@ Game 70, Road Game 35 Tuesday, March 22, 2011 – 7:00 PM (CT) Philips Arena TNT / ESPN 1000 AM BULLS VS. HAWKS ALL-TIME ALL-TIME ................. Bulls lead 112-100 BULLS CURRENT STREAK ....... 1 Win BULLS HOME STREAK .............. 1 Win BULLS ROAD STREAK .......... 6 Losses BULLS VS. HAWKS THIS SEASON March 2 @ Atlanta – HAWKS WON 83-80 March 11 @ Chicago – BULLS WON 94-76 March 22 @ Atlanta – Game Notes Chicago Bulls (50-19) Home 31-4 Road 19-15 BULLS CURRENT STREAK .. 1 Win Bulls Averages: PPG: 98.3 (Opp: 91.2) RPG: 44.4 (Opp: 39.0) APG: 21.9 (Opp: 18.9) SPG: 7.26 (Opp: 6.87) BPG: 5.84 (Opp: 5.91) TO: 14.2 (Opp: 14.4) FG%: .459 (Opp: .427) FT%: .733 (Opp: .758) 3p%: .360 (Opp: .326) Probable Bulls starters Derrick Rose - PG - 24.8 ppg, 7.8 apg, 1.07 spg Keith Bogans- SG - 4.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .48 spg Luol Deng - SF - 17.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.8 apg Carlos Boozer - PF - 18.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.2 apg Joakim Noah - C - 12.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.45 bpg Bulls Stats Leaders Points: Rose 24.8, Boozer 18.2 Rebounds: Noah 11.3, Boozer 9.5 Assists: Rose 7.8, Deng 2.8 Steals: Brewer 1.36, Rose 1.07 Blocks: Noah 1.45, Gibson 1.39 FG%: Asik .548, Boozer .525 FT%: Korver .878, Rose .848 3FG%: Korver .434, Watson .398 Injury report None. For a full report and the latest on Bulls' injuries, check out the AthletiCo Injury Report. Atlanta Hawks (40-30) Home 21-14 Road 19-16 Probable Hawks starters Kirk Hinrich - PG Joe Johnson - SG Marvin Williams - SF Josh Smith - PF Al Horford - C Injury report None to report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Active Bulls career highs (Click here) Bulls Season Highs (Click here)
It's probably just me, but I see this as something of a defining game. The Hawks are very good. It's at their place. The Bulls are on the back end of a B2B. The Hawks lineup matches well to the Bulls. Net, the Hawks have all the advantages...unless of course, the Bulls are truly an elite team and all that other shit doesn't matter because the Bulls are just that much better. I've freely confessed here that my confidence in this team has consistently lagged behind what they deserve based on the quality of their play. Damn me to hell, I'm still behind the curve. If I was a betting man (which I am decidedly not), I'd stay away from this one. I am not "all in" emotionally with this team and I hate myself for it.
I wouldn't say this is a defining game, since the Bulls are still getting all their pieces back. I've predicted it to be a loss in this stretch of meh. I'll stick with it, since it is hard to call. Boozer was a bouncy kid his first game back. Horford won't be so kind as to oblige him the second time around. The bulls can definitely win this. I'm just saying they won't. So, not defining, no, but a sign of work still to be done by the starters if they do lose.
. . . especially since it was Boozer that administered the hard foul on Horford in the @ Atlanta game.
My Denny Crane sarcasm detection meter has been smashed to bits this season. I can't even tell anymore.