ESPN

The NBA settled four lottery order ties through random drawings Friday.

Read the entire story.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah acknowledged he suffered a setback in his dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot and said he is doubtful to play against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of their playoff series on Saturday.

Read the entire story.

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins "Carmen & Jurko" to discuss working with Joakim Noah, Tom Thibodeau's use of his players and more.



Click here for more audio from ESPN Chicago.

Listen Live link: Listen

Inside the Chicago Bulls locker room after the final game of the regular season Wednesday there seemed to be a sense of relief that co-existed with a sense of excitement, confidence and calm.

Rip Hamilton joked with Luol Deng. Taj Gibson checked his cell phone while speaking openly to the media about going up against his hometown team, the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Nate Robinson spit Jordan sneakerology to Malcolm Thomas. Marquis Teague ate chicken wings. Tom Thibodeau left the postgame podium with a half-smile on his face.

When I told him that he didn't even look nervous going into the playoffs, the half smile went full. Saying, "Man, I'm aways nervous." Then he walked away.

So now that they're here, excuse me, we're (because we are kinda all in this together, aren't we?) here; now that we can finally put this impossible-to-figure-out, oft-times schizophrenic regular season behind us; now that we avoided going up against the Pacers to open the playoffs (Indiana is on a mission, Brooklyn not so much), what can we expect from this team that at times this season has been the Eastern Conference version of the Lakers?

Read the entire story.

Who ya got? Bulls or Nets?

Read our pieces from ESPN Chicago and ESPN New York and vote on which team you expect to win the first-round series.

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau continues to leave the door open to the possibility of Derrick Rose returning during the playoffs, and while few expect that to happen, Thibodeau said it wouldn't be a problem for the Bulls to establish a rhythm with their point guard.

Rose underwent ACL surgery on May 12.

"The thing is he hasn't played all season," Thibodeau said on SportsCenter. "So he's doing well overall, he's not quite ready. But there's always a possibility.

"He's focused on his rehab and the guys that we do have available have to focus in on our opponent and being ready to play."

The Bulls open the playoffs at the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

""We knew this would be extended with Derrick from the summer," Thibodeau said. "And you don't replace a guy like Derrick individually, we understood that we would have to do it collectively. And that's the way we have approached it.

"He's been practicing with us for a good part of the season, so I don't think it would be a big adjustment at all (if he came back). Whatever he could bring would be a huge asset for our team."

Nick Friedell enters the Bulls chat room at 2 p.m. CT.

Submit questions here and come back for the chat.

CHICAGO -- In the grand scheme of this season, the only numbers in Wednesday night's box score that mean anything have nothing to do with the final score. The biggest numbers are those related to hobbled center Joakim Noah -- zero points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and two turnovers in 14 minutes and 21 seconds of action.

Noah summed up his performance succinctly late Wednesday night after the Bulls 95-92 win over the Washington Wizards: "I felt very rusty."

He looked it. After missing the better part of the past month because of ongoing problems with plantar fasciitis, Noah has looked like a shell of his All-Star self since returning Monday night in Orlando. Obviously, his presence gives the Bulls, who open their playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, a huge lift. But if he can't somehow get some of the pain out of his aching foot, the Bulls' run in the postseason will be short-lived.

Even he isn't sure if he will be able to play at his usual high level throughout the playoffs because of the pain.

"Only time will tell," he said as he iced his foot in a big bucket in front of his locker. "But I'm going to give it everything I got. All I want is to go out there, give everything I got for the team and play at a high level."

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- Regardless of whether the Brooklyn Nets are the ideal first-round matchup for the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA playoffs, it's the matchup the team didn't shy away from and ultimately earned.

The Bulls' 95-92 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday in the regular-season finale wrapped up the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and an opening playoff series which begins Saturday at Brooklyn.

Officially, the Bulls wrapped up the fifth spot late in Wednesday's game when the Atlanta Hawks fell to the New York Knicks to slide to the sixth spot, but the Bulls' victory meant they didn't back into the five-seed.

Yet while the Hawks rested key players, the Bulls did not as Luol Deng played 27 minutes, Carlos Boozer played 38 and Jimmy Butler played a whopping 43. At the very least, the Bulls head into the playoffs with their heads held high and their health as good as it's been in a long time.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- There was no rest for the weary Wednesday night as Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau elected to use nearly all the players available to him in a 95-92 victory over the Washington Wizards in the season finale.

Thibodeau has been known for giving extended minutes to his core players, with Luol Deng heading into the season finale as the leader in the NBA in minutes played per game at 38.9. Joakim Noah was 15th with 37.1 minutes per game played.

Around the league, though, coaches were using the final game of the season as an opportunity for their core players to get a break.

In the Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks game, which directly affected the Bulls' playoff seeding, essentially all the core players were given the night off. The Knicks sat Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, among others, while the Hawks sat Al Horford, Josh Smith, Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague and Devin Harris.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Bulls' 95-92 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at the United Center:

How it happened: Carlos Boozer had 19 points, 15 rebounds and four assists as the Bulls picked up their 45th win of the regular season. Kirk Hinrich added 18 points and five assists in a game that ended up not meaning much since the New York Knicks' victory over the Atlanta Hawks solidified the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the Bulls.

What it means: The Bulls should feel good about being the five seed and facing the Brooklyn Nets because they know they can beat them. They are confident that if they play defense the way they're supposed to, and they stay healthy, they will have enough to win the series. Obviously, the biggest question heading into the weekend is whether they can stay healthy and find a rhythm. It's been Thibodeau's biggest concern for the past couple of weeks.

Hits: Nazr Mohammed had 17 points and seven rebounds -- easily one of his best games of the year.

Misses: Joakim Noah didn't score in 15 minutes of action. The plantar fasciitis in his foot appears to still be bothering him a lot.

Stat of the night: The Bulls had a 21 point lead in the first half and just managed to hang on.

What's next: The Bulls head into the Eastern Conference playoffs. They'll face the Nets in Game 1 this weekend at the Barclays Center.

CHICAGO -- You want to bet me that I can write the saddest Chicago Bulls short story in fewer than 10 words?

How's this? For Sale: DRose 3.5s, never worn.

Read the entire column.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- While not expressing a preference for who they would like to face in the playoffs, the Chicago Bulls have been making preparations for one of two options.

Because they have known for some time now that they were likely to face the Brooklyn Nets or Indiana Pacers in the opening round of the postseason, the Bulls have been able to take a peek ahead while still focusing on that task at hand as the regular season comes to a close.

(Read full post)