Bulls Find Road to Successful Trip in Win vs. Nets

December 1, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Monday meanderings: With a 102-84 victory Sunday at Brooklyn over the Nets, the Chicago Bulls ended their road trip with a 4-3 record. If that doesn’t scream NBA championship, nothing does. OK, maybe nothing does scream — or even whisper — an NBA title this season for the Bulls, but their performance has been impressive given the injuries to key players this season.

Congratulations to Ashley Kaltwasser for winning the bikini title in Moscow.

* Speaking of Bulls who have been injured, guard Derrick Rose started and completed consecutive games for the first time this season. And, yes, there were those who wondered why Rose didn’t depart the court before 3:17 left in the fourth quarter and the Bulls comfortably ahead. He did have 14 points in 29 minutes. And no injuries!

* Speaking of injured Bulls, Taj Gibson missed his fourth game in a row. Rookie Nikola Mirotic has been a more than adequate replacement for the backup forward. Mirotic had 12 points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes Sunday. It appears Mirotic is more comfortable on the court and coach Tom Thibodeau is more comfortable using him.

* Speaking of Bulls rookies, the team’s No. 1 draft pick Doug McDermott is seeing limited playing time (six minutes vs. Nets). The Bulls might not need him to contribute to contend for a deep postseason run. But you have to think Thibodeau might give him additional playing time as the season progresses. Because that’s the only way McDermott will make progress.

Video below of Ashley Kaltwasser competing in Russia.

* Speaking of making progress, Jimmy Butler once again led the Bulls with 25 points (7-of-12 from the field — including 1-of-3 from three-point range and 11-of-13 free throws). Even more impressive was that he played a mere 39 minutes.

* Speaking of playing time, Pau Gasol had 25 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes. Maybe Thibodeau is taking this time-management thing with an increased sense of importance after all.

* If anyone wants to explain why the Bulls have a home game Tuesday and another road game Wednesday, I’m wiling to listen.

* The Green Bay Packers’ 26-21 victory vs. visiting New England means the Bears (5-7) will not win the NFC North. The Packers are 9-3. Even worse for the Bears, the Rams defeated Oakland 52-0 in St. Louis. Meaning there is no way the Bears will overtake the Raiders (1-11) in the quest for the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Even still worse, the Bears are likely to be mired in mediocrity for a draft spot. They do have a shot at a top 10 pick but most likely only if they can lose their last four games.

* Speaking of the Raiders, before their game five Rams players – Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Jared Cook and Chris Givens — entered the field with their hands raised (as in “hands up. don’t shoot”) as a show of solidarity with those protesting the fatal shooting of Michael Brown and lack of an indictment of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson (who resigned recently). The St. Louis Police Officers Association issued a statement demanding the players be punished and issue an apology because someone or maybe even many ones found the action “offensive.”

* Sill speaking about the Rams, here is part of the statement from the SLPOA: I’d remind the NFL and their players that it is not the violent thugs burning down buildings that buy their advertiser’s products. It’s cops and the good people of St. Louis and other NFL towns that do. Some folks have interpreted that statement to be code language for “good” meaning white. Which would tend to make the statement nothing short of racist ranting. Because that’s sure what it reads like.

* And furthermore, if anyone should be issuing an apology, it should be the SLPOA and anyone else who played a role in issuing a statement when none was needed. Unless, of course, you would like to live in a police state. And a police state not merely for persons of color. The police have a difficult job. Statements such as the one from the SLPOA doesn’t make it any easier. And they certainly don’t make race relations — in a city that needs healing along those lines — any better.

* Wondering what the chances are of any of the aforementioned Rams players being stopped by police — and not to ask for an autograph.

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