Game Thread #31: Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

to respect each other quite a bit. Lots of back pats and butt taps going both ways. I'd much rather see that from two rivals than that thuggery shit the heat try to pull.

by PGHcager on Dec 30, 2006 8:08 PM CST reply actions

Too many layups for the Cavs

the Bulls foul on the jumper but not on the drive

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 8:25 PM CST reply actions

ahhh cmon

why they gotta show that chandler clip

by mminicilli on Dec 30, 2006 8:34 PM CST reply actions

nice head-to-head

matchup between Deng and James

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 8:41 PM CST reply actions

Sweetney

did well while he was in.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Dec 30, 2006 8:49 PM CST reply actions

a lot of slipping tonight

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 9:14 PM CST reply actions

it just got kinda sloppy

around the rim by both teams, neither can make a layup right now.

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 9:18 PM CST reply actions

All right

leads back at nine.

by Repeat Threepeat on Dec 30, 2006 9:18 PM CST reply actions

looks like deng

is the answer to lebron

by mminicilli on Dec 30, 2006 9:28 PM CST reply actions

Way to go Deng

by Repeat Threepeat on Dec 30, 2006 9:34 PM CST reply actions

Just give Luol

the damn ball

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 9:47 PM CST reply actions

I don't understand

why Ben or Duhon don't look for Luol here. You don't get any hotter than he's been. Scott should be running plays for Deng right now.

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 9:48 PM CST reply actions

Chris Duhon..

does so many little things right. HA!

by Repeat Threepeat on Dec 30, 2006 9:53 PM CST reply actions

Did

Magic Jordan just take that off balance three?

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Dec 30, 2006 9:55 PM CST reply actions

Anybody who doesn't think that hard foul had an effect on Luol go take a look at the ESPN shot chart. Luol has taken it to the hole exactly one time. It's not like there are a lot of shot blockers on the Cavs front line, either.

by bullshooter on Dec 30, 2006 9:56 PM CST reply actions

if he shoots

almost .800 after every hard foul, someone should do it every 9-10 games

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 9:58 PM CST up reply actions

I'm shrugging my shoulders

He's been on a 26-35 tear the past two games.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Dec 30, 2006 10:00 PM CST up reply actions

wallace?

what's up with the 21 mns? what happened?

by dcarioca on Dec 30, 2006 10:00 PM CST reply actions

he looked and played

tired tonight, this was the second game of a back to back

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 10:03 PM CST up reply actions

Plus he

sprained his ankle early in the game.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Dec 30, 2006 10:04 PM CST up reply actions

If Luol

does not make the All-Star ame there is something wrong. The guy is on fire.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Dec 30, 2006 10:04 PM CST reply actions

looking better and better

I take back the negative things I said about Deng in other posts. His shooting looks great and hopefully his agresiveness and confidence continues.

Liked his D on Lebron last game and this game. Lebron will always score but Deng seems to be making him work which is the key against great scorers. The more lebron works the less easy buckets his teammaters get.

by NY Chicago Fan on Dec 30, 2006 10:19 PM CST up reply actions

Should be a fun game Tuesday

We'll see if the Bulls can hang with that ABA Pheonix team.

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 10:04 PM CST reply actions

PJ and Malik

played well for us off the bench tonight.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Dec 30, 2006 10:05 PM CST reply actions

so did sweets

this was a nice depth-induced win, kinda more of what I expected from the Bulls with PJ and Malik

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 30, 2006 10:09 PM CST up reply actions

agree

Sweets / Malik / Brown were huge this game. If they just score in the flow of the offense Bulls are very tough.

by NY Chicago Fan on Dec 30, 2006 10:20 PM CST up reply actions

Nice win

1/2 game out of the best record in the East

by Repeat Threepeat on Dec 30, 2006 10:08 PM CST reply actions

Some Thoughts

Great win tonight with Kirk out and The Body apparently out injured as well (although he did come back in after he was injured initially). Once we had the lead near the end of the game, I was really hoping he would re-enter because we were not defending the rim that well. So I hope he's not really injured and that Skiles was just letting BAS (BrownAllenSweets) play out the string to reward them for good energy and good play.

I still think PJ just can't make a lot of plays. LeBron's putback dunk was a play where PJ just didn't box out for some reason. But he hit his jumper pretty well tonight.

Deng was on fire. I agree with the people who were asking during the game, "why aren't they getting him the ball?" I felt like Gordon was going way too quickly, even rushing some tough shots when we were up with about three minutes to go. Nocioni, too - he made that terrible pass and Skiles took him right back out.

Deng didn't need to drive tonight. He was open and hitting everything. He still crashed the boards hard on both ends, so I don't think he's intimidated because of the foul. Remember that Posey whacked him in the head for a flagrant 2 last year after he came back from a concussion. Deng is a tough dude and this won't make him back down.

Loved Wayne and Johnny Red. Great broadcast (even though Wayne kept thinking PJ was Tyrus). WGN stayed away from that low-angle stuff I hate so much, too.

Also enjoyed the few minutes when Big Ben was guarding Varejao - just for the hair...

Great win sets up for a very tough week! Go BULLS!

Deng 4 MVP, 2008!

by corey williams corey benjamin on Dec 31, 2006 12:46 AM CST reply actions

i think that lebron james is a great player....

but give me a break on his highlights on sportscenter. i watched it on WGN, and subsequently saw Deng's brilliance of the night(and career-high 32 pts), but sportscenter decides to bombard the game highlights by stating to the world 20 times over that it was james' 22nd birthday. don't get me wrong, he is an incredible player: one for the ages, but he was given all the highlights and all the talk, even when a younger deng had a statistically BETTER night.

(a little side note: i found out today that Lu is from a neighborhood called Wow in Sudan. DENG! is from WOW! DANG!

WE ARE... PENN STATE

by NittanyBull on Dec 31, 2006 1:52 AM CST up reply actions

I saw that too

All LeBron, all the time. Sad, considering it was a big game for both clubs this early in the season. Nothing about the hot Bulls at home, nothing about being tied for the most wins in the east. The smallest of mention of Deng's incredible shooting night. How does someone not get more pub for going 15-19? Cuz it's LeBron's b-day? Did MJ get this much slobber from them, or did I just not care cuz it was the Bulls? Really, the Cavs LOST! ESPN was just brutal with it's coverage tonight.

Fleece the Pig, Flog the Pony

by james@lifeinthecell on Dec 31, 2006 4:00 AM CST up reply actions

Twice in a row

that we get no coverage from the national media. First, Hinrich's "hand pull" gets more pub than Posey's flagrant, now Lebron's highlights in a Bulls rout? That's annoying.

by Repeat Threepeat on Dec 31, 2006 9:33 AM CST up reply actions

SportsCenter

I stopped watching Sportscenter a few years ago. They only show about three highlights per game these days so they can get to crap like the Budweiser Hot Seat and sixty-seven hours of NFL pregame. You'd think another network would put together a sports news/highlights show that would be just like Sportscenter was ten years ago. People would flock to it.

Penn State better win tomorrow! JoePa could become the oldest person ever to win a bowl game. Oh wait, he already is... Sue, sorry about Iowa getting jobbed by the refs at the end of a bowl game for the second straight year. Dude was clearly out of bounds. Wisconsin, PSU, and Michigan can save a lot of face for the Big Ten tomorrow. Of course we're only favored in one of the games... Go Blue!

Deng 4 MVP, 2008!

by corey williams corey benjamin on Dec 31, 2006 10:23 AM CST up reply actions

Thanks Corey.

I wasn't expecting Iowa to win but I was happy they played as well as they did except for a few plays.

I hope PSU wins too!

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Dec 31, 2006 10:35 AM CST up reply actions

Wisconsin will win

They will, they will, they will.

They'll have a big crowd in Orlando, too. All those folks escaping the mild, rainy weather in Madison for a chance to meet Mickey Mouse.

by KT on Dec 31, 2006 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

Big 10 would be faring alot better

if they had MSU go to a bowl...I don't care about the record...the 4-8 record is very misleading

by milesgmsu on Dec 31, 2006 5:08 PM CST up reply actions

I hope

they win too. We lived in Madison for a year. Not enough to become a true Badgers fan tho.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Dec 31, 2006 5:13 PM CST up reply actions

KT

Badgers are looking very tough. Well except for the interception they just threw.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 1, 2007 1:33 PM CST up reply actions

they hung on

and won!

Strange game, but a win is good, and good for the Big Ten. It's weird pulling for teams I'd normally take pleasure in seeing lose (Go Michigan, Go Ohio State!).

by KT on Jan 1, 2007 3:52 PM CST up reply actions

It was a

good game and I'm glad they won. My heart bleads Hawkeye black and gold but I am definitely cheering for Michigan and Ohio State.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 1, 2007 4:21 PM CST up reply actions

A different view from another big 10 fan

I tend to root against the big 10 just because it helps the other teams recruit better when a team does well in bowl games. I'm defentely rooting against Michigan, not just because of the rivarly thing, but I'm soo sick of these uppity Michigan fans thinking they got screwed royally and crying at every turn about how everyone's out to get em (apologies to the Michigan fan on BAB - you've been a perfect fan . I want USC to dominate and Florida to dominate so these Michigan fans see that they had their chance and blew it.

by milesgmsu on Jan 1, 2007 5:32 PM CST up reply actions

Looks like

it's working.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 1, 2007 7:24 PM CST up reply actions

Ugh

Well, I'm glad that the Big Ten had a good day overall. But damn. That was awfully rough... Maybe it'll keep Alan Branch around for another year? Eeesh. If it weren't for the fact that they're up against Florida, it'd be tough to root for OSU at this point.

The one thing I'm glad about was that I almost went out to Pasadena for the game. That would have made it that much more brutal. Cursed false hope - or something. Bah!

So... GO BULLS! One of my teams has to stop ripping my heart out at some point, right?

Deng 4 MVP, 2008!

by corey williams corey benjamin on Jan 2, 2007 12:34 AM CST up reply actions

man, i hope penn state wins tomorrow...

but the chances are slim to none, and slim just left town

WE ARE... PENN STATE

by NittanyBull on Dec 31, 2006 5:45 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe it's not

a blogabull rule... yet, but there should be a no paraphrasing Bruce Campbell rule for comments. Quote the man. Happy New Years, and enjoy wherever you are going, even though it's 100x less cool than where I am.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Dec 31, 2006 7:33 PM CST up reply actions

which would be?

by milesgmsu on Jan 1, 2007 9:06 AM CST up reply actions

He mentioned

earlier in the week that he was going to be in the Cayman Islands. BAB would be the last thing on my mind if I were there.

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 1, 2007 10:19 AM CST up reply actions

stole my joke Sue

by milesgmsu on Jan 1, 2007 3:01 PM CST up reply actions

oops!!!

Sorry Miles. :)

Thabo....the accent is sweet!!

by sue369 on Jan 1, 2007 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

Not the highlights!

Oh No!

I'm shocked you're shocked.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Dec 31, 2006 10:09 AM CST up reply actions

T.O. TV? Nahhhh

by JoJoEnglish94bulls4ever on Dec 31, 2006 4:14 AM CST reply actions

Interesting

Did anyone notice who Tyrus was guarding last night? Larry Hughes for most of his time, and possession or two on LeBron. Not sure what it means, but I found it interesting Skiles had him guarding the other team's two-guard.

by jamestkirk on Dec 31, 2006 9:29 AM CST reply actions

Pax once said

Tyrus would guard some two guards in the league because he had the quickness to do it.

Good use of him with Kirk out, too.

What a great game though.

by KT on Dec 31, 2006 10:03 AM CST up reply actions

What an improvement....

Not only has Luol improved from a career average of 14 ppg to 18, while improving his shooting from 47% to 53%....Ben is on pace to go to the free throw line about 500 times this season, as compared to 538 times his first two seasons COMBINED. That, and his shooting percentage going up from 41% his rookie season to 42% last year, up to 44% this year has made him a 20 ppg scorer. Pax has previously talked about developing these type of players from within, instead of overpaying in a trade for someone else's All-Star. This has definitely been happening this year. Nocioni's stats are also up from his career averages(despite being in the doghouse a little lately), and Duhon and Hinrich also have improved their shooting percentages. Even if the Bulls do eventually trade one of these guys, their value has increased while Pax has held onto them.

As far as the Bulls team this year, really, the only thing missing is consistent intensity on the defensive end. Cleveland was a big game, and it looked as if the Bulls really turned up the defense when they needed to. Hopefully, we'll see more of that in the future. If they can get that opponent shooting percentage back down to where it's been the last couple of years, they can be the favorites in the East...whether or not they get a back-to-the-basket guy on the offensive end. If Deng and Gordon keep developing as "go to" guys on the offensive end, the need for a post-up player is going to be as critical.

by MMP on Dec 31, 2006 12:47 PM CST reply actions