Chicago Bulls Weekly Roundup

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W 109-101 It looked like the Bulls were going to blow another one against Indiana, a common theme the past few seasons.  Then the 4th quarter came and it was like they got a second wind.  Without Noah down low, the Bulls still managed to bang it out on the glass.  They had 4 players in double figures, with Deng notching 23 points and 11 rebounds and Rose and Salmons each dropping 21 points.

L 87-97 It’s tough to blame the Bulls for this one.  The only real problem that the lackluster effort came at home.  Other than that it was a bad draw.  As soon as Rose went down with a bruised hip (gasp!) in the first few minutes of the game, we knew it was over.  Deng had 23 again and Tyrus actually had a good game, but the main concern here was that Rose was okay.  Thank goodness he was.

Player of the Week — Luol Deng

Averaging 23 points each in the two games, Deng was really the only bright spot besides Thomas’s extended garbage minutes on Wednesday.  He also added 9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block a game on 53% shooting.

Not Player of the Week — Taj Gibson

He is clearly slowed by his plantar fasciitis, but 1-7 on the week is just plain rough.  Hopefully he will get some rest during the break, and he only played limited minutes in the Rookie Challenge.

Bulls Weekly Grade — B-

I didn’t expect them to beat the Magic, and without Rose I definitely didn’t expect it.  That being said taking one on the nose like that in front of your home crowd is never fun.