Chicago Bulls News
12-5-14: The Chicago Bulls have been one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference in the first five weeks of the 2014/2015 campaign as the team has started the season posting an impressive 9-6 record. The Bulls started this week by traveling to Boston to play an Eastern Conference road game against the Boston Celtics. This contest went down to the final seconds of the game which hasn’t boded well for the Celtics this season. Boston has played seven games that were decided by six points or less then season and had a 2-5 record coming into this one. Jared Sullinger led the way for the Celtics leading all scorers with 23 points plus 10 rebounds as the team had the lead with 2:29 left to go. The Celtics would not score again in the contest in the final 2:29 as the Bulls mounted a comeback to win the game by the score of 109-102. In the Bulls next contest the team was on the road in Brooklyn taking on the Brooklyn Nets in a Eastern Conference showdown. During the contest the Nets had a rough night shooting from the field as a team. Brooklyn finished the contest with just 37% shooting and 14% shooting from beyond the arc while knocking down just 18 free throws. Chicago on the other hand shot 49% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc as Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol led the charge for the Bulls. When all was said and done the Bulls took down the Nets by the final score of 102-84.The Bulls looked to keep their winning ways going in their next contest as the team played host to the high scoring Dallas Mavericks at home in Chicago. During the contest Pau Gasol scored a season high 29 points for the Bulls while Derrick Rose added 18 points and 10 assists in what turned out to be a thriller in Chicago. The Bulls had to stage an epic come from behind attack clearing a 12 point second half deficit to force overtime. It looked like Chicago was headed for a loss before Rose knocked down a buzzer beating shot to force a second overtime period. In the second overtime period the Mavericks, led by 38 points from Monta Ellis, took over and eventually beat the Bulls by the final score of 132-129. The Bulls finished their week off by traveling to Charlotte to take on the Charlotte Hornets. During the contest the Bulls took advantage of some light defense from the Hornets outscoring their opponents in three of the four quarters in the game. Chicago finished with 46% shooting led by Pau Gasol’s 19 points and 15 rebounds night while the Bulls held Charlotte to just 40% shooting from the field. Kemba Walker led all scorers in the contest with 23 points but the Hornets would fall to the Bulls by the score of 102-95. When the week was all said and done the team finished with an overall record of 12-7. Get your Bulls tickets for next week as the team head back home to Chicago to play host to the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets in a short week for the team.
11-28-14: The Chicago Bulls had a strong start to their 2014/2015 season as the team posted an 8-4 record in their first month of the new campaign. The Bulls started this week by traveling to Portland to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on the road. The Blazers played all 15 of their players and had five players score in double digits while 14 of their players scored at least one bucket in the contest. The Bulls had no answer in the contest while the team shot just 36% from the field and 36% from three point land as the Trail Blazers took down the Bulls by the score of 105-87. The Bulls looked for better results in their next contest as Chicago traveled to Utah to take on the Utah Jazz. In the game the Bulls were led by 25 points from Jimmy Butler and a huge 30 point first quarter. Chicago outscored the Jazz by 16 points in the first quarter and went on to narrowly beat Utah by the score of 97-95. The Jazz were led by 21 points and 15 rebounds from Derrick Favors in the loss to Chicago. Utah attempted a comeback with a huge third quarter in which the team scored 36 points and outscored Chicago by 14 points but the comeback attempt fell just short in the loss to the Bulls. Chicago looked to keep their winning ways going in their next contest when the team traveled to Denver to take on the Denver Nuggets. In the game the Nuggets had no answer for Chicago’s Jimmy Butler who finished with 32 points or Pau Gasol who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds but it was ultimately not enough as the Bulls fell to Denver by the score of 114-109. Denver’s offensive attack was led by Ty Lawson’s 20 points and 19 points from Arron Afflalo in the victory for the Nuggets. When the week was all said and done the team finished with a 9-6 record. Get your Bulls tickets for next week as the team travels to Boston to take on the Celtics and Brooklyn to take on the Nets before heading back home to host the Dallas Mavericks in Chicago. The Bulls will then finish their week off by traveling to Charlotte to take on the Charlotte Hornets on the road.
11-21-14: The Chicago Bulls had a very strong start to their 2014/2015 season with a 7-2 record to begin their
campaign. This is a totally different team with a healthy Derrick Rose on the court for Chicago. The Bulls
started this week by heading home to host the Indiana Pacers in an Eastern Conference matchup. Jimmy
Butler led all scorers with 32 points for Chicago but Kirk Hinrich and Pau Gasol were the only other Bulls
players to score in double figures in the contest. Meanwhile The Pacers had three players that scored 21
points each as Indiana went on to beat Chicago by the score of 99-90. Chicago’s next contest came two
nights later in Los Angeles as the Bulls played the Clippers in a big road game for the team. In the
contest the Clippers Jamal Crawford led all scorers with 24 points while DeAndre Jordan and Blake
Griffin pitched in with a double-double each for Los Angeles. The Bulls were too much though behind 22
points from Jimmy Butler and big nights from Taj Gibson and Mike Dunleavy. Chicago went on to beat
the Clippers in this contest by the score of 105-89. Chicago finished their week off by traveling to
Sacramento to take on the Western Conference’s own Sacramento Kings on the road. In the contest the
Bulls had five players that scored in double figures including Chicago’s top scorer Jimmy Butler who
finished with 23 points. The Bulls had issues shooting from behind the three point line knocking down
just 26% of their shots while Sacramento was hot from beyond the arc shooting 67% from three point
land. The Kings offensive attack was led by 22 points from DeMarcus Cousins as the Kings went on to
beat the Bulls by the score of 103-88. When the week was all said and done the team finished with an
overall record of 8-4. Get your Bulls tickets for next week as the team travels out on the road face off
with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets.
11-14-14: The Chicago Bulls had a strong start to their 2014/2015 campaign as the team went 4-1 to start the season losing only to the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Bulls started this week by hosting the winless Philadelphia 76ers at home in a game that Chicago should have dominated. Philadelphia came to play in this contest led by 31 points from Tony Wroten and 21 points from Hollis Thompson while two others scored in double digits for the Sixers in the contest. The Bulls were too much for the 76ers in this contest led by Mike Dunleavy’s 27 points as one of six Bulls to score in double figures as Chicago went on to win the game by the score of 118-115 on the road. Chicago looked for another win as the team faced off with the Boston Celtics in their next contest at home. In the contest the Celtics had seven players that scored in double digits including Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger, and Evan Turner to name a few. Chicago countered Boston with five players that scored in double figures including Aaron Brooks who led all scorers in the game with 26 points. Chicago was down big entering the fourth quarter and made things interesting late but Boston held on to beat the Bulls on the road by the score of 106-101. In the Bulls next game Chicago looked to rebound from the loss as the team hosted the Detroit Pistons at home. In the showdown the Pistons scoring attack was led by Josh Smith’s 19 points and 11 rebounds but it wasn’t enough in a 102-91 victory for the Bulls. Chicago’s victory was sparked by 24 points from Derrick Rose and 19 points from Jimmy Butler in the Bulls victory. The Bulls took that momentum with them to our neighbors from the north as they traveled to take on the Toronto Raptors on the road to finish their week. In the game Pau Gasol had an offensive explosion for Chicago leading all scorers with 27 points and by grabbing 11 rebounds. Meanwhile Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose added 21 points and 20 points respectively in a Bulls victory over the Raptors. The scoring attack for the Raptors was led by 20 points from Kyle Lowry but it was not enough in the 100-93 loss to Chicago. When the week was all said and done the team finished with an overall record of 7-2. Get your Bulls tickets for next week as the team hosts the Indiana Pacers at home before setting out on the road to face off with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings in road games.
11-7-14: The Chicago Bulls started their 2014/2015 season off last week by traveling to Madison Square Garden
to take on the New York Knicks. The Bulls started the season the way they wanted to as they beat the
Knicks to improve their record to 1-0 on the season. With the 2014/2015 season entering its first full
week the Bulls hosted their first home game of the season when the Cleveland Cavaliers came to town.
In a game that the Bulls led late that ultimately went to overtime the Cavaliers led by 36 LeBron James
points and 23 points by Kyrie Irving edged Chicago by the score of 114-108. The next night the Bulls
were in Minnesota playing the Timberwolves on the road as the team looked to redeem themselves
after their first loss of the season. In the contest Minnesota’s Kevin Martin led all scorers with 33 points
while the combo of Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol led the way for the Bulls. This game came down to the
free throw line as Chicago went to the line 40 times in the contest knocking down 31 shots while
Minnesota went 25-31 from the charity stripe. The Bulls went on to win the game by the score of 106-
105 making the trips to the free throw line all that more important. Chicago then traveled back home to
the United Center to host the Orlando Magic at home in Chicago. This was an evenly matched game
offensively, defensively, and on the boards as most stats in the box score were comparable. In fact both
teams were led by players scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The difference in the contest
was the free throw line as Orlando only shot 8-14 and 57.1% from the charity stripe while Chicago went
21-27 and 77.8% from the line. In the end Chicago beat the Magic by the score of 98-90 thanks to all
those extra free throws. Chicago ended the week by traveling to Milwaukee to take on the Milwaukee
Bucks on the road. In the contest Taj Gibson led the way for Chicago with 23 points while Pau Gasol got
14 rebounds in a 95-86 victory for the Bulls. The Bucks had a cold night shooting from the field as a team
as Milwaukee only mustered a 37.1% shooting percentage on the night. Milwaukee’s offensive attack
was led by 13 points by Giannis Antetokounmpo in the loss. When the week was all said and done the
team finished with an overall record of 4-1. Get your Bulls tickets for next week as the team starts by
traveling to Philadelphia to take on a tanking 76ers team. The Bulls will then travel home to host the
Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons before heading back out on the road to Toronto to take on the
Raptors to end the week.
10-31-14: The Chicago Bulls tipped off the 2014-2015 season by facing off with the New York Knicks on the road in Madison Square Garden. It was an awful coincidence that these two teams would tip off the 2014/2015 season after the Bulls courted free agent Carmelo Anthony for much of the summer before he ultimately decided to return to New York and stay with the Knicks. Chicago also attempted to acquire Dwayne Wade this summer to play alongside the healthy Derrick Rose but Wade also decided to stay in Miami rather than play for the Bulls. One free agent that did not spurn the Bulls this summer was Pau Gasol as he is the newest face in the Chicago locker room this season. Gasol, Rose, and the Bulls traveled to New York to take on the Knicks on opening night in the NBA and beat New York in convincing fashion by the score of 104-80. The Bulls offensive output was led by Taj Gibson’s 22 points and Gasol’s 21 points as six players for Chicago scored in double figures in the contest. Get your Bulls tickets for next week as the team splits two home games and two road games in the young season. Chicago will host the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic next week and will travel to Minnesota and Milwaukee to take on the Timberwolves and the Bucks respectively.
10-29-14: The return of Derrick Rose and the signing of Pau Gasol have restored the Bulls’ hope to make a deep push into the playoffs this season. Rose has been plagued with severe knee and leg injuries that have sidelined him for the better part of two seasons, but he will look to pick up where he left off after his 2011 MVP season. The average secondary market price for Bulls tickets at the United Center this season is $242.96, 71.1% higher than last season’s average of $141.99. They’ll take on the Cavaliers at home on February 12 as their most expensive game that currently has an average secondary price of $485.21 and a get-in price of $116.
10-24-14: Reloaded with a healthy Derrick Rose and new big man Pau Gasol, the Chicago Bulls will look to make a deep playoff push this season. The team has been without Rose for the better part of two seasons after multiple leg and knee injuries have sidelined him exclusively. They will hope to begin anew this season in a competitive Central Division that will also see the likes of LeBron James’ Cavaliers and the first-place Pacers from a season ago.
10-15-14: The Chicago Bulls have gotten half way thorugh their preseason schedule so far, kicking off their preseason schedule on Oct 6 but suffered back to back losses Washington and Detroit respectively. The Bulls have since rebounded with back to back wins over Milwaukee and a 110-90 win over the Denver Nuggets in their last outing on Oct 13. Next on the Bulls preseason schedule is a meeting with the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center tomorrow night as the Bulls still have three remaining preseason games with Charlotte, Cleveland, and Minnesota before opening up their regular season on the road against the New York Knicks on Oct 29.
10-8-14: The Chicago Bulls began their preseason with consecutive losses against the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons respectively. Next up on the Bulls preseason schedule is an October 11 matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center, followed by an October 13 game against the Denver Nuggets at the United Center. Other opponents on the Bulls preseason schedule include the Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, and finish up their preseason against the Timberwolves at the Scottrade Center on October 24. The Bulls are considered to be one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference due to their off season acquisitions and the return of a healthy Derrick Rose.
9-22-14: The Chicago Bulls this offseason nabbed one of biggest prizes in free agency in Pau Gasol. The NBA veteran though now 34 years old signed a three year deal made possible by using the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer. Gasol plans to lead the frontcourt with reigning defensive player of the year Joakim Noah. Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls hope the combination of Gasol, with Noah, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and 2014 first round draftee Doug McDermott will help keep that signature defense but also put the scoring punch back into the Chicago Bulls. This team has the potential to be a lock for the 2nd seed.
8-13-14: The Chicago Bulls are looking to show that they are now the team to beat in the Eastern Conference as they have assembled arguably the best team in the Derrick Rose era. The Bulls have had a solid offseason adding rookie Doug McDermott, signing Nikola Mirotic, and adding star forward Pau Gasol. The Bulls are now a deep team that can contend for the Eastern Conference Crown as their added depth will certainly help their star player Derrick Rose who is coming off two injury plagued seasons but is reminding the basketball world that he is one of the most explosive players in the league.
Chicago Bulls 2014 Draft Overview
Round 1, Pick 11, Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton (via trade with Denver Nuggets)
Round 2, Pick 49, Cameron Bairstow, PF, New Mexico
5-5-14: It was an unfortunate end to the Bulls’ 2013-14 season. Although they won Friday’s Game 3 in Washington, they could not take advantage of Nene Hilario’s suspension. Chicago dropped Games 4 and 5 and lost the series, 4-1. However, on the bright side, Mike Dunleavy scored a game-high 35 points in the Bulls’ lone victory this series. He made eight of his 10 attempts from downtown. In addition, his scoring performance that evening was more than double of his previous postseason career-high for points. Taj Gibson also looked strong this series, and he scored a career-high 32 points in Game 4. Unfortunately, Joakim Noah had a difficult postseason and underwent minor arthroscopic surgery after the Bulls were eliminated.
4-28-14: The Bulls owned double-digit leads in Games 1 and 2, but dropped both of those games. They allowed the Washington Wizards to make late-game comebacks and take a 2-0 lead in the series. In Game 1, Kirk Hinrich, Jimmy Butler and Carlos Boozer played very well in the first half, but the second half was better for Washington. The Wizards outscored the Bulls by 15 points in the final 24 minutes to win, 102-93. Then, the following day, the NBA announced that Bulls center Joakim Noah won the Defensive Player of the Year award. However, Noah’s defense was not enough in Game 2 as the Bulls lost in overtime.
4-21-14: If Bulls fans are lucky, D.J. Augustin could be the 2013-14 version of Nate Robinson for Chicago. He was the game-high scorer in three of the Bulls’ eight contests in April, and Tom Thibodeau’s squad went 3-0 in those games. Joakim Noah, who matched his career-high with 80 games played this past season, registered double-digit rebounds in each of the team’s contests in April. He will need to be at his best for the Bulls to succeed in the postseason. The University of Florida product has taken on many responsibilities since Luol Deng was traded. Since Derrick Rose will not be back until the 2014-15 season, it is all up to Augustin and Noah to make the Bulls the surprise team of the playoffs.
4-16-14: Chicago Bulls playoff tickets average $214 on the secondary market, which is 4th in the Eastern conference and 7th overall. The regular season average was $142, meaning there is a 50% premium for the playoffs. The Bulls are currently the 4th seed in the East and set to face the Nets in the Opening Round for the 2nd year in a row.
4-7-14: The Bulls had another strong week as they finished with a 3-1 record. Although they started the week with a 17-point loss against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, the Bulls bounced back with three straight victories. They swept a home-and-home set with the Boston Celtics. On Sunday, D.J. Augustin led Chicago to the five-point win with a career-high 33 points. Mike Dunleavy scored a game-high 22 points in the 14-point victory over the visiting Celtics the following night. Then on Wednesday, Augustin had another strong night. He scored 23 points in the Bulls’ 13-point win against the Hawks in Atlanta.
4-1-14: Chicago had an interesting wrinkle to the schedule as they approached the end of March: in a six-day stretch, the Bulls took on the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers twice each without playing any other team. The Bulls played three games this past week, two of which were against the Eastern Conference-best Pacers. In Indiana on Friday, Joakim Noah put up yet another double-double as he scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. On Saturday, the Bulls began a three-game homestand by winning by double digits against the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, Taj Gibson led the way with 23 points in the Bulls’ 89-77 win over the Pacers.
3-24-14: The Bulls had an interesting week of opponents. They won games against two of the league’s worst squads and then dropped Monday’s contest to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that many people think will represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Although Joakim Noah has not been a triple-double machine this past week, he still kept up his point, rebound and assist totals. In these three games, he averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists per contest. Noah’s strong 2014 has been one of the reasons why the Bulls are on their way to getting to third place in the Eastern Conference.
3-17-14: The Bulls had a very difficult week of opponents, and they finished with a 2-2 record. Chicago began the six-game homestand on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies. They combined for one of the lowest scoring first quarters this season, but the Bulls gave up 30 points in the third quarter en route to the 85-77 loss. However, the Bulls bounced back in a big way. They hosted the Miami Heat on Sunday and rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Heat in overtime, 95-88. Although Chicago lost by eight points on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls dominated the Houston Rockets two days later.
3-10-14: Joakim Noah had an eventful week as he led the Bulls to a 3-1 record. On Friday, Taj Gibson helped Noah lead the comeback charge as Gibson put up game-highs in both points and rebounds. Chicago was down by as many as 16 points, but beat the Dallas Mavericks, 100-91. The Bulls then signed Jimmer Fredette and played a back-to-back set against the New York teams. In the Bulls’ 109-90 victory over the Knicks on Sunday, Noah posted his fifth career triple-double. After Noah dished off a game-high 14 assists in that contest, Chicago only amassed 12 total assists in its 96-80 loss to the Nets on Monday. However, Noah triple-doubled the Bulls to victory again on Wednesday. This time, it was a 105-94 win in Detroit.
3-4-14: In a possible first round preview, the Bulls fell to the Nets 96-80 last night at the Barclays Center. Weak scoring 1st and 3rd quarters did the Bulls in. DJ Augustin again led the Bulls in scoring, with 16 off the bench. The Nets duo of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson poured in 39.
3-3-14: The Bulls continue to surprise the league after another 3-1 week. On Friday, they destroyed the visiting Denver Nuggets. Chicago’s 28-point victory was the franchise’s largest over a Denver team since Michael Jordan was in a red jersey. Unfortunately, Jimmy Butler suffered a rib contusion in that contest. The injury forced Butler to miss the Bulls’ game at Miami on Sunday. The Heat stopped Chicago’s five-game winning streak with a 14-point win. However, the Bulls bounced back with victories over the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. Butler returned for that Warriors game and scored 16 points. The Bulls won the waiver wire war for former Sacramento King Jimmer Fredette. Fredette went 1-2 with 2 points and 2 rebounds in 3 minutes of action in Sunday's 19 point win over the Knicks at the United Center. Joakim Noah also posted a triple double during the game, totaling 13 points, 14 assists (10 in the first half) and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes.
2-28-14: The Bulls are the newest team linked to Sacramento Kings outcast Jimmer Fredette. The former BYU star will have to clear waivers before the Bulls can make an offer at 5pm this Saturday. Fredette hopes he could find success under coach Tom Thibodeau, who has played to the strengths of scoring guards like Nate Robinson and DJ Augustin.
2-27-14: The Bulls showed a dominating defensive presence in their 103-83 win over Golden State on Wednesday night. The team held Stephon Curry to just 5 points on 2-10 shooting. Taj Gibson led Chicago off the bench with 21 points in 27 minutes. Joakim Noah out rebounded Warriors center Andrew Bogut 17-6.
2-26-14: Despite trailing by 14 early the game, the Bulls fought back and overtook the Hawks last night 107-103. The Bulls got the offensive boost they needed with all who saw floor action for more than 5 minutes scoring in double digits. Mike Dunleavy led the way with 22 while Jeff Teague had 26 for the Hawks.
2-25-14: 2 time All-Star center Joakim Noah celebrates his 29th birthday today. Noah is currently averaging 12.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 34.1 minutes per game this season. The Bulls are currently the 4th seed in the eastern conference with a 29-26 record. They'll take on Golden State tomorrow before traveling to Dallas.
2-24-14: Although the Bulls had just one All-Star weekend participant, he played well as always. Joakim Noah came off the bench in the All-Star game to put up eight points, five rebounds and five assists. Chicago then played just one contest this past week. Led by Carlos Boozer’s 20 points and Mike Dunleavy’s season-high 11 rebounds, the men in red defeated the Toronto Raptors, 94-92. While the Bulls were not active at the trade deadline, they did get the best shot blocker from the NBA Developmental League. On Tuesday, the Bulls signed Jarvis Varnado to a 10-day contract. He has averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and a league-best five blocks per game in the D-League this season.
2-18-14: The Bulls have played 20 games since trading away former leading scorer Luol Deng, and they have won 13 of them. They had a 14-18 record before sending him to Cleveland. This week was a perfect one for Chicago as the team moved from one game below .500 to two games above. Although Carlos Boozer missed two of the contests, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah stepped up in his absence. They were the Bulls’ top two scorers on Sunday as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by six points at the Staples Center. Then, Tom Thibodeau’s squad returned to the United Center to take on two Eastern Conference playoff teams. Noah’s fourth career triple-double as well as Gibson’s 24 points and 12 rebounds led the Bulls to the 15-point victory over the Atlanta Hawks. On Thursday, Gibson’s game-high 16 points and Noah’s game-high 13 rebounds helped Chicago get the 92-76 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
2-10-14: The Bulls’ road trip is not treating them too well. They were above .500, but the loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday dropped them to 23-23. Then on Monday, Joakim Noah became the subject of controversy. After he was ejected for verbally abusing the officials in the Bulls’ blowout loss to the Sacramento Kings, everyone in the sports world pondered if he would be suspended. However, new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver decided to fine him $15,000. The Bulls were lucky to get Noah back for their Tuesday night game at Phoenix because his game-high 14 rebounds led them to victory. However, Noah’s career-high 11 assists were not enough to get the Bulls the win in Golden State on Thursday.
2-4-14: Although the Luol Deng-less Bulls had a difficult week, they finished it above .500. They definitely surprised their fans, as they won both of their road games against teams in playoff position. Chicago defeated both the Charlotte Bobcats and San Antonio Spurs. Although they dropped home games to the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves, they played the latter game without Joakim Noah, who was out due to illness. Then on Wednesday, Noah returned from a one-game absence and nearly triple-doubled in the Bulls’ win over the Spurs. The University of Florida product has now grabbed double-digit rebounds in a career-best 17 consecutive games.
1-27-14: The Bulls have been busy with 10-day contracts recently. They re-signed Cartier Martin to give him 20 total days with the team and gave Mike James a contract as well. Chicago signed James because the organization traded Marquis Teague to the Brooklyn Nets for Toko Shengelia. In addition to the Bulls making a few moves off the court, they also succeeded on the floor. D.J. Augustin and Joakim Noah helped the squad to a 3-1 record this past week. Even without Kirk Hinrich and Carlos Boozer playing on Wednesday, Chicago defeated former Bull Luol Deng and his Cleveland Cavaliers.
1-20-14: Not many people expected the Bulls to compete for a playoff spot after trading Luol Deng, but they continue to win games. Deng’s last contest in Chicago was a seven-point victory over the Atlanta Hawks on January 4, but the Bulls’ winning streak did not stop there. They went on to defeat the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats to get the closest they have been to .500 since early December. Although the Bulls lost to the Washington Wizards on Monday, they bounced back to beat the Orlando Magic in triple-overtime two days later. Interestingly, Chicago has been involved in both of the NBA’s triple-overtime games this season.
1-7-14: The Bulls fought through quite a few injuries this past week to win two of their four games and push into playoff position. Luol Deng, Jimmy Butler, Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson have all been nicked up in some way recently. Without Deng, Chicago lost to the Dallas Mavericks by 22 points, but then they beat the Grizzlies in Memphis. After missing five consecutive games and nine total contests in the month of December, Deng returned on Tuesday. Although the Bulls dropped that game to the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors, Deng scored a game-high 16 points. Then, he had an efficient performance on Thursday, as Chicago defeated the Boston Celtics by 12 points.
12-30-13: Even without Luol Deng, who has been sidelined by a sore Achilles, the Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets by a combined 33 points. In addition, with those two victories, Chicago doubled its win total for the month of December. Before this week, the Bulls had lost their previous four games and seven of their last eight. Therefore, it will be important for the Bulls to put that poor stretch behind them by continuing to get production from the power forward position. Both Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson have scored double-digit points in each of their last four games.
12-22-13: Not only is Derrick Rose out for the season, but the Bulls have also witnessed injuries to Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler over the last week. Therefore, D.J. Augustin, who Chicago signed on December 13, has already played at least 30 minutes in three games in a red jersey. The severe depth problems have hindered the team’s offensive cohesion, which has led to low scoring. Playing five games in four different cities in seven days did not help the basketball team. The Bulls dropped four of those five contests, including Thursday’s national-televised game at Oklahoma City. The Thunder defeated the Bulls, 107-95, but Joakim Noah did score a season-high 23 points.
12-13-13: Although the Bulls recently had a huge 20-point victory over the Heat, they have not tasted victory since. On Saturday, the Bulls suffered by far their worst home loss of the young season, as the Detroit Pistons beat them, 92-75. Chicago then dropped games on consecutive nights to two of the worst teams in the league, the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks. It is sure going to be a tough season for the Rose-less Bulls, but they still have a chance to make the playoffs in the terrible Eastern Conference. They will need contributions from Jimmy Butler and Luol Deng when healthy.
12-6-13: Tom Thibodeau has fallen on hard luck since his first year in Chicago. The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, but they did not reach that round in either of the last two postseasons. This is due in part to Derrick Rose missing more games than he has played over the last couple of seasons. Although Rose was struggling with his shot early in the 2013-14 season, he made such a difference for the Bulls. Since he torn his medial meniscus in Portland, Chicago’s record has fallen below .500. After losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans, the Bulls did manage to regain their winning ways with a 20-point victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday.
11-28-13: It was an extremely grim weak in Chicago with the news coming out that Derrick Rose would be sidelined for the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The team came out defeated from the get-go in road losses against the Clippers and the league worst Utah Jazz before rebounding by blowing out the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. The Bulls sit at 7-7 on the season and their six game road trip finally comes to an end on Saturday night in Cleveland.
11-25-13:After missing all of last year, Derrick Rose will now miss the rest of the 2013-14 NBA season after having surgery for another knee injury-this time a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.
11-22-13: The road has not been kind to the 6-4 overall Chicago Bulls so far this year. The Bulls fell to 1-4 this year on the road after a 97-87 loss on Thursday night in Denver. Prior to losing to the Nuggets, the Bulls had won their five previous games. Chicago will have to cure their road woes quickly as their next five games are all on the road and will also have to do it without Jimmy Butler who is out for 2-3 weeks with a sprained right toe.
11-15-13: After struggling out of the gates to a 1-3 start, the Chicago Bulls took their last two games in deciding fashion to even out at a solid 3-3. Despite star point guard Derrick Rose still struggling to find his shot and offense seemingly difficult to come by overall for Chicago, the Bulls have tightened up their defense to pull back to .500. With the defense in tow, the Bulls will be looking like the tough playoff team they were pegged to be if Rose can start working himself back into elite shape.
11-8-13: Derrick Rose’s comeback hasn’t gone quite as planned, as the star point guard hasn’t topped 20 points yet in a game and the Bulls are just 1-3 through four games. The good news is that Rose looks as good as ever and even reeled in some heroics in Chicago’s second game, as he nailed a game-winning floater to earn the Bulls their only win on the year. Just as important as Rose shaking off the rust, however, will be Chicago’s surprisingly suspect defense, as the normally defensively stout Bulls have allowed 97+ points in all three losses so far this season.
11-1-13: Derrick Rose’s return to the Bulls’ preseason lineup could not have gone any better. They owned an NBA-best 8-0 record in the preseason, showing that they are ready for the 2013-14 season. Although none of those games counted, Tom Thibodeau is ready to put his team in the best position to compete for the championship. Along with Rose putting up solid numbers, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Carlos Boozer had fantastic preseasons. Boozer put up more than 13 points per game while Deng shot 50 percent from 3-point and Gibson shot almost 60 percent from the field.
10-18-13: The Chicago Bulls managed to have one of the best records in the NBA last season despite not having their best player Derrick Rose at all. This season he is back and is said to be even better than he was before tearing his ACL in the 2011 playoffs. The Bulls are undefeated at 4-0 this preseason with Rose back at full strength and have four games remaining before the regular season begins:
- October 18 vs Indiana Pacers
- October 21 vs Milwaukee Bucks
- October 23 @ Oklahoma City Thunder
- October 25 vs Denver Nuggets
8-23-13: Derrick Rose back! Derrick Rose back! After missing the entire 2012-2013 season recovering from a torn ACL, the former MVP will be back and ready to roll for the Chicago Bulls when they tip the season off on October 29th against the Miami Heat. After stealing the first game of the second round last year against Miami, the injury-ravaged Bulls fell apart and lost the next four games. The biggest boost Chicago will receive from the offseason is a healthy trio of All-Stars in Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. While the Bulls lost Nate Robinson in free agency, they did pick up the underrated Mike Dunleavy Jr.
The Bulls open their home season schedule on Thursday, October 31st against the New York Knicks. The Miami Heat will visit Chicago on Thursday, December 5th and Sunday, March 9th. Central Division rivals, the Indiana Pacers, make their way to Chicago on Saturday, November 16th and Monday, March 24th.
Key Home Games:
- October 31st – New York Knicks
- November 16th – Indiana Pacers
- January 20th – L.A. Lakers
- February13th – Brooklyn Nets
- March 13th – Houston Rockets
8-21-13: Free agent center Dexter Pittman has been invited to Bulls' training camp and has accepted the invitation. The deal is non-guaranteed. The 25-year-old 25-year-old, second round pick, won a ring with the Heat in 2012 and spent the last seven games last year with the Grizzlies.
8-18-13: Jimmy Butle hates the Heat and wants people to know about it. He even said that the Bulls must stop the Heat from three-peating this season and also said their rivalry is "crazy".
2013 Bulls Draft Summary:
Round 1, Pick 20: SF Tony Snell, New Mexico.
Round 2, Pick 19: PF Erik Murphy, Florida.
6-12-13: The words ‘blue collar’ only begin to describe the grit of this season’s Bulls roster. Playing this entire season without Derrick Rose, the Bulls were still able to shove themselves into the playoffs and even win a round. Many writers had harsh opinion for Derrick Rose, who was cleared to play on a repaired torn ACL but opted not to. It is fair to assume that the emergence of Nate Robinson had something to do with his decision to not join his teammates during the playoffs but that wasn’t enough to keep the critics off his back. Joakim Noah made the all-star team for the first time in his career but also missed several games due to chronic foot injuries.
2-27-13: The second place Chicago Bulls have still yet to play one single game with their best player, Derrick Rose. At 32-25, losers of two straight, the Bulls are in the 6th seed, two games ahead of the 7 seeded Celtics. The Bulls have been able to put together nice win streaks at different points of the season so far, but always seem to fall back down to earth rather harshly. Last week the Bulls were blown out in Oklahoma City by 30 points and then turned around to lose to a Cleveland team who didn’t have Kyrie Irving. Despite recent blunders, the Bulls are a threat to anyone, come playoff time. Next up, the Bulls will face the 76ers and Nets, both games will be played in Chicago.
11-26-12: Coming into this season one had to be very curious on how the Bulls would fare without superstar guard Derrick Rose. With rose possibly out the entire season the Bulls will have to find other ways to win games. Defense has remained their staple as they are 6th in the league in points allowed. If Rose does come back, expect the Bulls to be back on top of the East before the season is over.
