@ Game 11, Road Game 5 Friday, November 19, 2010 – 8:30 PM CT American Airlines Center WGN / ESPN / ESPN 1000 AM BULLS VS. MAVERICKS ALL-TIME ALL-TIME ............ Mavericks lead 28-31 BULLS CURRENT STREAK .. 3 Losses BULLS HOME STREAK ............. 1 Loss BULLS ROAD STREAK .......... 5 Losses BULLS VS. MAVERICKS THIS SEASON November 19 @ Dallas – January 20 @ Chicago – Game Notes Chicago Bulls (6-4) Home 5-1 Road 1-3 Bulls Averages: PPG: 102.9 (Opp: 99.8) RPG: 43.8 (Opp: 40.4) APG: 22.5 (Opp: 20.5) SPG: 8.50 (Opp: 9.20) BPG: 6.70 (Opp: 5.20) TO: 15.3 (Opp: 16.1) FG%: .477 (Opp: .446) FT%: .698 (Opp: .760) 3p%: .380 (Opp: .379) Probable Bulls starters Derrick Rose - PG Keith Bogans- SG Luol Deng - SF Taj Gibson - PF Joakim Noah - C Bulls Stats Leaders Points: Rose 25.5, Deng 19.6 Rebounds: Noah 12.9, Gibson 6.2, Deng 6.2 Assists: Rose 8.7, Deng 2.8 Steals: Brewer 1.30, Bogans 1.20 Blocks: Noah 1.70, Gibson 1.70 FG%: Scalabrine .750, Asik .625 FT%: Korver .875, Watson .875 3FG%: Korver .593, Deng .386 Injury report Out - Carlos Boozer - Fractured right hand For a full report and the latest on Bulls' injuries, check out the AthletiCo Injury Report. Dallas Mavericks (7-3) Home 4-2 Road 3-1 Probable Mavericks starters Jason Kidd - PG DeShawn Stevenson - SG Caron Butler - SF Dirk Nowitzki - PF Tyson Chandler - C Injury report Rodrigue Beaubois – OUT – Fractured left foot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Active Bulls career highs (Click here) Bulls Season Highs (Click here)
I don't like the matchups in this one for the bulls. The Mavs are experts at exploiting mismatches and neither Taj or Noah is a good matchup on Dirk. They can't guard Rose either, but they play good team defense. I expect a lot of Deng on Dirk and small ball, especially if Taj starts throwing up bricks.
No one really matches up well with Dirk. He's kind of the forgotten superstar of the league, because so many of the teams on which he's played have not been properly designed to win a championship. It's going to be a tough game. Agree with your take on Deng. He's probably the Bulls' only player that plays physical defense without drawing whistles, and it seems like Thibodeau loves him because of it.
Rose misses, Noah rebounds and scores at the buzzer 21-13 Bulls Bulls 45% Dallas 29% gibson 8, Rose 7, Dirk 10 Bulls 14-10 rebounding edge
Two observations so far: 1). This is the first time all season that Ronnie Brewer has looked fully healed. His defense and movement off the ball have been very good so far. 2). When Asik was in the game, he did a remarkably good job on defense. I don't know what his stats were, but he was effective the way Tyson Chandler was. He just gets in peoples way and gets tough rebounds. In fact, A less athletic but more savvy Tyson Chandler is a good NBA comparison for Asik.
