The Bulls were left befuddled after a split weekend set showcasing two vastly different Chicago teams. One is a team of scrappers, clawing their way to big wins against top teams. The other fails to finish and they just plain suck. It is the reoccurring theme of the first half, leaving the Bulls and fans alike wondering: Which team will show up most after the All-Star Break?
Friday night’s 123-121 double overtime loss against the normally crappy Golden State Warriors should have been a win for the Bulls, but the sucky Bulls decided to show up.
It all came down to a situation that has been reenacted on playgrounds everywhere since the dawn of time: guard Ben Gordon had an open 3-pointer on the left wing at the last second of overtime to win the game . but he missed it.
“He sure bricked the hell out of that, didn’t he?” coach Scott Skiles said. “He could’ve built my house with that one.”
The Bulls blew a 14-point lead and wasted a 19-4 run in the third quarter to allow Golden State get back in the game and eventually win it.
Yet Sunday’s 116-103 win over Phoenix, one of the league’s best teams, showcased a motivated Bulls team determined to finish with a win (even though it shouldn’t have been as close as it was since starters Steve Nash and Boris Diaw sat out due to injuries. But let’s not split hairs, okay?)
Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng put on a shooting clinic, posting 29 points each, helping the Bulls go on an 18-4 run to close out the game. Despite the win, Skiles was skeptical of his team’s future due to their ability to play “like a bunch of jerks” every other game.
“Yeah, this is a great win,” Skiles said. “But who knows what team we’ll be next? One game we’re unstoppable, the next game I’d be better off playing the LuvaBulls. I just don’t get these guys.”
Number of the weekend: 2,304
Dollars it cost forward Tyrus Thomas to take a cab back to Chicago after being left behind in Phoenix as punishment by the Bulls for being a jackass about the dunk contest.
