A Bulls Victory With Links to Lacy Banks

Overcoming tough times is something that Lacy J. Banks could have identified with. The Chicago Sun-Times sportswriter who died Wednesday (March 21) likely would have enjoyed the Chicago Bulls-Toronto Raptors contest Saturday that included a moment of silence to him in a pregame tribute.

A photograph of one of the Bulls players or one of Luvabulls dancer Brittany? This was not a difficult decision.

With starters Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton sidelined by injury, the Bulls lost center Joakim Noah when he was whistled for two technical fouls with 1:28 left in the second quarter.

“I don’t have any problem with the way the game was officiated,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Those guys did a good job. I have a problem with the way we played. It’s everybody. It starts with me. I have to do a better job of having them ready.”

Perseverance is also something Lacy could have identified with. The Bulls showed plenty of that in a 102-101 overtime victory at the United Center. Luol Deng’s tip-in at the buzzer of a blocked C.J. Watson field-goal attempt scored the winning points.

“C.J. drove, the ball came up short, and I just tipped it in,” said Deng, who had 23 points and 19 rebounds.

“We were lucky to get that game,” Thibodeau said. “They dominated us. They outrebounded us by 14 [58-44]. They played hard; we didn’t play well.”

“We always hust find ways [to win,” Deng said. “It’s a long season, so many games. So every game is going to be a different story. Toronto played great, but we just hung in there and found a way at the end.”

Helping out were missed free throws — one by former Bulls James Johnson and two by Gary Forbes — in the game’s final 15.2.

“We had free throws to make and Andrea [Bargnani] had a great look right at the end [of regulation],” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “It’s just that down the stretch we didn’t make those free throws, and he missed a shot he would make nine times out of 10.”

“We deserved to win tonight,” said Johnson, who had 20 points, “but they made the game-winning plays down the stretch.”

With this the game-winner by Deng:

Before the Bulls game, there was a moment of silence for longtime Chicago scribe Lacy J. Banks, who died Wednesday at age 68. It was the latest in a series of salutes to the first African-American to occupy a full-time sportswriting job at the Chicago Sun-Times. To think he was a pioneer in 1972 speaks volumes to the world in which Lacy grew up. And, yes, some of us get to call him by his first name. That’s one of the perks after more than 30 years of having worked together. The good reverend surely would understand and agree no disrespect here.

Recommended reading: Among the tributes honoring Lacy to appear on the Internet are ones from Sam Smith of bulls.com, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com and Michael Wilbon of ESPNChicago.com.

Some pregame video that includes the moment of silence to Lacy:

Some Luvabulls video (mandatory assignment whenever the editorial staff of elliottharris.com covers a Bulls home game):

Some postgame video:

For the non-NBA enthusiasts in the audience, how about some golf? Not the PGA or LPGA. Try Playboy Golf, which will have its finals in Los Angeles March 28-April 1. For an idea of what the action (golf and/or otherwise) is like, may we suggest the following video:

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