Did Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose take my advice on Saturday night against the Boston Celtics? It seemed so on the first offensive possession of the game as he attacked the lane with a floater instead of settling for an outside jumper. Then, on his next shot, he took a long contested 3-pointer, which probably made my case a little bit weaker. He almost disappeared the rest of this game as Aaron Brooks took over with a variety of jumpers, rebounds and free throws. Brooks even had a potential buzzer-beating shot to win the game but missed. Rose eventually came back in, hit the game-clinching shot in overtime, and that floater off the glass made it a four-point lead which sent the Celtics home with a 109-104 loss.
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Overall, it was an interesting starting lineup on Saturday night with Jimmy Butler and Mike Dunleavy Jr. both sidelined. Butler was out due to a personal matter while Dunleavy was tending to a severely sprained ankle. This gave Nikola Mirotic a huge opportunity to prove himself as a volume contributor, but it was mostly a wasted chance. He struggled with his shot early on, although, Mirotic did convert a crucial play during the third quarter to help tie things up 69-69. Kirk Hinrich was another guy who logged extra playing time because of starters sitting, and he has long been a Tom Thibodeau favorite while sometimes drawing the ire of fans. Captain Kirk was great defensively in the first half and even hit a couple of jumpers for some bonus points, but he was no match for the production of Brooks.
Tony Snell checked in with a little less than two minutes left in the first quarter, and this was also a golden opportunity for him to carve out some playing time. He failed in that regard by playing spotty defense and bricking his first long jumper, however, the SF could get more opportunities this month if Dunleavy remains out. Instead, it was Brooks who played hero in the second half.
Pau Gasol was questionable before this one with a chest contusion, but he ended up playing and contributing at an elite level by getting a double-double by halftime. He was also the X-factor in OT. The PF did not match his career high in blocks (9) like earlier this week but did give the Celtics headaches with all of his versatility. He even hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter.
It was a turnover heavy game in the first half, however, both teams eventually settled down into a decent rhythm. The fact remains that this was a scrap fest, and the Bulls had a modest 46-40 lead at halftime. In the end, this one went to overtime where Chicago had a unique opportunity to prove themselves despite being shorthanded, and Gasol made the difference. He blocked a shot by Jared Sullinger, finished off a layup to make the score 103-99, and added in another block as well. The Spanish big man then hit a couple free throws to officially put the game out of reach with 1:22 remaining. These Bulls seem capable of scraping wins together even when everything goes against them, and Gasol’s clutch play showed why he should be an All-Star starter without a doubt.