In a rematch of Sundays loss in Boston, the Bulls (25-7) were out for vengeance and received a satisfactory result, holding off the visiting Celtics (15-14), 89-80, Thursday night at the United Center.
You can never let your guard down against that team, said Thibodeau. I liked the fact that when they closed the gap, we showed a lot of resiliency to close it out.
Without Derrick Rose and his ailing back for the fourth consecutive game, All-Star Luol Deng stepped up as both a facilitator and scorer, while frontcourt partners Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer also made major contributions, along with an important spark off the bench from D-League call-up Mike James.
Veteran All-Star Paul Pierce (14 points) got off to a quick start, scoring the visitors first six points of the contest against his former assistant coachs squad. Meanwhile, the Bulls stuck with their usual balanced offensive attack and while they fell into a shallow hole, they recovered to play traditionally stout defense, following adjustments from Tom Thibodeau during an early timeout.
However, just like Sundays affair, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) began to get loose, pushing the tempo and scoring on delayed fast breaks on clever layups and even his much-improved mid-range jumper. Despite solid opening periods from starting forwards and Duke products Deng (23 points, 6-for-9 three-point shooting, 10 assists) and Boozer (23 points, 15 rebounds), the Bulls trailed, 24-18, after a quarter of play.
We came out and we were soft in the first quarter. They got us back on our heels. We weren't taking it up strong. They are very good defensively. We were being dominated on the boards in the first quarter and then, the second quarter, it changed. Our defense got better, our rebounding got better, our energy got better. Then, we got back into the game, said Thibodeau. Youre playing a tough team that plays very aggressively. Youve got to match that intensity. You cant be back on your heels, so once we started attacking more, we gave ourselves a chance and I thought we got a lift from a number of guys.
A disjointed, physical second quarter commenced, with the officiating crew letting both teams play through contactRondo took advantage of this policy, drawing three fouls on C.J. Watson (11 points), who started for the injured Rose, forcing the newly re-acquired James to enter the contest, adding a physical, defensive-minded presence at point guardmuch to the dissatisfaction of the home crowd, which believed their beloved Bulls were getting the short end of the stick.
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Im not going to let anybody smaller than me post me up, said James afterwards. Thibodeau put me in a lot of pick-and-rolls, where I had the freedom of making plays, not just for myself, but for others.
You have to be professional, you have to be ready. One thing I always say is, Its better to be ready than to get ready, and so, mentally, I approach every game the same exact way, so whether I get a DNP or I dont, Im constantly visualizing the game in my mind, he added. If Im not playing, well then, I sit and I try to be the best teammate and cheer my players on, but if I play, mentally Im already into the game.
But although the hosts allowed their guests to build a slim cushion, behind the play of Rondo and future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett (18 points, 10 rebounds), the Bulls, led by their frontcourt, fought back.
Dengs outside marksmanship and passing, Boozers finishing abilitywhich included a posterization of Jermaine ONealcourt vision and work on the boards, and Noahs (15 points, 16 rebounds) typical effort on the glass, as well as the ability to convert in traffic, were all critical in the team flipping the script and creating separation from Boston.
Luol was terrific. You cant say enough about all that he did throughout the game. Carlos was a monster on the boards in the second quarter. He got going and then Joakim got going as the game went along. Our big guys did a very good job, said Thibodeau. Our big guys are very unselfish and theyre excellent passers, and I think our team does a good job. They share the ball with each other and they hit the open man, so if we keep it moving and we drive into gaps, we should be able to get some good shots and I thought once we settled down, we were able to do that.
When the damage was done from that critical stretchthe home team had a double-digit rebounding advantage, all three frontcourt starters were double-figure scorers and the club had 13 assists on 15 made field goals, just to name a few indicators of successthe Bulls went into the intermission with a 44-35 lead, via a 22-7 run.
Explained Thibodeau: Everyone talks about easy baskets and the obvious is the fast break, but you also have to include your second shots, your post feeds and your cuts. All those things will lead to easy baskets and were trying to get as many as we can.
The Bulls didnt cool off after the break, rattling off the third quarters first seven pointsWatson scored the second halfs first five pointsbefore Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, a Chicago native, called a timeout to stop the bleeding.
With the frontcourt starters continuing to play strong all-around games, the gap grew to a comfortable double-digit winning margin, as Boozer and Noah, in particular, made sharp cuts and benefited from the passing of Deng and Watson.
Were moving the ball, guys are hitting shots. You guys have got to ask those guys, How come, all of a sudden, youre making shots? Deng joked about his passing. Deng is focusing on his playmaking especially early in the game. When Derrick is playing, Im more focused on being aggressive offensively and scoring, and attacking. Every game is different. The last two games, early, Ive been trying to move the ball and as the game goes on, I get a better rhythm.
Added Noah: Hes been huge for us. He just does a bunch of everything. You can just switch the pick-and-roll, you can switch the three-five, he can guard in the post, he can make plays, hes been shooting big shots for us, threes. Hes just been doing it all, so its good to have Sweet Lu playing at that level, even with the messed-up hand.
Thibodeau joined the chorus of praise: When Derricks playing, the balls in his hands more. Were going to some different things and I like what he didand he did that towards the end of last year, tooand hes a much better pick-and-roll player than you realize. Hes got good size, hes got vision, he can score, he can drive, he can pull up, so I like having the ball in his hands.
But Boston gradually mounted a comebackthe beginning of which coincided with Boozer blowing a wide-open layup in transitiontrimming the deficit to single digits behind Garnetts work on the interior, Rondos playmaking and veteran sharpshooter Ray Allens (12 points) long-range accuracy.
For whatever reason, the Bulls went away from the crisp ball movement and unselfish play against the Celtics zone defense that marked their earlier run and heading into the final stanza, they held a tenuous 60-59 advantage.
The game continued to be a close-knit affair early in the fourth quarter, as the visitors defense seemingly confounded the Bulls, who forced contested outside jumpers and appeared to have lost their offensive rhythm.
But eventually, with James toughness when matched up against Rondo setting the tone, the hosts settled in, acquired a bit of breathing room and were again patient enough to get some easy offense, as Deng marvelously blended scoring and playmaking to give his team a double-digit lead, while creating easy opportunities for Boozer and Noah.
Mike is tough, Mike is a pro. He came in just ready, he stayed ready and we didnt miss a beat when he came in. a lot of teams, having someone whos gone or his first game back, the rhythm would be messed up a little bit, but hes been going in early and running the plays a little bit, Deng said of James. You guys need to stop calling me weak. I might get six fouls in the next game, just to show my toughness. No, but Mike is tough. Its not like hes a rookie. He knows the game, he knows what Rondos trying to do. He knows what theyre trying to run and all that, so hes prepared and ready. Hes not going to come in there and have somebody just bully him or run their offense going at him, but they tried to run some plays and he did a good job playing D.
Noah added, in his inimitable fashion: Hes a boy, so Mike came in and he doesnt play that post-me-up stuff. Jailhouse basketball, thats what we call him.
Chimed in Thibodeau: Mike James was terrific. Rondos a load to deal with in every aspect of the gametransition, pick-and-rolls, now theyre posting him moreso I thought Mike battled him tough in the post.
Mikes an excellent pick-and-roll player. Then, they went zone. He was able to get into some gaps and make some plays. Hes a very confident player. He knocked down a big three, but he did an excellent job of running the team, he continued. If you double-team, you dont want to bring someone else into the game. You dont want to bring their three-point shooting into the game and so, I thought if we had a little more size, we wouldnt have to double.
James role in the Bulls pulling away from the Celtics cant be discounted, as his pesky defense on Rondo and aggressive offensive play were catalysts as the contest entered the stretch run. Boston repeatedly threatened late, making it as close as a two-possession game, but a Deng corner triple with under a minute remaining sealed the deal.
Its good to win tonight, but theres definitely a lot of areas we need to work on in practice tomorrow, Noah observed. Were not satisfied. We could definitely play better and I think thats a positive. Were definitely not playing our best basketball right now and I think that when you add guys like Derrick and guys like Rip back, it could get ugly.