ESPN

NBA Tonight looks at which seed would be better for the Bulls, the fifth or sixth seed.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tom Thibodeau stood to the left of the large double doors that served as the entry to a joyous Chicago Bulls locker room Monday night and pondered the question that will hover over his team throughout the playoff drive.

"The question is are we going to be sharp?," Thibodeau said after a 102-84 victory over the Orlando Magic. "You're talking about playoff basketball where the intensity level is very high, and it's the same opponent over and over. And most often times the games are decided by one or two possessions. So how you match up with people is critical. A bad matchup for a minute in the playoffs is 10 points. So we got to be right and ready."

The key for the Bulls as they head into their final regular season game Wednesday against the Washington Wizards is that they feel about as ready as they can be. The fact that Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah made their return from injuries against the Magic gave the Bulls a much-needed emotional lift.

"You can see the way we were playing (Monday)," Gibson said of the emotional boost. "How guys were flying around on defense knowing that Joakim and me are behind to really negotiate the defense and really attack every shot coming up. We got a lot of blocked shots. Guys were talking, we were helping out the guards and that's what we need.

"We need a lot of energy late, and I told them I was going to play today. They had me on limited minutes, they had Jo on limited minutes, but we just wanted to be out there and really push the guys and know that we got to sharpen up. We got to get ready for the playoffs."

(Read full post)

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Taj Gibson said he hasn't given up hope that Derrick Rose will return to the Chicago Bulls this season.

"We feel like that every day," Gibson said. "He works out with us, he practices with us and it's like he never left. But it's just different when the game comes. We're still patient knowing that he could possibly play one of the games coming up but until that time we have to just stay sharp and be ready (for) whenever he's ready to come back."

Rose is still working his way back from May 12 knee surgery. Sources told ESPNChicago.com in early March that Rose had been cleared medically to play but needed to regain his confidence before he can return to the court.


Gibson said there are still times he looks around the floor and wonders about what could be if Rose were there.

(Read full post)

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Bulls' 102-84 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday at Amway Center:

How it happened: The Bulls dominated this game. Carlos Boozer had 22 points, six rebounds and four assists while Luol Deng added 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds. After a lackluster first half, the Bulls went to work. They took advantage of a bad team and played together. After dropping two straight, this was exactly the type of performance they needed heading into the most crucial part of the year.

What it means: The Bulls won on two fronts in this game. The actual victory is secondary to the fact that Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson got some minutes after missing extended time because of injuries. The pair's presence alone will give the Bulls confidence as they head into the playoffs. Obviously, both are shaking some rust off and still have some work to do in the next few days to get their bodies back in order, but the fact that they were out there and contributed to this victory is a great sign for the Bulls. Noah and Gibson are two huge focal points for Thibodeau's defensive system and are crucial if the Bulls want to a run in the playoffs.

Hits: The Bulls did whatever they wanted offensively and shot 56 percent from the field.

Misses: Both teams combined for 33 turnovers.

Stat of the night: The Bulls had 33 assists. Their starters combined for 78 points.

What's next: The Bulls head into their final regular season game of the season at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday against the Washington Wizards.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who spent four seasons as an assistant with the Celtics, was saddened by the news of the explosions at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

"It's just terrible," Thibodeau said. "Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, the first responders, everybody there. It's just terrible. Very, very sad."

Two bombs exploded in the streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day, killing two people and injuring dozens more, authorities said. Various media outlets have as many as 70 to 100 people injured. Hospitals reported at least 105 injured, at least 15 of them critically.

Thibodeau knows how much the Patriot's Day celebration means to the people of Boston.

"It's huge," he said. "There's so much going on and the entire meaning of that day, it's so festive. It's unfathomable just to think about something like that happening there. Again, it's just a terrible day. Terrible."

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson will play limited minutes against the Orlando Magic on Monday.

Read the entire story.

MIAMI -- Joakim Noah is dealing with a bad foot that won't heal until next season. Taj Gibson is battling a knee injury that will limit him. Derrick Rose hasn't slammed the door on the matter but it sure seems like he'll wait until next season to return.

And Sunday the Chicago Bulls lost to the Miami Heat 105-93 for their sixth loss in their last 10, knocking them a full game behind the Atlanta Hawks and into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. That means a likely first-round match with the Indiana Pacers, who beat them three out of four times this season, and not the Brooklyn Nets, who the Bulls beat three out of four.



Read the entire column.

MIAMI -- The Chicago Bulls aren't sure how much of an impact LeBron James' words after their last meeting had on Sunday's loss to the Miami Heat, but they were frustrated that they were called for nine fouls in the first quarter and were angry with what they perceived to be a tough whistle throughout the day.

After the Heat's March 27 loss that snapped their 27-game win streak, James was critical of several calls and plays made by the Bulls.

(Read full post)

MIAMI -- The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of learning a hard lesson that has been seven months in the making. When it comes to winning basketball games against elite teams late in the season, heart and hustle can only take you so far.

There's a certain point when that's just not enough, and the Bulls reached that point during Sunday's 105-93 loss to the Miami Heat.

Throughout much of this season, the Bulls found ways to win games they weren't supposed to, play through injuries to key contributors and fight through the mental and physical grind of an 82-game season. The fact that they did all of this without star guard Derrick Rose and managed to play at a high level with the constant distraction of Rose's status is commendable and shows again why Tom Thibodeau is such a good coach.

But at some point, no matter how hard a team tries, talent almost always wins out. That's what happened Sunday against Miami as the Bulls played without Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis), Taj Gibson (knee), Rip Hamilton (suspension) and of course, Rose. They didn't have enough to slow down LeBron James and company down the stretch and make plays.

Thibodeau preaches about never having excuses, but let's face it, the Bulls don't have enough healthy talent to beat teams like Miami right now. The veteran coach doesn't want to hear it, but his players know it to be true.

"The thing is it was a winnable game for us," Thibodeau said. "You're going to get into situation when you're on the road ... they're a great team, give them credit. I think that they got a lot of calls that went their way but that was to be expected. There's still a winnable game down the stretch. We had a couple tough plays where we had poor body positioning but even in the fourth quarter we're right there. We got to come up with a way to get stops."

But that's the problem for the Bulls and has been off and on throughout the season. The offense has struggled for consistency, and because of all the injuries, they sometimes have to play small and try to knock down shots from the perimeter. When those shots aren't falling, it makes them even more vulnerable on both ends of the floor. With Noah and Gibson not on the floor, the problems became even harder to cover up.

"We're small," Thibodeau admitted. "When you take 26 3s it means (in this case) those were probably the right shots. We're playing small, we've got four perimeter players out there with Carlos (Boozer). Those are the shots that present themselves. I think what happens when you do that is your offense picks up but your defense suffers. The value of both Taj and Joakim are the fact that you can stay big when teams go small, because of their feet. But that being said we've got other guys that can get it done. We just didn't get it done."

The problem for Thibodeau is that it's just not the case.

Nazr Mohammed didn't score and committed three fouls in less than seven minutes of play. Boozer racked up 16 points and 20 rebounds but missed nine shots, played poor defense and repeatedly did not go up strong at the rim. The good news for the Bulls is that both Noah and Gibson are hoping to be ready for the playoffs, if not sooner. The bad news is that they likely won't be able to get into any kind of rhythm before the big games start next weekend. The Bulls would love to get up to the fifth seed and jump Atlanta before the end of the regular season, but all of it is moot if they can't get relatively healthy before next weekend.

"Just (playing with) more energy," Bulls guard Nate Robinson said of what his team needed to fix up before the playoffs. "More energy. Everything else will take care of itself."

That's just not the case. If the Bulls don't get healthy, they won't win.

Thibodeau's team has been playing hard of late, a fact lost on no one within the locker room. They're just out of gas. They don't have enough depth to overcome so many injuries and the guys who have been playing have played so many minutes that their bodies are starting to wear out. The only true importance for the last two games of the season is to keep everybody upright and get Noah and Gibson back. The Bulls have the ability, with that group, to beat either the Brooklyn Nets or the Indiana Pacers in the first round. The Heat, as they proved two years ago in the Eastern Conference finals and again on Sunday, are just on another level right now.

"Just come out with two solid efforts on both ends of the floor," Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich said of his wish for the last two games. "We've kind of been inconsistent in both areas here as of late. (We) just have to gear up because once the season ends the playoffs are here. It's not like we get another training camp. So we just have to play two very solid effort games on both ends of the floor; unselfish on offense, moving the ball, just being very sharp."

MIAMI -- Let's take a quick look at how the Miami Heat earned a 105-93 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon at American Airlines Arena.

How it happened: LeBron James scored 24 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out six assists as the Heat grinded out the Bulls at the end. Dwyane Wade also had a big day scoring 22 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 19 points while Carlos Boozer chipped in with 16 points and 20 rebounds but the Bulls ran out of gas and got dominated down low.

What it means: The Bulls just didn't have enough in this one. Playing without Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson really hurt as the defense struggled to control the pace of the game and got beat on the blocks. Obviously, the Bulls' rash of injuries and the fact that Derrick Rose still hasn't returned has crippled Tom Thibodeau's team -- but the big problem for the Bulls all season, and at various points throughout this game, is that they can't find ways to consistently score. There are too many times when the offense can't find a good shot and is looking for anything as the shot clock runs down. The Heat's defense was solid but that shouldn't be the lone excuse for the Bulls. They shot just 35.4 percent from the field and must find a way to create better opportunities for themselves next weekend when the playoffs start.

Hits: Daequan Cook had 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Misses: Marco Belinelli, Jimmy Butler and Kirk Hinrich were just 7-for-27 from the field. Deng, Boozer and Robinson combined to miss 30 shots.

Stat of the day: The Heat outscored the Bulls 44-24 in the paint.

What's next: The Bulls are right back at it Monday night when they take on the Orlando Magic.

MIAMI -- Taj Gibson did not play Sunday afternoon against the Miami Heat because of a left knee injury but he is hoping to be back before the regular season ends.

He wants to try and get into a rhythm before the Eastern Conference playoffs begin next weekend.

(Read full post)

MIAMI -- LeBron James had just been officially introduced as a member of the 2012 USA Basketball team last July in Las Vegas when he sat down at a small table in a large conference room for yet another session with the media. As the conversation turned from Team USA's chances in London to the upcoming season, James mentioned how several teams in the East were in the midst of improving themselves. The New York Knicks had just added Jason Kidd, the Brooklyn Nets were in the middle of a high priced roster renovation that would eventually land them Joe Johnson, among others. The Celtics were trying to keep up with the times by adding several new pieces after losing veteran sharp shooter Ray Allen to the Heat.

(Read full post)

TORONTO -- Nazr Mohammed didn't want to hear it.

The veteran center didn't want to wonder why the Bulls played so poorly in a 97-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors Friday night. He didn't want to use an excuse.

"We don't use excuses," Mohammed said after playing a team-high 43 minutes. "They won, they made shots, we didn't. We didn't get the stops when we needed them and we didn't execute the way we normally do."

It's nothing new this season. The Bulls have a habit of knocking off good teams, like the New York Knicks on Thursday night, and following that up by losing to bad ones. The Bulls have repeatedly shown that they can beat anyone but also lose to any team in the league.

(Read full post)

TORONTO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Bulls' 97-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday at Air Canada Centre:

How it happened: Amir Johnson had 24 points, nine rebounds and two assists to lead the Raptors to the win. Rudy Gay chipped in with 23 points as Toronto took advantage of a tired Bulls team. Carlos Boozer had a nice night scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds but he scored just two points in the second half and fouled out of the game with 3:49 left in regulation. This is the second time this week the Raptors have beaten the Bulls.

What it means: After an emotional overtime win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night, the Bulls simply ran out of gas in the second half of this game. This is a tired group that lacked the edge that Tom Thibodeau always wants his teams to play with. The fatigue was evident with Jimmy Butler. After playing a combined 98 minutes over the past two contests, Butler struggled to make a difference on either end, scoring just seven points in 37 minutes.


Hits: Nazr Mohammed had a solid game, scoring 16 points with 13 rebounds in 43 minutes.

Misses: The Bulls turned the ball over 18 times. The Raptors scored 24 points off those turnovers.

Stat of the night: Points in the paint: The Raptors outscored the Bulls 46-34

What's next: The Bulls face off against the Miami Heat at noon CT Sunday.

TORONTO -- Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (knee) and center Joakim Noah (foot) will not play Friday night against the Toronto Raptors.

"Taj and Jo are better but not playing," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game.

Derrick Rose's status remains the same.

With just four regular season games left, it will be tough for the Bulls to find practice time for their injured players, but Thibodeau isn't concerned.

"We'll deal with it," Thibodeau said. "We'll figure out a way to get it done. Right now the big part is them putting the work into their rehab and to be mentally sharp, to stay locked into what the team is doing while they're out. Then when they're back in the mix they don't skip a beat. Just be ready to get in there and get the job done so that's the challenge. Right now we want to continue to improve, clean things up, and play our best going down the stretch here."