinrich does his best work on D against bigger, stronger guards. Guys like Harris — or T.J. Ford of the Pacers — are too quick for him to cover. And the Bulls don’t have the kind of interior help defense necessary to cut off penetrators once they stroll past their first-wave defender.

But to be honest, Harris was only half the problem. The other half was Chicago’s offensive meltdown. They were outscored 37-21 in the final quarter in what is, has been and apparently will be typical Bulls fashion: An outside brick-a-thon. They shot 7-for-25 in the fourth, including misses in 10 of their first 11 tries.

Chicago Bulls Blog.

“Of course, people are going to look deep into it,” said Thomas, who finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds and five of 16 shooting. “I don’t think there is anything to look into and try to seriously analyze. We’ve got to do what we want to do sometimes. We’re not on the same page as far as what we want to do.”

Hey, investigative reporting is said to be dead. So while that was going on, the Nets’ Devin Harris, who finished with 42 points and 19 in the fourth quarter, was absolutely dismembering the Bulls version of defense, blowing by the guards and then Joakim Noah inside for a pair of layups, then pulling up for a three, driving again, hitting a runner, splitting the defense again for a layup and three-point play to begin to put the game out of reach at 101-85 with 3:56 left after that 8-0 run.

“We had a four-point lead at the end of the third (stop reminding us),” said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro. “And then we couldn’t control penetration. We tried different things, some zone, contain, force hinm down, switched on him, but Harris was having his way. We tried to trap, force him down and did a bunch of stuff. He made some big plays, big shots. He made plays. We gave up too many points. He really hurt us with penetration.

“We took too many jump shots,” added Del Negro. “We tried to get back too quick. The ball movement was not near as sharp. We did not shoot it well. We were a little slow tonight. Harris was on a roll and it was tough to stop him. I thought some of Tyrus’ (shots) were forced. I thought some of them were not. But he wasn’t the only one. We didn’t go through our offense as much. It showed in just 19 assists. But Harris was the difference, no question.”

So it was left to Rose first and then Kirk Hinrich, who came in for Rose with the Bulls down 95-85 with 4:52 left as Rose never returned again down the stretch, and they were unable to do much with Harris.

“Harris was the difference,” agreed Rose, though pretty much only on that. “I think we should have trapped the pick and roll. He (Del Negro) told us to contain, so that’s what we were doing.”

The Bulls don’t often trap the pick and roll to try to stay away from perimeter shooters beating them, which worked well Tuesday in a different sort of way in the win over Orlando when the Bulls didn’t commit the double team early to Dwight Howard and had him somewhat confused on moving the ball. But this game seemed to call for some more action on Harris late given that he was scoring just about every time. And because Harris also kept going all the way to the basket and wasn’t looking to pass off the drive, so it seemed it would have been safe—since the didn’t seem to be trapping to get the ball out of his hands—if someone gave some weakside help on this drives.

Chicago Tribune.

Ben Gordon might have offered an answer for all of the above with a stinging and blanket repudiation of the Bulls' play.

"We just did stupid stuff the whole game," an uncharacteristically disgusted Gordon said. "Stupid shots, stupid decisions, stupid defense. We lost this one if you ask me. We self-destructed.

"Even in the first half, we had chances to take control but we kept making foolish mistakes. Whatever we did, it didn't work. It was bad defense, bad offense, bad decision-making."

Chicago Sun Times.

This game will do nothing to stop the Internet chatter that Del Negro is over his head in his first season as a coach on any level. The Bulls took bad shots out of timeouts and there wasn't much imagination to the defensive scheme against Harris -- a point which rookie Derrick Rose stressed afterward.

''I think we should have trapped the pick-and-roll,'' Rose said. ''But he told us to contain, so that's what we were doing. Somebody going off like that, just trap him.''

Or play zone or something.

Bergen Record.

Harris was even better against the Bulls. He scored 24 points in the final 13:20, enabling the Nets (26-32) to pull into a tie with Chicago for ninth place in the East and within one game of Milwaukee for the East’s final playoff berth.

“Now’s the time,” Harris said. “We really can’t wait anymore and be patient. I’d rather be aggressive than be passive.”
The win kept the Nets alive in the first tiebreaker in case they end up with the same record as the Bulls. This gave Chicago a 2-1 series lead, which makes the April 4 meeting in Chicago huge.

As spectacular as Harris was, the Nets may not have won without their bench or late-game defense.

Bobby Simmons contributed 18 points as a sub and Keyon Dooling had a strong defensive fourth on easily ignitable Ben Gordon, who was just 3-of-8 with seven points in the final period.

Over the last 13:37, the Nets held Chicago to 7-for-27 shooting.