Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings

Ahh, already the NBA season just started and I am already a few games behind. Well the Bulls defeated the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 29 with the final score of 108-98. The Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day in a thriller with the final score of 88-87. The Bulls then lost the following evening to the Golden State Warriors 99-91. The Bulls are now 2-1 on the young season and will look to continue their success against the up and coming Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 30 in L.A. The Bulls came out strong against Sacramento and then the Bulls got a little lackadaisical and let Sacramento creep back into the contest. The Bulls really struggled with fouls in this contest as Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah each had five fouls in this game, Omer Asik had four fouls as well in the game. The Bulls finished with 27 personal fouls in the game and Sacramento finished with 19. The Bulls went 16-21 from the free throw line as Sacramento went 20-34. If Sacramento would have knocked down all of their free throws, the Bulls may have not won this game. The Kings really gave the Bulls fits at times, but once again the Bulls bench shined through in this game. Ronnie Brewer led the bench mob with 12 points after going 5-5 from the field. C.J. Watson had eight points and nine assists, Kyle Korver and Taj Gibson each chipped in six points. Derrick Rose led the way for the Bulls with 19 points. Carlos Boozer had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, Richard Hamilton had 16 points in this game too. The Bulls had 25 assists in this game as opposed to only 13 by Sacramento. The Kings leading guy in assists was Jimmer Fredette and Chuck Hayes each with three assists. That is one thing that really benefited the Bulls in this game. The Kings got the ball in their hands and they were looking to score everytime, they were not looking to pass the ball. At the end of the day, basketball is a team game, you are not going to win when you try to play a one man game. The Bulls won this game by ten, but they will need to clean up their fouls. They cannot give up more free throws than they get if they want to win games in the future against better teams. The Bulls will finish up this road trip against Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and the Clippers on Friday night. The Bulls will then return home for the home opener against the Grizzlies on Sunday.

Is There Any Loyalty In Sports Anymore?

It seems that all of professional sports have insisted that is not about the money and that is about winning and winning championships. That definitely does not seem to be the case anymore around professional sports as teams will leave their teams that they played for from the start, just because they can go make some more money somewhere else. Starting with the latest development today, Albert Pujols signed a ten year $254 million deal to go to the Los Angeles Angels. Pujols has played on the St. Louis Cardinals ever since he started in the MLB in 2001. He has become the face of that franchise and even the face of that city for so many years as he has become, arguably, the best player in baseball. I never took Pujols for a guy that wanted the cash, but he proved it here by taking the money to play in Los Angeles. The Miami Marlins offered Pujols somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 million and he rejected it. I could understand that because they do not have that great of a team even with signing Buerhle and Reyes. What was wrong with returning to St. Louis though for Pujols, they just won a World Series. I never expected him to leave St. Louis, but he did and he will now be playing for the L.A. Angels for the next ten years. This is somewhat similar to what LeBron James did, he left the city that was his hometown and a place that he played for many years. I know that Cleveland was not that great of a team and he left and formed a super team down in Miami with Wade and Bosh at his side, but once again he left a team that wanted him back and he gave the fans of Cleveland the biggest slap in the face after his one hour 'decision' on ESPN. Pujols' deal comes as a huge shock to the whole MLB and so did LeBron James' move. Both of those guys left their respective teams after playing for them for so long. These moves were completely unexpected, and these guys have shown no loyalty for their teams. One guy that was completely loyal was Kerry Wood. Wood took a big paycut to play for the Chicago Cubs who he played for for so many years. This is the kind of sports player that is dedicated and loyal to his team, because he started out playing for them and he wants to end playing for them. For Pujols and LeBron though it is true what they say, "Money is the root of all evil."

Chicago Bulls Free Agent Targets

So once again I have been very slow on getting these articles written and I am trying to keep up to date with all of the happenings in the sporting world, especially the NBA. As you all know the NBA is back and there is a great slate of games that are scheduled to kick off the NBA season on Christmas Day. On Dec. 9, the training camps will open and the free agent frenzy will be underway. One of the new things that was included in the latest collective bargaining agreement is the "amnesty rule," where each team is granted a way to release a multi-million dollar contract. Just like that, a bad situation is released from your team. This is a really good thing for a team that realizes they made a mistake on paying players a ton of money. Let's take Albert Haynesworth for example here, or actually lets not, I bet everyone is wishing they never signed him. The Chicago Bulls have been rumored to pick up a lot of solid names either through free agency, trade or this new amnesty clause. One player the Chicago Bulls have been rumored to be acquiring is Brandon Roy. He would have to be released and would be one of those bad contracts that the Portland Trail Blazers would be trying to get rid of. He has had injury struggles in the past and honestly, I like him, but the Bulls don't need a liability on their team, they need a scorer. Other options include Michael Redd, Rip Hamilton (through trade), Courtney Lee or Aaron Afflalo. Each one of those players would be an upgrade from Keith Bogans as far as scoring goes. Out of that group, Afflalo seems to be the most logical because of the fact that he is a young guy and could provide great scoring and he is a good three point shooter as well. Redd is coming off major knee injuries in which he played very little the past two seasons. Hamilton is getting older and he is still good, but I'm not sure if the Bulls have the pieces that they would be willing to give up to get Rip. Courtney Lee would be a very minor upgrade from Keith Bogans and honestly the Bulls shouldn't even think twice about going to get him. The one guy that is an unrestricted free agent and the Bulls would love to have is Jason Richardson from the Orlando Magic. He has played for the Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Bobcats before and he is a magnificent player. He plays tremendous offensively and is able to contribute to the play even without the basketball in his hands. He is deadly from the three point line and it looks like Richardson would be a great compliment to the current MVP Derrick Rose. Jason Richardson has said that he would be willing to take a pay cut to go to a contending team and he can definitely find that in Chicago. I personally would love to see Jason Richardson wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey this upcoming season. He would be a fantastic acquisition to the Bulls organization. He seems to be a solid player as well as a great guy off the court. We will see what happens and how much money Richardson is willing to take and see if he would be okay with coming to Chicago for say $5 million a season instead of $10 million a year. I would really love to see Jason come to Chicago and be that great number-2 guy beside Derrick Rose.

Meeting Caleb Hanie, Steve McMichael and Earl Bennett

It has been a long time since I have written a blog so I figured I would go ahead and catch everyone up with my most recent autograph signing. I went with my dad back on October 29, to go meet Caleb Hanie and Earl Bennett of the current Chicago Bears as well as Steve McMichael of the 85' Bears. There were a lot of signings this day, but I wanted to get Hanie and Bennett for sure seeing I have never met them before. I actually already had Steve McMichael's autograph from a previous signing that my brother got for me. I got up early that morning and I was only planning on going to meet Earl Bennett, when I decided that we should try to get more than just Bennett. I woke my dad up and said lets get going over to this signing for Hanie. We got there at about ten o'clock in the morning and we were the second and third people there. Hanie wasn't there until 11, so we waited about an hour for him to arrive. It was at a Mitsubishi dealership in Countryside, so very close to my house. They had a lot of food there, as well as little footballs and candy for everyone that was there. He showed up and we got a couple of autographs for myself, my brother and my girlfriend. I always try to get my girlfriend an autograph whenever I go to a signing because I like adding to her collection that she has going. We then headed out to where Earl Bennett was going to be in Naperville. I told my dad, "Hey, I think Steve McMichael is signing over in Woodridge, we can stop by." We stopped at the Sam's Club in Woodridge and I had nothing for him to sign, so we just went in to say hello. We walked over to where McMichael was and there was not one person there in the line for an autograph. I thought that was really crazy that no one was even there for him. He ended up signing this piece of paper for me and I shook his hand and left. We walked around Sam's Club and they had so many free samples to give away, it was amazing. My dad and I both tasted this chocolate vodka liquer which was pretty intense and then we also got some brownies there as well. We left Sam's Club and headed off to Naperville. We finally arrived a little after noon at Dick's Sporting Goods and there were a considerable amount of people there for the grand opening of Dick's. We waited there for about twenty minutes, and we went up and met Earl Bennett. He was a really cool guy and was asking us about the other autographs on the ball that we had and where we met his teammates at. After getting an autograph and a picture we left and headed back towards home. I actually had to go and cut grass after this at my aunt's and grandparents house. And then after that I went to bowling for my league in which we won all three games that we played and are now in second place. This was an action packed day for me and I cannot wait to go to more signings. I can see my 50th autograph signing coming up!

                                   

Meeting Corey Crawford

I have not written a blog post recently so I decided it was time to catch up on writing about my most recent signing event. I went to meet Corey Crawford, the goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks, back on September 27th. I have previously been to two other Blackhawks signings including Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook. Both of those signings that I went to were so packed that I just turned around and left the signing. I really hate when that happens because everytime I go to a signing I want to get an autograph, not drive all the way there and leave empty handed. This signing was at Carson's in Orland Park Mall. My dad and I showed up at 3:45. They were handing out wristbands to the first 350 people starting at 4:30. The signing was scheduled for 5:00 and I was super glad that it wasn't slammed like my previous two Blackhawks signings. My dad and I both received wristbands after we each had to donate some article of clothing because this was another Goodwill event. We waited for a very short time as Mr. Crawford showed up about twenty minutes early. When we got up there, my dad got a puck signed for me and then I got my Blackhawks mini helmet signed. I was extremely happy when I left this signing because this was my first Blackhawks signing event. This was also the 40th autograph signing that I have been to. I cannot wait to see who my next signing will be!

Meeting Dan Hampton

This was the second time that I had met Dan Hampton and the third time overall that I have gotten his autograph. The first one my brother had to get for me because it was at a liquor store and I was not old enough to get in at the time. This may have been my 42nd autograph signing that I have been to, but it was a first time for me. I brought my girlfriend's cousin Hayli with me and it was her first signing that she had ever been to. We showed up at about 11:00 and he was going to be there at noon. I always like to show up early becuase you never know how many people are going to be there. We waited for a while and he showed up at like 12:05. He signed just about everything people brought in, meaning like twenty things per person it seemed like. We got up there and he signed Hayli's football really nice with hall of fame and super bowl 20 and everything it looked great. The first time for me though, was I was having him sign a picture of me with him which turned out really cool! I enjoyed doing that because it is rare to meet a sports player more than one time and for him to sign that picture the second time around. It was a fun time and I'm glad that Hayli came with me. I cannot wait to get back out there and get some more signings when I go to meet Dave Bolland on Tuesday.

My Autograph Bonanza!!! Taj Gibson, Dan Hampton, Jimmy Butler, Richard Dent, Lee Smith and Ron Kittle

On Saturday August 27th, 2011, my dad and I took a trip down to the AllState Arena for the best autograph signing I have ever been to to date. It was a Goodwill function where if you donated some items such as clothes or household items you would receive a wristband to receive one players autograph. I selected to get Taj Gibson because he plays for my favorite team, the Chicago Bulls. Dan Hampton, Ron Kittle and Taj Gibson were there from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and Jimmy Butler, Richard Dent and Lee Smith were there from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. I waited in line for Taj Gibson as my dad and I were the first in line at about 8:00 a.m. that morning. We arrived at the AllState Arena at 7:30 and waited for them to open up. After waiting in line for about an hour and chit chatting with various people in the line, Ron Kittle arrived and no one was in his line. A lady that worked for Goodwill came over and said we could all get his autograph seeing he was there and Taj Gibson was not, plus no one was in Kittle's line. So everyone got autographs from Mr. Kittle, after I got my baseball and a picture signed, along with a picture with Ron Kittle, I went back and waited for Taj Gibson to get there. I was expecting a ton more people to be down at this function, but there was barely anybody. I waited and my dad and I not only got Taj Gibson, but we got Dan Hampton as well. With the very low amount of people there, we got to go through each of the lines very quickly and got numerous autographs from each player. They were signing these very nice 8 x 10 glossy photos which are never really given out at signings. After getting all of those signings I went and talked to Taj Gibson seeing no one was around him and he was just on his phone. I went over and I talked to his agent and I got Taj Gibson's agent's phone number and e-mail address so I can contact him for an interview for The Xavierite paper that I write for. I was so excited and I told my dad let's wait for everyone else to get here so we could get more autographs. We waited and 104.3 FM radio was there with Eddie and Jobo, I went over and got their autographs as well as a picture with them. We then waited and we again got multiple autographs from Richard Dent, Lee Smith and Jimmy Butler because of the low amount of people there. We ended up leaving with twenty-eight different items signed by those six players. I also left with contact information for a Taj Gibson interview and we also got two free Ron Santo books that they were giving away. It was the best birthday gift I could have ever asked for, my birthday was on the 28th and it was just amazing!! What an autograph signing, I'm not quite sure any other autograph signings will top this one. Here are some of the pictures from the event!!

 Taj Gibson

 Ron Kittle

 Dan Hampton

 Eddie and Jobo

Jimmy Butler

 Lee Smith

Richard Dent

Meeting Carlos Marmol of the Chicago Cubs

On Thursday August 18th, 2011, my dad, girlfriend and myself all went to meet Carlos Marmol, the closer for the Chicago Cubs. It was a big advertised event so the fact that there was about 100 people an hour before he was going to be there was to be expected. We got in line and waited for about 15-20 minutes to get an autograph from him. He seemed very cocky though because he had a hat on and sunglasses and would not allow any pictures with him. I was unaware that Carlos did not speak good English so he had an interpreter there with him to translate different things. My girlfriend went up first and she had her batting helmet signed and then I went and had a picture signed for my brother and my dad got a baseball for me signed by him. We then went outside and, I looked at the baseball and it had somehow gotten smudged and smeared accidentally and I had to run back in and buy another baseball and get back in line. There was a guy in the line saying that they had cut off the line because he was leaving at 7 p.m. which was only 15 minutes from then so of course I was not happy. Next thing you know a lady that worked at Sports Authority came by and said that they had confirmed that Carlos was going to stay until 8 instead of 7 so I was able to get my baseball signed after the accident that occurred. I left there a happy man, I also got a picture of my girlfriend, Carlos and myself. It was my 34th autograph signing that I have been to and my 64th autograph into my collection.

Meeting Fergie Jenkins

On Sunday August 14th, 2011, my girlfriend and I went to meet Hall of Fame Cubs pitcher, Fergie Jenkins. It was a last minute signing that I had just found out about once I had gotten home from a weekend away at Springfield for the State Fair. The signing was at a grand opening for the new Sports Authority in Orland Hills. We showed up at around 4:45 and he wasn't signing until 6:00, we were only about 25th in line at that time so we knew we would get his autograph. He actually arrived at the signing fifteen minutes early which is extremely rare when it comes to autograph signings, normally everyone is at least fifteen to twenty minutes late. We got through the line pretty quickly and I had a picture signed for my brother and my girlfriend had a baseball for me signed. We then got back in line and got all the way through the line a second time and I had another baseball signed and my girlfriend got my Cubs hat signed for me too. We took a picture with him and then we left after that. It was a great signing because not only did he show up twice, but we got four different items signed by him. That was autograph number sixty-three for me and it was the thirty-third autograph singing that I have been to. The next signing for me will be on Thursday right back at Sports Authority for current Chicago Cubs closer, Carlos Marmol.
 

Autograph Signings

One of the biggest things I love doing is going to various autograph signings. I have met many people over the past year or so, including current and former Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and even some of the 1985 Chicago Bears. I have personally been to 33 different autograph signings and I have 61 autographs total, that I have either bought or someone else went to a signing for me and gave me the autograph. Some of the best players that I have met include, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Scottie Pippen, Luol Deng, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry. I love going to all of these various signings and it will be a great thing to one day tell a child of mine, that I have met so many different famous people. The most recent signing I went to was at Dick's Sporting Goods on July 31st, where Stacey King and Scottie Pippen were going to signing. Dick's opened at 9 a.m. and I showed up at 8:30, Scottie Pippen wasn't scheduled to be there until 1 p.m. I waited outside in a line of about 75 people at that time and received a wristband to be guaranteed a Scottie Pippen autograph. It was a really really happy moment for me because Scottie Pippen is such a legendary player and most recently a Hall of Famer! We weren't able to line up until about 11:30 which we did and Scottie ended up showing at around 1:30. After Scottie got done, Stacey King came and everyone with his wristband got to get his autograph. I was able to get his autograph as well and meet one of the best broadcasters I know. Scottie Pippen was the 60th autograph that I have in my collection which made it even more special because I wanted to get somebody really good for number 60. I cannot wait to see who will be added to my collection in the future.

Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Game 1

The Chicago Bulls kicked off the Eastern Conference finals with a blowout victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night. The Bulls won this game 103-82, to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Bulls and the Heat would play tight throughout the first half, but the second half was all Bulls. The two teams would go into half-time tied at 48. In the second half though, the Bulls tightened up defenseivley allowing Miami to score only 34 points in the third and fourth quarter combined. The Bulls hustled all night long for loose balls and rebounds. The Bulls out rebounded Miami 45-33 overall and 19-6 offensively. Derrick Rose had 28 points and 6 assists. Luol Deng had 21 points and Carlos Boozer had 14 points. Joakim Noah grabbed down 14 rebounds and Taj Gibson was huge off the bench with 9 points and 7 rebounds. He had two major dunks in this game, one of them dunking on Dwyane Wade. Wade finished with 18 points, LeBron James was limited to only 15 points. Chris Bosh was the leading scorer for Miami with 30 points to go along with 9 rebounds. The Bulls played fantastic defense throughout this game and they had scoring from everyone tonight. If the Bulls want to win this series, they are going to have to have scoring from everyone. The Bulls will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead on Wednesday night at the United Center.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 6

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night 93-73 to win the series 4-2. The Bulls dominated Atlanta from the get go and never trailed in this game. The team that had won the first quarter in each game these teams played, went on to win the game. The Bulls led 27-17 after the first quarter and they would go on to win and eliminate the Hawks from playoff contention. The Bulls have blown out both Atlanta and Indiana in elimination games. The Bulls beat Atlanta by 20 and beat Indiana by 27. Carlos Boozer was amazing in this game with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He broke out of his playoff slump in a big way in this game, and now looks highly motivated to keep this going. Derrick Rose had 19 points and 12 assists while Luol Deng had 13 points. For Atlanta, Josh Smith had 18 points and Joe Johnson had 19 points. The Bulls really limited Jamal Crawford in this series as he only scored 8 points in this game. The Bulls have played excellent defense throughout this postseason and they once again dominated Atlanta in this game. The Bulls will now move on to play the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals starting on Sunday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 5

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks 95-83 on Tuesday night. The Bulls led after the each quarter, and got out to a sizzling start. The Bulls outscored Atlanta 32-21, in the first quarter and the game would get to within one point after the third quarter, but the Bulls would outscore Atlanta 26-15 in the fourth quarter. The Bulls led at one time by 15 points and that lead got trimmed all the way down to one point by the end of the third. The Bulls played fantastic defense in this game as the Bulls best offense continues to be their defense. In the fourth quarter Joakim Noah, Keith Bogans, and Carlos Boozer all were on the bench. Omer Asik, Ronnie Brewer, and Taj Gibson, along with Derrick Rose, and Luol Deng were the starting five for the whole fourth quarter. Derrick Rose led the way for the Bulls with 33 points and 10 assists. Luol Deng had 23 points and Taj Gibson added 11 huge points off the bench in the fourth quarter. Jeff Teague had 21 points for Atlanta, Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford combined for 17 points (15 from Johnson and 2 from Crawford). The Bulls take a commanding 3-2 lead in the series, game 6 will be on Thursday night back in Atlanta, as the Bulls will look to eliminate the Hawks and move on to play the Heat.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 4

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night 100-88. The Bulls really could not get anything going in this game and only led for a short time. Atlanta came to play in this game as they were wanting to even this series up at 2. Josh Smith was a machine for Atlanta scoring 23 points and 16 rebounds. Joe Johnson had 24 points and Al Horford added 20 points. Derrick Rose had 34 points and 10 assists, but shot only 12-32 from the field. Carlos Boozer had a good game with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Both Boozer and Deng need to step up a little bit in game 5 on Tuesday night, if the Bulls want to go up 3-2 in the series. The first quarter, in this series has been huge for both teams as it seems the team that comes out of the gate with the lead ends up winning the game. The Bulls will play the Hawks on Tuesday night back in Chicago and a 3-2 advantage in the series is on the line. The Bulls really need to win this game 5 because they definitely do not want to go back to Atlanta trailing this series 3-2. The Bulls need to have someone other than Derrick Rose to step up and play well. If someone can do that the Bulls will be headed back to Atlanta looking to move on to the Conference finals.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 3

The Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night behind a monstrous game by Derrick Rose, the final score was 99-82 in favor of the Bulls. The Bulls came out with high energy again in this game and they never trailed in this game. With the win the Bulls gain control of the series 2-1 and will play game 4 on Sunday night. Derrick Rose was just flat out amazing scoring a career high 44 points to go along with 7 assists. Taj Gibson was huge off the bench with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulls played excellent defense in this game allowing both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford to only score 17 points combined. Everybody produced for the Bulls in their own way and the bench mob came in and played fantastic as well. Joakim Noah finished with 15 rebounds and 5 blocks and Kyle Korver added 11 points off the bench. Jeff Teague was the leading scorer for the Hawks with 21. Huge difference in games 2 and 3 as compared to game 1. The Bulls allowed the Hawks to shoot a dismal 16 percent from the 3 point line in game 3 after the Hawks shot 58 percent in game 1. The Bulls have definitely came to play the last two games with a lot of intensity, lets hope they can continue their dominating ways into game 4.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 2

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks in game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals 86-73. The Bulls led after each quarter of this game and locked down Atlanta in this game especially Joe Johnson. Derrick Rose received his MVP trophy before the game and Derrick Rose played like an MVP in this game scoring 25 points and added 10 assists. Luol Deng had 14 points and 12 rebounds and played tremendous defense on Joe Johnson holding him to only 16 points after scoring 34 in game 1. Carlos Boozer had another lackluster performance only scoring 8 points, but did add 11 rebounds. The Bulls came out with great tenacity in this game and they never looked back in this game. The Bulls were a team on a mission in this game and if they play with this intensity, the Bulls will have no problem winning this series. The series will now shift to Atlanta with game 3 coming up on Friday night. The Bulls come out of Chicago with a 1-1 series tie and that is a heck of a lot better than being down 2-0 going to Atlanta. If the Bulls come out with the fight they did in this game, game 3 will go to the Bulls and they will take a 2-1 series lead!

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 1

The Chicago Bulls were defeated by the Atlanta Hawks in game 1 of the Eastern conference semi-finals. The Bulls fell 103-95 and are in a 1-0 hole in the series. The Atlanta Hawks raced out to a 9-0 lead in the early going and Atlanta never really looked back. Atlanta led the Bulls at half-time 51-50 and it looked the Bulls would get back into it in the third quarter, but both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford would turn the Bulls away. Joe Johnson could not be stopped as he finished with 34 points on 12-18 shooting. Jamal Crawford also had 22 points off the bench for the Hawks. Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 24 points and 10 assists. Luol Deng had 21 points and Carlos Boozer added 14 points. The Bulls allowed the Hawks to shoot a staggering 58% from the three point line in this game. For the Bulls, Derrick Rose did not get to the free throw line at all in this game and they only shot 16 free throws after averaging 29 a game in the Indiana series. Tom Thibodeau received his coach of the year award before the game and Derrick Rose was named the MVP after the game. The MVP turned his left ankle in the final seconds of the game during a meaningless play. The Bulls need to become more aggressive and play tougher defense on both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford. The Bulls are down 1-0 and they will be looking to even the series at 1 game a piece on Wednesday night at the United Center.

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers Game 5

The Chicago Bulls returned home for game 5 of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers, and the Bulls showed everyone exactly why they were the number one seed in the East. The Bulls dominated the Pacers 113-89 to eliminate Indiana 4 games to 1. The Bulls will now await the winner of the Orlando-Atlanta match up where Atlanta leads 3-2. The big question mark coming into this game was how Derrick Rose's ankle was holding up. He would go out and show everyone he was perfectly fine scoring 25 points and adding 6 assists. Luol Deng added 24 points as the Bulls had 6 players in double figures, (Rose, Deng, Korver, Bogans, Noah, and Gibson). Danny Granger chipped in 20 points for the Pacers, but the Bulls went out and looked like a team on a mission. All series long the fans have been waiting to see if the Bulls would be physical back to Indiana seeing they have been playing physical all series. This was the game led by Joakim Noah, the emotional leader of the team. Josh McRoberts would be thrown out of the game for throwing a punch at Joakim and Tyler Hansbrough was given a technical for getting tangled up with Noah. The Bulls eliminate Indiana from playoff contention, but I don't think this will be the last time we will see this up and coming team. The Bulls will have a few days off to rest to see who they will play in the semifinals. GO BULLS!

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers Game 4

The Chicago Bulls were defeated by the Indiana Pacers on Saturday April 23rd in Indiana 89-84. The Bulls played from 18 down in this game and almost pulled off a miraculous comeback, but the Bulls fell to Indiana and now the Bulls lead is 3-1 in the series. The Bulls used a furious rally in the fourth quarter to get within 3 points of Indiana, but the Bulls could not convert a three point field goal attempt when Carlos Boozer took the final shot for the Bulls. The Bulls could have stolen this game and swept the series, but it did not happen. Joakim Noah had a fantastic game with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Danny Granger had 24 points in this game, and the Bulls committed only 13 turnovers in this game. In game three the Bulls had 22 turnovers and in this game it was cut in half. The Bulls will look to bounce back against the Pacers on Tuesday night in Chicago. The Bulls will be looking to get back to their number 1 form and close out the series on Tuesday April 26Th at the United Center.

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers Game 3

On Thursday April 21st, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers to take a 3-0 lead in the series. Another hard fought victory for the Bulls as they won by only 4 points 88-84. This series has been all but easy for the Bulls, as they continue to not look so good against the number 8 seed in the East. Derrick Rose for the Bulls scored 23 points and Danny Granger scored 21 for the Pacers. The Bulls continue to commit turnovers and have not taken good care of the ball this entire series. If the Bulls could cut down on the amount of turnovers, they would be in good shape to blowout Indiana. Indiana continues to outplay the Bulls on the hustle plays as they continue to fight for the loose balls. The Bulls cannot get into a rhythm and the Pacers have led the charge in this entire series. The Bulls have won 3 games, but they definitely do not look good. The Bulls will look to close out the series on Saturday April 23rd in Indiana.

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers Game 2

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in this first round best of 7 series. The Bulls came out very lack luster and only scored 18 points in the first quarter. Derrick Rose followed up a great 39 point effort in the first game with a 36 point game here in the second game. Carlos Boozer stayed out of foul trouble and the Bulls were feeding the ball down low early to the big man, Boozer finished with a double-double 17 points and 16 rebounds. The Bulls pulled away late from Indiana, but the Bulls definitely do not look like the team that won 62 games in the regular season. I have been saying all along how turnovers would kill a team in the playoffs and in this game the Bulls committed 22 total turnovers. Way too many turnovers to be committing in a playoff game. The Bulls will not be able to have 22 turnovers against the likes of Boston or Miami and expect to win games. Danny Granger and A.J. Price were the only two Pacers to score in double figures, Granger with 19 and Price with 13 points. Darren Collison went down in this game with a sprained left ankle and did not return to the game. The Bulls really need to clean up their game going into Indiana now for games 3 and 4. The Bulls will battle the Pacers on Thursday night in Indiana where the Bulls will look to push Indiana to the edge and take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers Game 1

The Chicago Bulls completed a huge comeback late in the game to defeat the Indiana Pacers to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Bulls won this game 104-99. The Bulls were very playing very poorly in the first three quarters of this game and did not lead in this game until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Derrick Rose single handily brought the Bulls back in this game leading all scorers with 39 points and also 6 assists. Luol Deng had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Carlos Boozer also had 12 points and 6 rebounds, but only played 26 minutes due to foul trouble. Danny Granger had 24 points and Tyler Hansborough had 22 points for the Pacers. The Bulls committed 15 turnovers in this game compared to 12 by the Pacers. The Bulls need to clean up the turnovers in game 2 as well as Carlos Boozer limiting the amount of fouls he has so he can be in the game for 35-40 minutes. The Pacers also shot 46% from the field and shot a staggering 55% from the three point line. The Bulls only shot 43.9% from the field and only 30% from beyond the arc. The Bulls will play the Pacers in game 2 on Monday night at the United Center.

Chicago Bulls vs. New Jersey Nets

The Chicago Bulls defeated the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night 97-92. The Bulls finished the season at 62-20 and after the Spurs fell to the Phoenix Suns, the Bulls wrapped up home-court throughout the playoffs. The Bulls also had an undefeated month going 8-0 in April. The Bulls starters were not much of a factor in this game as the 'bench mob' came in and sealed the victory for the Bulls. The bench scored 55 points for the Bulls led by Kyle Korver with 19 points. Taj Gibson had 9 points and 8 rebounds off the bench and contributed to the Bulls comeback late in the game. New Jersey was led by Jordan Farmar who had 21 points for the Nets. For the Bulls, the regular season is complete and they end with the best record in the NBA. Not many people would have predicted to not only be number one in the East, but to finish with the best record. The Nets season has ended and the Bulls postseason will begin on Saturday at noon against the Indiana Pacers in Chicago. GO BULLS!!

Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks

The Chicago Bulls went into Madison Square Garden to take on the red hot New York Knicks on Tuesday night. Both teams came into this game with seven game winning streaks and the Bulls continued their winning ways winning their eighth straight game after a 103-90 victory over the Knicks. The Bulls continue their quest for the best record in the NBA and are now 61-20 with just one game left tomorrow night against New Jersey in Chicago. The Bulls were led by Derrick Rose with 26 points. Luol Deng had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Carlos Boozer had an amazing night with 14 points and a season high in rebounds with 22. The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony and Bill Walker who scored 21 and 18 points respectively. Amare Stoudemire did not play in his third straight game due to an injury. The Knicks fizzled in the second half of this game scoring a combined 35 points in the third and fourth quarter. The Bulls will look to grab their 62nd win of the season tomorrow night against the New Jersey Nets at the United Center. The Bulls would love to end the season with a win and getting the NBA's best record tomorrow night, but only time will tell. GO BULLS!

Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic

The Chicago Bulls got win number 60 after defeating the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon 102-99. This game was close throughout and the Dwight Howard-less Magic (suspended for technical fouls) battled the Bulls the whole way through. This game was dominated by Derrick Rose as he led all scorers with 39 points and he chipped in 5 assists. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer had double-digit points with 15 and 12 respectively. Ryan Anderson and Jason Richardson were the leading point getters for the Magic with 28 points for Anderson and 24 points for Richardson. Anderson and Richardson combined to go 8-13 from the 3 point line which is a huge bright spot for Orlando. Jameer Nelson also had 17 points and 11 assists, helping out the Magic in a loosing effort. The Bulls still had a bad game with a sloppy 21 turnovers and come playoff time the turnovers will kill a team. The TO differential has been rough for the Bulls as it seems almost every game the Bulls commit more turnovers than their opponents. Up next for the Bulls is the New York Knicks in New York on Tuesday night. The Knicks are the only team the Bulls have not defeated this season so the Bulls will have revenge on their minds as they gear up for the playoffs this week.

Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Chicago Bulls traveled to Cleveland on Friday night looking for a win to lock up the number one seed in the East. The Bulls defeated the lowly Cavaliers 93-82. The Bulls wrapped up the number one seed in the East and now will look to continue winning to possibly have the best record in the whole NBA. The last time the Bulls were number one in the East was in Michael Jordan's final season in 97-98. As for the game, the Bulls lacked the tenacity in this game and almost allowed Cleveland to get back into the game. The Bulls still are without that 'killer instinct,' to just put teams away, but to me a win is a win in the NBA. Carlos Boozer had a great game with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick Rose was held to only 11 points and 8 assists in the game, as the Bulls continue to show that Rose does not have to have a great game in order for the Bulls to win games. J.J. Hickson had a fantastic game for the Cavaliers as he ended with 22 points and 15 rebounds, and he would have done more damage if Coach Byron Scott would have had him on the floor for longer than 32 minutes. Up next for the Bulls is a date against the Orlando Magic in Orlando on Sunday afternoon, as the Bulls look for win number 60.

Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics

The Chicago Bulls now have a magic number of only one to clinch the number one seed in the East after a sweet 97-81 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. The Bulls played fantastically and never really let Boston get into a groove. The only two Boston Celtic starters that reached double-digit points were Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett with 15 points and 10 points respectively. For the Bulls both Derrick Rose and Luol Deng had great nights as Derrick had 30 points and 8 assists and Luol Deng had 23 points and 6 rebounds. Carlos Boozer had a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards. 23,067 people were in attendance to watch the Bulls defeat the Celtics and inch just one game closer to the number one seed in the East. The Bulls now knock Miami out of the running for the number one seed and just one more win or a Boston loss will give the Bulls home court throughout the playoffs. For the Bulls they had more turnovers than the Celtics 12-11, which continues to be a problem for the Bulls that they need to clean up come playoff time. The Bulls could very well see this Boston team again when the Eastern Conference Championship series comes around and the Bulls look ready to go. The Bulls will look to earn win number 59 and the number one seed as they will visit the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns

The Chicago Bulls continued their winning ways with a close victory over the Phoenix Suns 97-94. This game was a tale of two halves as the Bulls were up by as much as 22 points and led at half time by 11. The Suns would go on a late run out scoring the Bulls 35-15. The Suns scored 54 points in the second half after scoring 40 in the first half. For the Bulls Derrick Rose led the way with 19 points and Joakim Noah returned with 12 points and 4 assists. Vince Carter was the high point getter for Phoenix with 25 points. The Bulls keep their lead in the East at 3 games over Miami and 3 1/2 games over Boston. The Bulls will face the Boston Celtics at the United Center on Thursday night and the Bulls will look to push their lead in the East even higher and to knock the Celtics out of the running for the top spot. For the Bulls they move to 57-20 and 60 wins is within their grasps. The Bulls need to clean up the fact that once they get a big lead they seem to take their foot off the gas which is a big no-no in the NBA because every team makes runs. The Bulls continue to win games though and that's all that matters!

Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors

The Chicago Bulls returned home to face the Toronto Raptors and this time the Bulls would pull out another close with 113-106. The Raptors did not play like they were a last place team even without Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. This game was dominated by Derrick Rose as he had a team high 36 points to go along with 10 assists. The Bulls moved to within just one game of having the best record in the NBA, that's currently held by the San Antonio Spurs. The Bulls gave up a ton of points to the Raptors, they gave up 63 points in the second half which is not a good thing for the Bulls defense. The Bulls will stay home to take on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday April 5th. The Bulls have just six games left and will look to hold on to the East's top spot and hold off the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. The Bulls also have their eye's on the best record in the NBA as it becomes clear that the Spurs are running out of gas.

Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons

The Chicago Bulls went on the road up to Detroit to take on the Pistons and the Bulls left the Palace of Auburn Hills with a win 101-96. The Pistons were officially eliminated from the playoffs and this is now the second season in a row that they have failed to make the postseason. The Pistons also raised Dennis Rodman's jersey to the rafters during halftime, but that did not help the Pistons chances on the game. The Bulls won a close game and Derrick Rose was the leader with 27 points and 7 assists. The Bulls win coupled with a Celtics loss pushes Boston to the third seed in the East now at three games back. The Pistons committed a season high 20 turnovers and the Bulls capitalized on everyone leading to 27 points for the Bulls. The lead man for the Pistons was Richard Hamilton with 30 points. The Bulls will look to continue on winning when the return home to face the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Chicago Bulls got back to their winning ways with a 17 point win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 108-91. The Bulls dominated this game throughout and Minnesota never really had a chance. All of the Bulls starters were on the bench during the fourth quarter and that's they way the Bulls want to play games is to be winning so much they don't need the starters in to close it out. Carlos Boozer was huge in this game with a double-double (24 points and 14 rebounds). Derrick Rose had a double-double of his own with 23 points and 10 assists. Derrick Rose limited his turnovers to just one after having ten against Philadelphia on Monday. The Bulls as a team had twelve turnovers and the Timberwolves had only eight. The Bulls will have to clean up their turnovers before they get into the playoffs because turnovers can kill you in the playoffs. The Bulls will battle the Detroit Pistons on Friday night in Detroit. The Chicago Bulls are now 54-20 and hold a 2 1/2 game lead over both Boston and Miami for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Chicago Bulls returned home to take on the Philadelphia 76ers and the Bulls fell to Philly 97-85. For the Bulls it was only their fifth home loss on the season and only their 20th loss this whole season. The Bulls trailed at one time by 23 points, but scratched and clawed their way back into the game and got within four points. Derrick Rose had 31 points and Joakim Noah had 13 rebounds. The Bulls really couldn't get anything going in this game and never really got into the game. Derrick Rose had 10 turnovers in this game and Andre Iguodala limited Luol Deng to just 10 points. The loss snaps the Bulls 14 game winning streak at home. The 76ers aren't a team everyone is talking about, but they have won 14 of their last 22 games. For the Bulls, they play the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks

The Chicago Bulls pushed their winning streak to four games with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks 95-87. The Bulls never led in this game until late in the fourth quarter when Derrick Rose took over the game. The Bulls have one of the best closers in the game with Derrick Rose and he proved it against the Bucks. Derrick finished with 30 points and 17 assists (career high in assists). This is the first time since Michael Jordan in 1989 that a Chicago Bulls player finished a game with 30+ points and 15+ assists. Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer each had 11 rebounds and chipped in 12 and 14 points respectively. For Milwaukee, John Salmons finished with 25 points and Carlos Delfino had 23 points going 5-7 from beyond the arc. The Bulls push their lead over Boston to 2 1/2 games with just 10 games to go in the regular season. Chicago will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night in Chicago and will look to extend their winning streak to five games.

Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies

The Chicago Bulls looked to continue their hot streak against the Memphis Grizzlies at the United Center. The Bulls defeated Memphis 99-96 and that win coupled with a Boston loss puts the Bulls up two games on the Celtics for first place in the East. This game was tight all the way down to the final minutes, but Derrick Rose brought another win to Chicago with his late game heroics. Derrick finished up with 24 points and 7 rebounds, while Luol Deng added 23 points and 6 rebounds. The leading point getter for Memphis was Zach Randolph with 16 points, and Marc Gasol added 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulls will look to continue their three game winning streak against the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee on Saturday night. For the Bulls they are now 52-19 while the Grizzlies drop to 40-33 and hold a slim 1 1/2 game lead over Houston for the final playoff spot in the West. Only 11 more games for the Bulls until the playoffs start so every win is huge at this point as home court advantage is the prize.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Chicago Bulls played the Atlanta Hawks in the second game of a back-to-back, and the Bulls did not let up. After the Bulls blew out the Kings on Monday night by 40 points, the Bulls destroyed the Atlanta Hawks by 33 in Atlanta. The Bulls won this game 114-81, after losing the last game in Atlanta as well as the last six games down in Georgia. The Bulls would avenge their previous loss to Hawks by beating them down. The Bulls scored 72 points in the first half and the second half was just pouring it on even more. The Bulls led by 47 at one point and Derrick Rose was the leader of the group with 30 points and 10 assists. Luol Deng also had a big night with 27 points. The Bulls did lack scoring from their other starters though as Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Keith Bogans combined for just 20 points. The Bulls now have sole possession of first place by a half game over the idle Boston Celtics. For the Bulls they move to 51-19 and will play the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night in Chicago.

Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings

The Chicago Bulls demolished the Sacramento Kings by 40 points on Monday night 132-92. The Bulls dominated the Kings throughout the game and the Bulls also had 8 players score in double figures. The Chicago Bulls looked to grab the top spot in the East with this victory, but the Boston Celtics would come back on the now struggling New York Knicks to keep their slight edge on the Bulls for the number one seed. The Bulls had Carlos Boozer back for this game and they took little time to get him into the mix. Boozer finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds. A huge player to get back for the Bulls in Boozer as that takes a lot of pressure off Derrick Rose and lets him be a facilitator instead of a scorer at all times. Derrick finished with 18 points and 8 assists, a relatively quiet night for the MVP front runner. The Bulls went into half-time leading 64-47 and they never looked back, all of the Bulls starters sat out the fourth quarter and the bench production was solid. Kyle Korver had 18 points and Omer Asik had 14 points off the bench for the Bulls. The Bulls won their 50th game of the season, and that is the first time they have reached 50 wins since the Jordan era in the 97-98 season. Up next for the Bulls is a date with the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers

The Chicago Bulls played the second game of a back-to-back and fatigue would catch up to the Bulls as the Pacers defeated the Bulls 115-108 in overtime. Derrick Rose matched a carrer high with 42 points, and knocked down three free throws with 1.2 seconds left to tie the game up in regulation to send it into overtime. Tyler Hansbrough for the Pacers scored 29 points as he continues to light up the scoreboards. Indiana scored the first seven points in overtime and they pulled away from the Bulls. The loss snaps the Bulls eight game winning streak as well as their undefeated record against their division. The Bulls could possibly play this team again in the playoffs and the Bulls will be ready to battle when that time comes. For the Bulls they play against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night at the United Center.

Chicago Bulls vs. New Jersey Nets

The Chicago Bulls defeated the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night in a low scoring affair 84-73. The Bulls played great defense throughout the game and held New Jersey to a combined 30 points in the second and third quarters. The Bulls and Nets were about even in the fourth quarter, but a late run by the Bulls put them ahead for good. Omer Asik had a career high 16 rebounds and added 11 points. Derrick Rose had 21 points and Luol Deng had 19 for the Bulls. Derrick Rose received MVP chants from the crowd in New Jersey. The Bulls continued their winning streak as it was pushed to eight straight. The eight straight wins for the Bulls is the longest since 2005. Up next for the Bulls is the Indiana Pacers on Friday night in Indiana.

Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards

The Chicago Bulls kept their winning streak going and it is now at seven games straight after the Bulls defeated the Wizards Tuesday night 98-79. The Bulls were wearing their green jerseys for St. Patricks day and no matter what color jersey they were wearing the Bulls were ready to play. The Bulls were without both Carlos Boozer (ankle) and Joakim Noah (flu) so the other Bulls needed to step up to fill the void. Keith Bogans had a big night with 17 points, a season high, while Derrick Rose led the squad with 23 points. The Bulls continued their great half-time adjustments as they held Washington to just 33 points in the third and fourth quarters combined. The Bulls now have sole possession of first place and will look to continue their winning streak against the Nets on Thursday night in New Jersey.

Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz on Saturday night with a 118-100 victory. The Bulls allowed 100 points for the first time since giving up 118 to Toronto on February 23rd. The Bulls went into half-time with a 68-41 lead and they never looked back. Derrick Rose had 17 points in the first quarter alone and had 5 three pointers in that quarter. Both Derrick Rose and Luol Deng finished with 26 points for the Bulls. Chicago had 18 three point shots made in game and tied the NBA record with 13 3 pointers made in a half. The Bulls celebrated the 1991 championship team with the old Bulls coming back including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, John Paxson, etc. Michael Jordan got a huge ovation as he deserves and Scottie Pippen got a big ovation as well. The Bulls are within striking distance of getting that top spot from Boston in the East. The last 17 games of the season should all be exciting for the Bulls. They will look to continue their six game winning streak when they play the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Chicago Bulls faced the Atlanta Hawks on Friday March 11th, and the Bulls defeated Atlanta 94-76. The Bulls previously lost to Atlanta down in Georgia, but this time the game was played in Chicago and the result was different this time around. The Bulls all but completely shut down Atlanta in the second half holding them to just 26 points after scoring 50 points in the first half. Derrick Rose led the team again with 34 points, he struggled from the field though going 9-24, but most of his damage came from the free throw line going 14-15. Al Horford had only 6 points after putting up 31 points on the Bulls the last time these two teams met. The Bulls continue to win and the Hawks are riding a losing streak now. The Bulls play the Jazz on March 12th and will look to continue their winning streak.

Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Bobcats

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night with a 101-84 victory. The Bulls pulled away in the second half holding Charlotte to only 35 points in the third and fourth quarter combined. Derrick Rose had 20 points and Kyle Korver came off the bench to score 20 points of his own. The Bulls bench scored 51 points as that continues to be one of the Bulls strongest points. This win now puts the Bulls up by 2 games over the struggling Miami Heat and the Bulls have their eyes set on the Boston Celtics for the top seed. The Bulls return home now for a re-match with the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. The Bulls suffered a tough loss to Atlanta the last time they played and they are hoping that there is a different outcome in this game.

Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Hornets

The Chicago Bulls faced off against a short-handed New Orleans team in Chicago on Monday night. The Bulls defeated the Hornets 85-77. This game was definitely not a walk in the park for the Bulls as the Hornets hung around until the end, but in the second half the Bulls held New Orleans to just 17 points in both the third and fourth quarter. Derrick Rose was the high point getter for the Bulls with 24 to go along with 9 assists. The Bulls will face off against Charlotte on Wednesday in Charlotte.

Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat

The Chicago Bulls finished up their five game road trip with a victory over the now struggling Miami Heat. The Bulls had won the previous two meetings with Miami, both in Chicago, and the third time was not the charm for the Heat as the Bulls won 87-86. The big three for Miami (Wade, Bosh, and LeBron) combined for 69 of the Heat's 86 points. Derrick Rose was the leader again for the Bulls with 27 points and 5 assists. LeBron James led the way for Miami with 26 points, Chris Bosh had 23 points, and Dwyane Wade had 20 points. The Heat would take a 2 point lead into the final minutes when Luol Deng would be fouled on a play to send him to the line. He made the first free throw and then missed the second, but hustled for the ball and when he regained possession he was fouled which sent him to the line for two more free throws. Luol knocked down both free throws to put the Bulls up by one, Miami would get the ball back, but terrific defense prevented both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to make the game winning shot. The Bulls now improve to 43-18 while the Heat drop to 43-20. The Bulls now find themselves just two and a half games back from the Celtics in the East with just 21 games to go in the regular season. The Bulls now return home for a match-up with the Hornets on Monday night.

Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic

The Chicago Bulls went into Orlando on Friday night for their fourth game of this five game road trip that they are currently on. The Magic were coming off a huge comeback win over Miami, coming back from 24 points down. The Magic did not have enough left to defeat the Bulls who beat Orlando 89-80. The Bulls bounced back from a tough loss against Atlanta with a huge victory over the Magic. Derrick Rose led the way for the Bulls with 24 points, and rookie center Omer Asik played 31 minutes and had 13 rebounds to go along with 5 points. The Bulls head into Miami to battle the Heat for the final time this season on Sunday.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Bulls took on the Atlanta Hawks for the first time this season. The Bulls were looking to extend their three game winning streak, but the Hawks would have none of it as Atlanta defeated Chicago 83-80. A tough loss for the Bulls as they controlled the first half and went into half-time with a 50-33 lead, but the second half was all Atlanta. The Bulls were outscored 50-30 in the second half. Al Horford was dominant in this game with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Jamal Crawford off the bench chipped in 12 points and added 4 assists. For the Bulls, Luol Deng had a team high 15 points and Derrick Rose had 12 points and 12 assists. The Bulls lost a game that looked like they should have won and now questions arise for Chicago. The big question is can they beat the good teams on the road in the playoffs? They have not shown that they can defeat the top teams on the road yet this season. The Bulls are just about unbeatable at home, but on the road against a top team the Bulls struggle. Next up for the Bulls is another tough game when the Bulls roll into Orlando against another playoff team. The Bulls need to pick up these wins against tough teams on the road to gain some motivation for the playoffs.

Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards

The Bulls defeated the Washington Wizards in their second game of this five game road trip with a 105-77 win. The Bulls dominated Washington throughout the game and beat them by a 28 point margin. Both Derrick Rose and Luol Deng had 21 points for the Bulls and Joakim Noah grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 19 points of his own. The Bulls were clicking on all cylinders and look to continue their winning ways in Atlanta tonight for game three of this road trip. For the Bulls this win pushes them to 41-17 and they are just one game back of Miami in the East.

Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks

The Chicago Bulls started off their five game road trip with a win over their division rival Milwaukee, the final score was 83-75. There were more red in the crowd than there were green, the Bulls were cheered when they were introduced and the Bucks were actually booed. Luol Deng led the way for the Bulls with 19 points and Derrick Rose finished with 17 points. Joakim Noah grabbed down 17 rebounds and Kyle Korver scored 11 points off the bench for Chicago. A low scoring affair for the Bulls, but a win is a win no matter what. They now will continue the road trip with a date with the Washington Wizards on Monday in Washington.

Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat

The Chicago Bulls returned home to the United Center to face the tough Miami Heat. The last time these two teams matched up the Bulls were without Joakim Noah and the Heat were without LeBron James. This time both teams were at full strength and the Bulls pulled off a huge win over Miami 93-89. The Bulls started off slowly as they trailed at half-time 53-44, but the Bulls would use a second half rally to come back to win this game. For Miami Dwyane Wade led the way with 34 points and 8 assists, while LeBron James added 29 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Bosh was held to just 7 points on a rough 1-18 shooting night. Derrick Rose and Luol Deng had great nights for the Bulls with 26 points and 20 points respectively. Omer Asik added a team high 11 boards as well. The Bulls earned a huge win tonight and are now 39-17, which leaves them just 2 games off of their win total from a year ago and there are still 26 games to go in the season. Next for the Bulls is the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night in Milwaukee.

Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors

The Chicago Bulls started off their post all-star run to the playoffs with a tough loss against the Toronto Raptors 118-113 on Wednesday night. The Bulls went up to Canada with high hopes of getting a win against the Raptors in Joakim Noah's return, but Toronto had other plans. Derrick Rose led the way for the Bulls with 32 and 10 assists, Carlos Boozer added 24 points and 6 rebounds. Joakim Noah in his return had 7 points to go along with his team high 16 rebounds. Noah had 10 rebounds after the first quarter beating a previous career high of 9. Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan led the way for the Raptors with 24 points a piece. The Bulls will return home to take on the tough Miami Heat on Thursday night and hope that they can get a huge win over their Eastern Conference rivals.

Chicago Bulls vs. San Antonio Spurs

The Bulls head into the all-star break with one of their biggest wins of the season. The Chicago Bulls defeated the San Antonio Spurs 109-99. The Spurs came in with the best record in the NBA at (46-9), but the Bulls would not be intimidated by that. Derrick Rose showed exactly why he is in the discussions for NBA MVP this season, he scored a career high 42 points to go along with 8 assists, he was 18-28 from the field. His counterpart Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with 26 points on 11-21 shooting. The Bulls had control pretty much throughout the whole game, but the Spurs would not go down quietly. Chicago had a half-time lead of 58-51, the Bulls had shot 58% in the first half, but held only a seven point advantage. The second half was the Derrick Rose show and he proved not only the Spurs, but everyone why he's an all-star. The Bulls head into the All-star break with as the number three team in the East at 38-16. The Spurs with the loss fall to 46-10, but still hold a comfortable lead over the number two seed Dallas Mavericks. The Bulls will only get stronger as they expect Joakim Noah back for their next game against Toronto on the road. The Bulls will match-up with the Miami Heat on February 24th and this time both teams should be at full strength. It will definitely be a Madhouse on Madison for that game!

Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Bobcats

The Chicago Bulls returned home to the United Center after a five game road trip to face the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bulls previously faced the Bobcats twice and the Bulls came up short both times, but the third time was the charm for the Bulls as they beat the Bobcats 106-94. The Bobcats were playing their fourth game in five nights and just coming off a win over the reeling Los Angeles Lakers the night before. The Bobcats held Derrick Rose to only five points in the first half, but they could not contain him for the entire night as he finished the game with a double-double (18 points and 13 assists). Luol Deng led all scorers in the game with 24, Carlos Boozer also chipped in with 16 points along with 9 rebounds. The Bulls now face an extremely tough test against the NBA's best San Antonio Spurs on Thursday at the United Center. The Bulls will look to continue their winning streak and head into the All-Star break with a huge victory.

Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Hornets

The Bulls finished up their five game road trip with a winning record of 3-2. The Bulls beat the New Orleans Hornets last night 97-88. A great way to cap off the road trip for the Bulls as they now return home to host the Bobcats and Spurs before we head into the all-star break. The Bulls trailed at halftime 53-42 as the Hornets held the Bulls to only eighteen points in the second quarter. The Bulls would rally in the second half though, outscoring the Hornets 30-21 in the third quarter, and then holding New Orleans to just fourteen points in the final period. Derrick Rose had 23 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, while both Kurt Thomas and Omer Asik pulled down 11 rebounds each. The Bulls played excellent defense on all-star point guard Chris Paul only allowing him to score 15 points in almost 38 minutes played. The Bulls with the win now have a record of 36-16, and the Hornets with the loss fall to 33-23.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have been one of my favorite teams for many years, but one thing that I dislike most about them is the fact that they never seem to pull the trigger on a big trade. I know that the Bulls went after the top tier free agents in the off season with Wade, LeBron, and Bosh. I was surprised that they actually had a very good chance of getting one of those three guys, but we all know that all three of them took their talents down to South Beach. After the Bulls lost out on them they went out and signed Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas, and Ronnie Brewer. Huge upgrade to the team, but they have yet to be seen at full strength this entire season. The Bulls first lost Carlos Boozer for the first two months of the season and then once they got him back from his hand injury the Bulls then lost Joakim Noah. The Chicago Bulls are hoping to be back at full strength after the All Star break when Joakim Noah is expected to make his long awaited return. If you look at this Bulls team they have a fantastic record and have played really well together throughout the season with some key injuries. I just don't feel that the team they have out there now, even with Joakim Noah, is ready to compete for a championship. The biggest hole in the Bulls is the shooting guard position with Keith Bogans starting, the Bulls have been in a lot of trade talks involving Rudy Fernandez, Stephen Jackson, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, and even Carmelo Anthony. The Bulls have yet make a move on any of these guys, but the rumors are still lingering. I just feel that if the Bulls don't swing a deal before the deadline, that it will be better luck next season for them. Maybe they can sign a better shooting guard to pair with all star Derrick Rose, and then we could talk championship. For now though a second round exit in the playoffs looks to be what the Bulls season will turn in to.