HAWKS 58 – BULLS 97
Well, it was a disappointing night for the Bulls fans in attendance at the United Center. The Bulls came 3 points shy of getting everyone in the crowd a free Big Mac. Other than that, it was a standout performance by the Bulls, who have been struggling at home as of late.
First, lets list some of the records that were broken tonight. For both teams.
- The Bulls set a Chicago record for fewest points allowed.
- The Bulls holding Atlanta to 20 points in the half is a new Chicago record.
- Atlanta’s 5 point second quarter set a new franchise low for points scored in a quarter.
Oh, the Hawks also came two points shy of scoring a franchise low in a game. Oh well. The Bulls gave it their darndest.
You could tell the Hawks were starting to get frustrated in the third quarter when Devin Harris got a flagrant foul called on him for giving Kirk Hinrich (who was going up for a layup) a body check straight out of a Blackhawks game. Sorry Atlanta, your Hawks play basketball.
Josh Smith got a technical foul shortly after that for throwing the ball towards the Bulls bench after he put in a layup. Going 4 for 14 from the field would frustrate anyone.
Jeff Teague decided he wanted a technical foul too, so he decided to argue with the referees for an extended period of time after he thought he was fouled on the offensive end.
Leading the charge for the Bulls was none other than Carlos Boozer again. Recording his 20th double double of the season, Boozer finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Has this guy been on fire lately, or what?! He leads the Eastern Conference in the double double category.
Helping him out was Luol Deng. Putting up 18 points, he shot 7 of 9 from the field. Not everyone on the Bulls had such great shooting nights, however, as the team were only able to shoot 42% collectively.
Off the bench, both Taj Gibson and Nate Robinson played good games. Robinson scored 9 points, while Gibson scored 8. They both chipped in 7 rebounds. Taj also had a massive dunk over Anthony Tolliver that Stacey King turned into a poster. What an honor.
Other points of interest off the Bulls bench: Jimmy Butler had 8 points and Daequan Cook had his first points as a Bull, sinking a pair of three pointers.
The Bulls move to 21-15 on the season now and are 11-10 at home. Their next game is in Toronto on Wednesday as they take on the 14-23 Raptors.
