Enter Matt's BG dilemma. If the Bulls go down big in the first 3 minutes, will BG enter even if Thabo doesn't have 2 fouls? I would think so because scoring will be at a premium tonight.

While I see the current Bulls as one of the league's better teams (top 6 or 8), there are certain match-ups where they tend to get steamrolled.  Usually it's against very athletic and skilled frontlines.  They've pretty well caught up to the Cavaliers, Pistons and Heat, and possibly even passed them, but I still have my doubts about how they match up with the Mavericks, Spurs and Suns.  

I'm excited, though.  Like I said, I'd love for them to prove me wrong.

So, why would you change it?  

             MPG   APG  PPG    FG%   3PT%
As starter:  27    3.1  12.8   38.8   20
As Sub:      30    3.5  21.9   45.5   37.2

damn it...........
So close.  

We lost the game in the mid third and especially the early and mid fourth quarters when our offense fell to pieces.  With Kirk in the game, we would have been OK.  Duhon was open again and again.  He just can't hit jumpers right now.  I know everyone here seems to hate the guy, but he used to be able to knock down open shots.  He's gotta get that straightened out somehow.  I was impressed with Phoenix's D in the second half.  Bulls played excellent D as well and that's why Phoenix was only just barely able to come back.

One question:  I thought that if someone is fouled off the ball in the last two minutes of the game, the team that was fouled gets to pick who shoots (the no-hack-a-wilt policy).  When Wallce was fouled, it was clearly off the ball.  Did it count as a loose ball foul because Deng was in the process of shooting?  Either way, that was a bummer.

I hate to say it, but this is a "moral victory".  If Bulls can beat Nets and Pistons this week (Chauncey-less Pistons?), winning the conference looks to be a likely possibility...

One last thing --> Steve Nash is really freaking good.  That three he canned from two steps behind the arc with Duhon right on him was damn impressive.  But he made a ton of plays tonight.

As good as Ben Wallace was rebounding he isn't good enough to box out/account for 2 of the opposing team's big guys on the boards.  That is why Amare tore us apart down low... in trying to run a little bit we were not putting a body on Amare to box him out.  The guy is awesome don't get me wrong (even tho he got rejected by Noc which was sweet) but he really was just taking advantage of our lack of size/boxing out down low.

Couple bad calls or non calls on Noc.   one charge he shoulda gotten but BG7 got called for the reach in and the foul called on Noc after Big Ben's missed free throw which was the game in my eyes cause Deng came down with that board.  On that last one the camera angle wasnt the greatest so Chapu mighta fouled but  i couldnt see it.  Anybody else get a better look?

Not a moral victory, but the Suns did get "lucky" and if we do play them  in the finals I'm not as scared as I was before this game.  Yes I think we will make it to the finals and NO i did not just jinx them...seriously I didn't.

Down the stretch, I'm curious why Skiles didn't substitute more for offense-defense.  After the game, he seemed irked with Gordon for not defending Barbosa more aggressively on the game-winning shot, but it seems to me that the Bulls would have been better off having Thabo on the floor for the last Phoenix possession, especially with their length.

I continued to be frustrated by Duhon.  He's a decent floor general, but I don't know that it's enough to overcome the fact that he's such a non-threat offensively himself.  He doesn't drive much at all, and he can't hit the standstill three reliably.  Last night, he had a wide open three from the corner that he visibly hesitated before passing it up.  It seemed like he was afraid to take the shot.

Maybe this theory is wrong or kooky, but I'm just trying to get into Skiles mind here.