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Who was that masked man? Well, in that it was a see-through mask, the answer was fairly clear — especially to Chicago Bulls fans. Richard “Rip” Hamilton returned to the court after missing 19 games with a shoulder injury. He was a late addition to the starting lineup in a game Monday (April 2) the Bulls lost to the visiting Houston Rockets 99-93.
A photo of Chicago Luvabulls dancer Krystal or one of Chicago Bulls guard "Rip" Hamilton? Such a difficult decision. Not.
On the face of things, Hamilton was a little short of passable. He had six points (all in the first quarter) and five turnovers (two in the first quarter, two in the second and one in the third).
“There was some good and some bad, about what I expected,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. :He had been out a long time. I thought at the start of the game he was very good. It’s a base line, but we have a long way to go. I am more concerned about our team right now.”
Rightfully so. And not merely because the team’s streak of not losing consecutive games ended. The Bulls had not lost consecutive regular-season games since Feb. 5-7, 2011. That was a streak of 86 games, second-longest in NBA history to the 95 by the Utah Jazz (Nov. 22, 1997-March 19, 1969).
The Bulls had 19 turnovers to the Rockets’ 8.
“When you turn the ball over and put them in the open floor, they get easy baskets, and they are going to get confidence,” Thibodeau said. “When you do that, you are making your job twice as hard. That’s what we did — beat ourselves.”
Anyone looking for a highlight to the evening should have seen the halftime program: a contest between girls teams from the Illinois Special Olympics. As public-address announcer Tommie Edwards was counting down the final seconds to the brief contest, one of the players dribbled toward the basket, stopped about 20 feet from the hoop — “3 … 2 …” — and took aim, releasing the ball before Edwards’ ” … 1!” The ball banked off the backboard and swished through the net. I’m not certain which team won — or that it mattered. Something says thanks to an ending that even Hollywood would find to believe, everyone was a winner. Quite the moment.
Back to NBA action, here are some videos featuring the Chicago Luvabulls dance team and some postgame interviews:
Multi-talented Maria Menounos not only is versatile, she is flexible — as her wrestling Sunday and dancing Monday demonstrate. How she made it from Miami to Los Angeles and still was able to perform the way she did is even more incredible. She and dance partner Derek Hough wowed the “Dancing With the Stars” judges who gave the duo 9’s.
Here’s Maria after her Wrestlemania victory Sunday in Miami:
Somewhere in this photo is a book that will be at the Arlington Heights Library on Tuesday night -- sadly, without any Chicago Bliss players in uniform.
From this site’s shameless self-promotion department comes news that there will be an event of note Tuesday at the Arlington Heights Library as part of an ongoing sports-themed series. Participating will be veteran scribe Jim O’Donnell, whose work appears in the Chicago Tribune and who will lead the discussion on “Batter Up for Baseball Season.” Also taking part will be Comcast SportsNet Cubs analyst and former Cubs oufielder Todd Hollandsworth and Elliott Harris (gee, that name sounds familiar from some place), author of Hoodoo: Unraveling the 100-Year Mystery of the Chicago Cubs (well, it was 100 years in 2008 when the book came out). The terrific trio will chat about what to expect from the Cubs and White Sox — as well as other big-league teams –this season. There might even be a giveaway or two (with at least one involving a pair of Cubs tickets). The event is scheduled to run from 7-8:30 p.m. Extra innings are not anticipated. But, hey, you never know. Plus there is the possibility that Comcast SportsNet will be there with a camera to record for posterity. Or “SportsNet Central.” Or both.
Perhaps the best part of all this is being able to run a photo of an attractive female holding up the book. As two, as is the case today. Well, you had to know there was a reason — other than pure ego — for running a mention of the library event. Something says this item will find its way into Monday’s and Tuesday’s postings — with a different photo likely each day.
Speaking of baseball, Finley Dunne’s Tavern will hold its annual “Eve of the Opener” Wednesday (April 4) from 7-11 p.m. Cost is $40 for food or drinks with proceeds to benefit the Dempster Family Foundation. Further information is available at (773) 477-7311. Finley Dunne’s is located at 3458 N. Lincoln in Chicago.
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