Bulls Look to Rebound From Loss to Hornets

March 14, 2015 @ admin → No Comments

The Chicago Bulls made only 10 turnovers against the host Charlotte Hornets Friday night. The Bulls were 15-for-32 from three-point range (that’s a 46.9 percentage) with Tony Snell going 5-for-9 and Doug McDermott 3-for-4 on three-pointers. The Bulls led 35-19 after one quarter. So, of course, they won. Didn’t they? Nope. Lost 101-91 by scoring 31 second-half points (10 in the third quarter). No easy task, mind you.

Video below of Crystal Hefner at the Playboy Mansion.

* Overall the Bulls were 31-of-82 from the field. Meaning they were 16-of-50 on two-pointers. With the statistical-analysis crew taking the night off, it was up to your humble correspondent to calculate that the Bulls shot 32 percent on their attempts other than three-pointers. Meaning you’re generally going to lose — unless you hop into a time machine and it’s NBA basketball of the early 1950s.

* Bulls center Joakim Noah had as many technical fouls as he did points (that number being 1). Not that he was the reason the Bulls lost. Reserve guards Kirk Hinrich and E’twaun Moore each went 0-for-5 from the field. Not that they were the reason the Bulls lost.

* Charlotte outrebounded the Bulls 55-36. On the offensive boards, the Hornets outrebounded the Bulls 17-4. The disparity in rebounds was a big part of the reason for the Bulls’ loss. And then there’s fatigue and the missing starters and … Find an excuse, any excuse. It’s not going to change the outcome.

* Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau: “The first quarter was as well as we played all year, but then the last three quarters the second shot got us. … So much of rebounding is will and determination and [the Hornets] are fighting for a playoff spot.”

* Speaking of playoff spots, the Bulls appear to be likely to land in the No. 3 or No. 4 playoff position in the East against most likely Milwaukee or Washington, depending how the rest of the season plays out.

* Cubs starter Cubs Tsuyoshi Wada left Friday’s Cactus League game against Cleveland with left groin tightness after recording two outs. Which makes the Indians’ 7-4 triumph something of a painful loss for the Cubs. On the less painful side for the Cubs, they beat Oakland 5-3 in Las Vegas. Three of the Cubs runs were unearned. But who are they to be picky about the type of runs they score?

* White Sox starter Jose Quintana threw 31 strikes in 45 pitches and did not allow a ball out of the infield in the team’s 5-2 loss to Colorado. That’s the good news. He recorded only eight outs before his outing was over. That’s not-so-great news, but it’s early, and it’s spring training. And with Chris Sale sidelined for the start of the season, the Sox don’t need any more spring straining.

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