MEMPHISBulls point guard Kirk Hinrich returned to the lineup in Monday nights loss to the Grizzlies and while the result and his personal stat linefour points on 2-for-8 shooting and five assists in 31 minutes before fouling outwerent what he hoped for, the veteran claimed hes fine moving forward.
It his bruised left knee was good enough to play, Hinrich, who missed the Bulls two previous contests, said afterwards. I would have liked it to feel a little better, but thats just an excuse. We didnt play very well tonight, myself included.
When asked if he would play in Tuesday nights home game against Boston, Hinrich responded, I plan on it.
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As far as his offensive struggles on the evening, Hinrich acknowledged that he didnt have a great night scoring the ball, but believes he can persevere through it.
Just be aggressive, look for my shot, he explained. Tonight, I just didnt get some to go, but its going to happen.
Teammate Joakim Noah concurred: Kirky is fine. Hes got to get his rhythm back, but hes doing a great job for us defensively and I think just taking his shots, not thinking about it will help, he said. Kirks a worker and hell be fine.
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to stick with Hinrich down the stretch of Mondays game, as the team attempted to make a comeback, rather than go with more offensive-minded backup point guard Nate Robinson or emerging rookie Marquis Teague, who did not play against the Grizzlies.
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You have to read how the group is going. The group that got us back in the game in the fourth quarter was when we had Kirk, Jimmy, Lu, Taj and Jo in there, he explained. When the group is on the floor, theyve got to play well. Its not any one individual player. Its a team game, so its how the team is performing. So, thats how you make your decisions.
Tuesday nights matchup with the Celtics gives the Bulls an opportunity to bounce back, but it wont be easy, although Boston has been mired in its own struggles.
We have to have an edge. Bostons a very good team, said Hinrich. Were familiar with them, theyre familiar with us and weve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball, making plays for each other and being aggressive.
Noah added: I have no idea what the key is going to be. Weve just got to come ready, follow Thibs game plan and play good, Chicago-style basketball. I wish I could tell you what the key is. Unfortunately, nobody knows.