Spurs’ Parker Scores 32 in Beating Bulls

March 9, 2015 @ admin → No Comments

Monday meanderings: The Chicago Bulls scored one point more in the first half Sunday than they did in the third quarter. They shot 51 percent from the field. Pau Gasol had his NBA-leading 42nd double-double by halftime. Sound good so far, Bulls fans? Well, they were playing at San Antonio. Spurs forward Tim Duncan was 0-for-8 from the field, the first time in his career that he failed to make a basket. Still sound good? Well, the Spurs still are coached by Gregg Popovich. San Antonio won 116-105. Something says the Bulls just might not be on national television as much next season as they are this season.

Video below of Camala Rodriguez McClure from the 2015 Arnold Classic.

* Speaking of Duncan, his streak of 1,310 consecutive contests with a field goal is an NBA record. Not that his failure to sink a shot was necessarily a result of tenacious Bulls defense.

* Speaking of Bulls defense, Spurs guard Tony Parker had a season-high 32 points with no Bulls defender seeming capable of guarding him.

* With the halftime score 57-39 in favor of the Spurs, one — or at least one who pays some attention to the NBA — would have a fairly good idea this game would be a fairly easy victory for the Spurs. And it was, thanks in no small part to 20 Bulls turnovers that became 32 Spurs points.

* Gasol finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds, both team highs as were his 33 minutes played. With the Bulls at home Monday night against Memphis, Gasol might have been better off with more bench time, but Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau sometimes likes to think he can beat any team in the NBA. And his team can. Occasionally the team the Bulls beat happens to be themselves. No other Bulls player logged more than 29 minutes vs. the Spurs. What that means remains to be seen.

* Yes, the Bulls miss sidelined players Derrick Rose. Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. But Thibodeau contends the Bulls still can contend game-by-game. Which is true when they play well. They did not play well against San Antonio.

* Jeff Samardzija allowed two runs in three innings in his White Sox debut and was the beneficiary of a six-run Sox fourth to be deemed the winning pitcher in a 10-4 exhibition vs. the Oakland Athletics. Guessing Samardzija will take his chances on winning 20 games if the Sox can score six or more in his starts this season.

* The Cubs continued to save their victories for the regular season by losing 6-4 to the Texas Rangers. The Cubs (0-4) and Milwaukee Brewers (0-4) are the only big-league teams without a spring-training triumph. And a reminder: Spring training won-lost records mean very little in the grand — and not so grand — scheme of things.

* Speaking of the Cubs and spring-training success (or lack thereof), Cubs second baseman Javier Baez showed how much improved he is at making contact at the plate. In three at-bats against the Rangers, he struck out three times. Yes, it’s early.

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