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Post-Game Grades for Chicago Bulls Following Blow-Out Loss to Pistons

By Matthew Price

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The Chicago Bulls suffered one of their most embarrassing losses to the Detroit Pistons tonight. They started the game out slowly and were down by 10 points, but a spark in the second quarter gave them the lead. Chicago was up by 19 points in the third quarter, when suddenly it seemed that they stopped playing, and after one energetic and angry dunk by Reggie Jackson, the Pistons took over the game. Detroit finished the final 19 minutes on a 54-19 run, hitting almost all of their shots and never looking back. This became the second loss for the Bulls after having led by 19 points with the other game being against the Hornets. The Pistons ended up winning 107 to 91. Here are the post-game grades for the players:

Aaron Brooks – B

Stat line: 19 points, 6-12 from the field, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

Brooks was one of the few players for Chicago who played well throughout the game. He led the Bulls to the lead during the second quarter with some long distance three-pointers and a variety of layups. Although he shot five threes, he did a good job of finishing and getting to the paint with his quickness. Defensively, he had trouble guarding Jackson, who was on fire after a vicious dunk in the third quarter.

Tony Snell – D-

Stat line: 2 points, 1-8 shooting, 2 rebounds, 4 assists

Simply put, it was an awful game for Snell. His shooting has been very streaky as of late, and he struggled finding any kind of rhythm in tonight’s game. His offense wasn’t there for him, and his defense was pretty lackluster as well. Late in the game, when Detroit had realized Snell wouldn’t be making his shots, they began to back off. This allowed them to defend the paint more easily. Although Snell won’t be starting once the playoffs start in about a month, he is an important member of the Bulls. If he cannot find his rhythm in the postseason, then the Bulls’ bench will suffer considerably.

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Mike Dunleavy – D+

Stat line: 9 points, 3-10 shooting, 0-5 from beyond the arc, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 3 turnovers

Many people thought that Dunleavy had finally hit his stride again after two 21-point games in Chicago’s last two outings. Instead, Dunleavy played awful against the Pistons, and his performance brought a fresh wave of doubt back for Bulls fans. He was a non factor in the game: shooting poorly, turning the ball over, and struggling on defense. Nothing went right for the 12-year veteran, and it’s very important that he is playing at a high level once the Bulls enter the playoffs. Chicago has a very strong record when all five starters are playing, and Dunleavy, despite sometimes being the least important starter, is of great value to Chicago. Hopefully he can consistently play well and start shooting better before the regular season ends.

Pau Gasol – A

Stat line: 27 points, 10-16 shooting, 10 rebounds

Gasol was another one of the few players for Chicago who played very well tonight. His offensive skills helped put the Bulls up by 19 points, but he too didn’t do very much once the Pistons started their dominating 54-19 run. Defensively, Gasol played pretty well. He forced Andre Drummond to shoot over him, which was tough for Drummond since he is still a raw talent on offense. Drummond finished with 14 points, but who knows how many points would have been taken away if the referees decided to call him for traveling, because there were what appeared to be at least five no-calls in the game. Gasol has been asked to do so much for Chicago this year and has done just that, but there was very little help from the rest of the team outside of Brooks and Noah. That led to the Bulls’ 29th loss.

Joakim Noah  – B+

Stat line: 6 points, 3-8 shooting, 7 assists, 13 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Noah played well throughout the game, but he blew some open opportunities. Whether it was missing an open layup or throwing a bad pass, Jo couldn’t get going when the game mattered most. He still appears to be on his minutes restriction, as he finished playing with just 29 minutes. However, that hasn’t had an impact on Noah’s assisting streak, which after tonight’s game became 76 assists for him in his last nine games! Just like always, Noah played with energy, passion and hustle, but the Bulls still couldn’t stop the Pistons.

Bench – C

Stat line: 28 points, 10-23 shooting, had less points, rebounds and assists than the Piston’s bench

Outside of Taj Gibson, who played fantastic in his second game back from an ankle sprain, the bench mob played very poorly. Nikola Mirotic, who scored 29 points in Chicago’s last game against the Raptors, was totally nonexistent, finishing with 8 points on 1-8 shooting. Kirk Hinrich struggled offensively like usual, and E’twuan Moore never really had a chance to play. The only bright spot was Gibson, who finished with 13 points and three rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting. It’s tough for the bench to play at a high rate every game since the Bulls’ two best starters (Rose and Butler) are out, but they have to deal with it for the time being.

Conclusion

It was an awful loss for Chicago, who after leading by 19 points in the third quarter, allowed the Pistons to enjoy a 54-19 run to finish the game. There have been many occasions this season where the Bulls have had a big lead, start to slack off, and end up losing the game. If they want to have any chance to make a deep run in the postseason, they need to develop a killer instinct in situations like today. Thankfully, it’s just the regular season, and there is still another month for Chicago to get into peak form before the playoffs begin.

Next: How Do Bulls Stack Up Against Other Contenders?

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