NBA
Regular Season Round 68: Chicago B. - Indiana P. 92-72
Date: March 5, 2012
In the end, it didn't matter who celebrated and who didn't. All the talk about rivalry or not fell aside. What mattered is the Bulls, down players and energy, again pushed through all to post their seventh straight victory, a 92-72 decision over a physical Pacers team. "Whoever we're facing, that's who our rival is that night," coach Tom Thibodeau said. That mindset is a big reason why the Bulls own the NBA's best record at 32-8. It's a big reason why, when C.J. Watson sits with a sprained left ankle and an errant Derrick Rose leaves with two first-quarter fouls, unheralded John Lucas III scores nine first-half points. The approach is why Ronnie Brewer can finish with 12 points and seven rebounds on a night Richard Hamilton exits just 83 seconds after tipoff with a right shoulder injury that will be re-examined Tuesday. The Bulls' focus and mental toughness is why they can snap the Pacers' six-game win streak even though Indiana rested here on Sunday night while the Bulls battled in Philadelphia. It's even why Rose and Luol Deng can rebound from a poor first half — Rose shot 1-for-9; Deng 1-for-7 — for a third-quarter 3-point barrage that turned the game in a 20-4 run. "If things aren't going our way, our guys will hang tough, keep battling and try to change it," Thibodeau said. "And that's what they did." Deng scored a team-high 20 points. Rose added 13 points and nine assists despite resting in the fourth quarter. "I've shot worse than that (first half) before," Rose said. "I wasn't worried about it." Joakim Noah, who had escalated the stakes late Sunday with colorful comments about outcelebrating Roy Hibbert, finished with 17 rebounds and helped hold Hibbert to two points. The Bulls enjoyed a 60-32 rebounding advantage and 20-4 edge in second-chance points. "People talking ... that doesn't matter," Thibodeau said. "It's what happens out there." All this extracurricular banter started Jan. 25, when the Pacers handed the Bulls their first home loss. Rose and Co. took exception to the Pacers' postgame posturing. Two physical teams who engaged in last season's memorable first-round playoff series pointed to this rematch. "This was a big game," Deng said. "If they beat us again, going forward players get comfortable and confidence." The Pacers had that early, smothering the Bulls into 39 percent first-half shooting to grab a 43-42 halftime lead. But Rose sank three 3-pointers and Deng added two more to overwhelm the Pacers. Three of the five Bulls in double figures were reserves, including Taj Gibson, who had 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. "We wanted this game really badly," Brewer said. And, yes, Noah did celebrate at the final buzzer, waving his hands in excitement. "It was a good win coming off the back-to-back," Noah said. "We're very excited about this game." *Courtesy of www.chicagotribune.com
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
Regular Season Round 68: Chicago B. - Indiana P. 92-72
Date: March 5, 2012
In the end, it didn't matter who celebrated and who didn't. All the talk about rivalry or not fell aside. What mattered is the Bulls, down players and energy, again pushed through all to post their seventh straight victory, a 92-72 decision over a physical Pacers team. "Whoever we're facing, that's who our rival is that night," coach Tom Thibodeau said. That mindset is a big reason why the Bulls own the NBA's best record at 32-8. It's a big reason why, when C.J. Watson sits with a sprained left ankle and an errant Derrick Rose leaves with two first-quarter fouls, unheralded John Lucas III scores nine first-half points. The approach is why Ronnie Brewer can finish with 12 points and seven rebounds on a night Richard Hamilton exits just 83 seconds after tipoff with a right shoulder injury that will be re-examined Tuesday. The Bulls' focus and mental toughness is why they can snap the Pacers' six-game win streak even though Indiana rested here on Sunday night while the Bulls battled in Philadelphia. It's even why Rose and Luol Deng can rebound from a poor first half — Rose shot 1-for-9; Deng 1-for-7 — for a third-quarter 3-point barrage that turned the game in a 20-4 run. "If things aren't going our way, our guys will hang tough, keep battling and try to change it," Thibodeau said. "And that's what they did." Deng scored a team-high 20 points. Rose added 13 points and nine assists despite resting in the fourth quarter. "I've shot worse than that (first half) before," Rose said. "I wasn't worried about it." Joakim Noah, who had escalated the stakes late Sunday with colorful comments about outcelebrating Roy Hibbert, finished with 17 rebounds and helped hold Hibbert to two points. The Bulls enjoyed a 60-32 rebounding advantage and 20-4 edge in second-chance points. "People talking ... that doesn't matter," Thibodeau said. "It's what happens out there." All this extracurricular banter started Jan. 25, when the Pacers handed the Bulls their first home loss. Rose and Co. took exception to the Pacers' postgame posturing. Two physical teams who engaged in last season's memorable first-round playoff series pointed to this rematch. "This was a big game," Deng said. "If they beat us again, going forward players get comfortable and confidence." The Pacers had that early, smothering the Bulls into 39 percent first-half shooting to grab a 43-42 halftime lead. But Rose sank three 3-pointers and Deng added two more to overwhelm the Pacers. Three of the five Bulls in double figures were reserves, including Taj Gibson, who had 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. "We wanted this game really badly," Brewer said. And, yes, Noah did celebrate at the final buzzer, waving his hands in excitement. "It was a good win coming off the back-to-back," Noah said. "We're very excited about this game." *Courtesy of www.chicagotribune.com
 CHICAGO B. (coach: Billy Donovan)92 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 7 | gRjD, vuIl | 35 | 8-2 (80%) | 4-0 (15%) | 9-9 (655%) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 85 | 67 | 5 |
| 66 | mQRTRQ, eIjjaR | 47 | 1-65 (15%) | 5-6 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 68 | 65 | 5 |
| 64 | XIih, zIiVaB | 44 | 4-1 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-1 (05%) | 3 | 64 | 69 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 67 | 5 |
| 6 | eIsR, gRQQaZV | 87 | 8-65 (85%) | 4-1 (05%) | 5-8 (5%) | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 64 | 65 | 5 |
| 88 | GaMsIj, win | 81 | 3-2 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8-3 (05%) | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 61 | 5 |
| 0 | mIIJRQ, CiQlIs | 88 | 8-7 (88.8%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 60 | vuZis, zIhj | 67 | 3-2 (05%) | 6-6 (655%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 64 | 9 | 5 |
| 81 | KIQLRQ, KFlR | 60 | 5-6 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| 4 | SsaV, PBRQ | 63 | 5-8 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-1 (05%) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| 83 | AZiliMQajR, mQaij | 6 | 6-6 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| 48 | HiBalUIj, eaZhiQd | 6 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 86 | muUlRQ, zaBBF | 6 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 9 | WiUsIj, C.z. | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| wIUil | 83-14 (42.6%) | 7-60 (15.5%) | 69-89 (14.5%) | 62 | 38 | 15 | 85 | 67 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 61 | 78 | 70 | |||
 INDIANA P. (coach: Rick Carlisle)72 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 86 | WRsU, giLad | 43 | 3-66 (41.3%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 65 | 68 | 5 |
| 83 | GRIQDR, Oiul | 44 | 2-64 (16.0%) | 5-3 (5%) | 0-0 (655%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 86 | 66 | 5 |
| 44 | GQijDRQ, gijjF | 46 | 4-9 (38.7%) | 6-0 (85%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 66 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | CIllasIj, giQQRj | 46 | 5-1 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 00 | HaMMRQU, eIF | 80 | 6-1 (61.9%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-8 (5%) | 6 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Hall, GRIQDR | 80 | 3-9 (09.6%) | 8-0 (35%) | 4-4 (655%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 66 | 5 |
| 05 | HijsMQIuDh, wFlRQ | 80 | 6-1 (61.9%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| 68 | OQaZR, S.z. | 69 | 6-4 (44.4%) | 5-8 (5%) | 6-3 (80%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | -6 | 5 |
| SBujdsIj, vIuas | 64 | 8-3 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8-3 (05%) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| 6 | zIjRs, gihjUiF | 9 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| 65 | yIsURQ, zRff | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| 87 | ORjdRQDQiph, zRff | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | AURphRjsIj, vijZR | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| wIUil | 83-14 (42.6%) | 4-61 (62.2%) | 60-88 (12.8%) | 9 | 80 | 48 | 62 | 62 | 5 | 66 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 98 | 01 | |||
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
