Feb 19, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) is defended by New Orleans Hornets forward Ryan Anderson (33) as he drives toward the basket during the second half at the New Orleans Arena. Chicago defeated New Orleans 96-87. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

The All-Star break has officially wrapped with a much needed victory for the Chicago Bulls over the New Orleans Hornets. The Bulls snapped their two game loosing streak, while slashing a Hornets two game winning streak Tuesday night in New Orleans. Of course Chicago’s two All-Stars shined; Deng scored 20, and Joakim Noah had a double – double with 15 points and 17 rebounds.  For the Hornets: Davis had a double of double of his own with 15/10, and Gordon finished with 20. The Bulls out-rebounded the Hornets 47-39, and they thrived off of second chance opportunities with 15 points.

OFFENSIVE GAME BALL: Joakim Noah 15 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists. Noah the now All-Star Center, started off the second half of the season on the right foot, reaching his sixteenth consecutive double double.

DEFENSIVE GAMEBALL: Kirk Hinrich 5 points, 10 assists, 3 steals. Welcome back Captain Kirk! The Bulls have desperately missed the intensity of Hinrich’s defense the last 11 games. Chicago went 4-7 without Hinrich in his absence with an infection in his left elbow.

OVERALL GAMEBALL: Luol Deng 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists. Deng, the now dubbed two time NBA All-Star; (that has such a nice ring to it) went off in New Orleans Tuesday night leading both teams in scoring. Deng sealed the victory with a layup that brought the Bulls up 88-80 with 4:47 left in regulation; Chicago went on to win 96-87.

The Bulls return home to the Windy City on Thursday to face their rival, the Miami Heat.

Dec 31, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) on the bench late in the second half against the Charlotte Bobcats at the United Center. The Bobcats won 91-81. (Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

In a New Year’s Eve matinee, the Chicago Bulls found themselves up against a struggling Charlotte Bobcats team. Unfortunately for the Bulls, they ended 2012 on a bad note as they loss 81-91 allowing the Bobcats to end their 18-game losing streak.

Despite the loss, there were some good individual performances. Luol Deng had a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, Carlos Boozer had a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, Richard Hamilton had 11 points in nearly 18 minutes of play, and Taj Gibson achieved a near double-double of 8 points and 9 rebounds, but these accomplishments amount to just about nothing. In the end, all that matters is that the Bulls get the win.

And as that was not the case, no one is getting a game ball. They could also be given to the Bobcats, but they did not really do that well either. They had more turnovers than the Bulls and shot free throws poorly.

Instead, each Bulls player who participated in the game today gets a bottle of deodorant. Why? Because they stunk today. Every member of the team would be included, but there honestly was not anything Vladimir Radmanovic, Kirk Hinrich, or Derrick Rose could have done to change the game’s outcome seeing as they did not play.

At the conclusion of the third quarter, the Bulls had tied the game at 65. Never had they led in the game, and they had an entire 12 minutes to turn it all around. That possibility quickly became a fantasy as the Bulls allowed Charlotte to get ahead yet again. While Chicago is clearly not the successful team they have been, they are much better than what they showed today. They were beat by one of the worst defensive teams in the league and allowed the Bobcats, a relatively guard-oriented team, to out-rebound them. The Bulls have become known for both their defense and rebounding, and they just overlooked what helps them succeed.

Hopefully, the Bulls will use this embarrassing loss as a lesson: never underestimate your opponent. Until then, they can use that deodorant to rid of their stench before Wednesday’s match-up in Orlando.