Hinrich Finds Road to Redemption (OK, to Victory)

December 4, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Thursday thoughts (or unreasonable facsimiles thereof) while wondering whether the Chicago Bulls are the only NBA team with a winning record overall and a losing record at home (OK, the answer is yes; they are with 2-4 at home and 12-7 overall):

December 2014 Playboy Playmate Elizabeth Ostrander is a guest on Thursday’s “Sports & Torts” at noon Central time on Talkzone.com.

* Based on their road/home won-lost splits this season, maybe the Bulls should reschedule their home games for the road. Something says the Bulls will be better than .500 at home before the season — and quite possibly the year — is over.

* The statistical-analysis department around here worked long and hard — OK, maybe more like short and soft but still managed to spit out some numbers — to figure out the Bulls are 10-3 on the road this season after Wednesday night’s victory at Charlotte. Only the Orlando Magic has played more road games (5-9 away from home). No team has played as few home games as the Bulls. The team with the best road record is Golden State (which visits the United Center to face the Bulls on Saturday night).

* Speaking of NBA numbers, the Philadelphia 76ers became the last team in the league to win a road game with their 85-77 triumph at Minnesota. The Sixers’ 1-7 road record actually is better than that of New York, Charlotte, Detroit and Oklahoma City. Those teams are 1-8 on the road. Also statistically significant about Philly’s victory: It was their first of the season. Meaning they still are in great shape to equal the reverse record of the best season in NBA history, the 72-10 of the 1995-96 Bulls.

* Speaking of the Bulls, their 102-95 victory vs. the Hornets was made possible in part by a pair of Kirk Hinrich three-point field goal in the final three minutes. Yes, the same Kirk Hinrich whose foul on a three-point attempt in the final seconds of Tuesday’s home gave vs. Dallas let the Mavs send the game into overtime with the Mavericks winning in double overtime. Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, who was brutally honest by such a stupid mistake, reconsidered his words Wednesday. “I feel bad for saying it,” he said. “I should have maybe phrased it different, maybe say it wasn’t the smartest play I’ve ever seen. I mean, he knows. Kirk’s been around for a long, long time and has been a great pro in this league. You think of a play like that, you think more of a younger guy fouling that late.”

* Speaking of Hinrich, he said he was unaware of Nowitzki’s Tuesday remark: “I didn’t even know what he said till somebody said it to me today right before the game. “I can’t argue with him. It was a dumb play.”

* Still speaking of the Bulls, Hinrich (12 points) and Nikola Mirotic (11 points, 12 rebounds) tied for the best plus/minus numbers with a plus-9 vs. the Hornets. Pau Gasol (team highs for points and rebounds with 19 and 15 respectively) was a hero with a zero plus/minus, as was Derrick Rose (15 points).

* If it is Thursday (and it seems quite likely that it — provided that you are reading this on Dec. 4, 2014, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time once again for the weekly edition of “Sports & Torts at noon Central time on Talkzone.com. Co-hosted by David Spada and Elliott Harris, the interview show features two guests this week: December 2014 Playboy Playmate Elizabeth Ostrander and former Miami Dolphins receiver Mark Clayton. The highly acclaimed program (well, it is held in such regard in the Spada and Harris households, as well as reportedly elsewhere) also will be available on podcast at the Talkzone.com web site later Thursday (and presumably forever, possibly longer) at the site. Elizabeth has the rare distinction of being on the cover as well as being the magazine’s centerfold.

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