<div align="center"> <font color=""White"">@</font> <font color=""Darkblue"">Orlando Magic (7-6)</font> @ <font color=""DarkRed"">Chicago Bulls (6-5)</font> Time: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 7:30pm vs. Magic TV: CSN-Chicago, NBALP <u>Probable Starting Five</u> <font color="DarkRed">Chicago Bulls</font> <font size=""1""><font color=""DarkRed"">PG</font>- Chris Duhon <font color=""DarkRed"">SG</font>- Kirk Hinrich <font color=""DarkRed"">SF</font>-Andres Nocioni <font color=""DarkRed"">PF</font>- Michael Sweetney <font color=""DarkRed"">C</font>- Tyson Chandler</font> <font size=""1"">Coach: Scott Skiles</font> ____________________________ <font color="DarkBlue"> Orlando Magic</font> <font size=""1""><font color=""DarkBlue"">PG</font>- Steve Francis <font color=""DarkBlue"">SG</font>-Deshawn Stevenson <font color=""DarkBlue"">SF</font>-Hedo Turkoglu <font color=""DarkBlue"">PF</font>- Dwight Howard <font color=""DarkBlue"">C</font>- Kelvin Cato</font> <font size=""1"">Coach: Brian Hill</font> <u>Injury Report</u> <font size=""1""> Grant Hill Injury: Surgery Status: Out Keyon Dooling Injury: Right Heel Contusion Status: Out </font></div> <u>Game Most Valuable Player</u> [IMGR]http://www.nba.com/media/bulls/chandler2_050115.jpg[/IMGR] I’m going to go out on a limb tonight, and predict a break out game for Mr. Chandler. Tyson has struggled finding his shot all season, and is averaging a mere five points a game after coming into this season with a career average of nine points a game. He has really struggled being the only big man in the middle for the Bulls this season. Though he is averaging a lot of boards, a bit over ten, he has received a lot of criticism for not having an offensive presence. I think he needs to start showing people he is more than just a rebounding presence, and he will start doing that tonight. Tyson has had 20 point out bursts in the past, and they usually occur early in the season, and after the all star break. So he is about due for one right around this time. Tyson will be matched up against Kelvin Cato and Tony Battie both are respectable defenders, but neither is as athletic or mobile as Chandler is so he will be able to take advantage of that. So here goes my prediction.... <div align="center"><u> Predicted Numbers: 13 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists</u></div> <u>Keys to the Game</u> <ul><font color="DarkRed"> You can not win without the ball</font> the Bulls need to hit the boards, and box the Magic players out. Dwight Howard has been a monster so far this year on the offensive, and defensive boards so he will need to be boxed out, or the Magic will get a lot of second chance buckets, and usually when that happens they tend to have good games.[/list] <ul><font color="DarkRed">Ball movement</font> one thing the Bulls have had in this two game win streak is ball movement they are passing the ball well while limiting turnovers. Which is allowing everyone to get involved in the offensive side of the court keeping the other team off balance. If that continues the Bulls should continue winning.[/list] <ul><font color="DarkRed">Close out game.</font> The Bulls have allowed every team they have played this year chances to come back when the Bulls had the game well in hand. It is reasonable to say the Bulls could be several games over .500 right now if they would stay focused for 48 minutes. They have to close teams out if they get a lead early they need to hold on to it.[/list] <ul><font color="DarkRed">Stay out of foul trouble.</font> Tyson played limited minutes against the Rockets due to getting into foul trouble early, because of this Yao was able to man handle the undersized Othella Harrington, and have a huge game. If Chandler gets in foul trouble again tonight then chances are Howard will do the same to the Bulls in the paint. With the roster currently assembled we just do not have enough size to afford losing our big guys to foul trouble.[/list] <ul><font color="DarkBlue">Shoot selection</font> last year Magic’s head coach Johnny Davis received a lot of criticism for not implementing Dwight Howard in the right offensive sets, and not getting him enough attempts. That along with the Magic's mediocre record led to Davis' firing. Now new head coach Brian Hill has been doing a pretty good job thus far this year of getting Howard his shots, and that is one of the reasons the Magic have been able to fight their way back to .500. They cannot stray away from that strategy if they hope to have any chance of winning tonight.[/list] <ul><font color="DarkBlue">Attack the basket</font> like I mentioned earlier the Bulls are very thin when it comes to big men. Michael Sweetney, Darius Songaila, Tyson Chandler, and Othella Harrington is really the whole front court rotation in a nut shell. If the Magic can get any of those guys in foul trouble then they will be in a much better position to win.[/list] <ul><font color="DarkBlue">Get the bench involved</font> the Bulls bench scored 49 points against the Rockets during their last contest, out scoring the Rockets bench by over 30 points. If the Magic can not get production out of their bench they have already lost. Jameer Nelson will be one of the keys if the Magic hope to win tonight .[/list] My Prediction: Both these teams have been hot lately going on mini win streaks, and getting their seasons back on track. Dwight Howard has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat, now that he is being used correctly, and Steve Francis is doing a pretty nice job as well. The Magic have a lot of confidence this year with Coach Hill at the helm. However, as much momentum as the Magic have coming into this game the Bulls have just as much if not more after beating the defending world champions in their house. Two good young squads squaring off tonight I don’t know who will win, but it will be a good look at several future NBA all stars.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Noir:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm very curious to see how the Bulls are going to guard Howard.</div> Yeah, it?s definitely going to be a interesting match-up no matter how the Bulls choose to approach it. Dwight Howard is making a case for an all star appearance this year. He is averaging a double double, and over twenty points during the last three contests. He has been on fire lately, and the Magic have prospered from it. Chandler and Sweetney have their work cut out for them.
dwight howard only 1-1 and it's almost half time.... and wtf is up with skiles not putting gordon on the floor, he's 0-3 right now
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting rookie789:</div><div class="quote_post">dwight howard only 1-1 and it's almost half time.... and wtf is up with skiles not putting gordon on the floor, he's 0-3 right now</div> That is probably why Gordon is the definition of a streaky shooter. Skiles probably does not want his confidence to fall to a level where he begins to question himself, say if he went 0-7 in the first half. He is probably hoping that the half time rest will be enough to get him back on track for the second half, and his confidence up for the fourth quarter. When we need him most.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kirk Hinrich and the Chicago Bulls had a happy return home. Hinrich had 20 points and a career-high 14 assists and Luol Deng added 13 of his 21 points in the second half as the Bulls posted an 85-76 victory over the Orlando Magic. Chicago, which won three straight games to salvage a 3-3 West Coast road trip, was playing its first home game since defeating Utah here on November 12. Hinrich capped a back-and-forth first half with a runner, drawing the Bulls within 42-41 at the break, then added a free throw and two assists as Chicago took the lead for good with a 9-0 run to start the third period. Pat Garrity cut Orlando's deficit to 55-54 with 4:15 left, but Hinrich found Ben Gordon for a 3-pointer on the other end to ignite a 13-2 burst. Deng followed with a dunk and Othella Harrington and Tyson Chandler each hit a basket around Steve Francis's layup before Gordon and Deng made consecutive jumpers to push the lead to 68-56 with 19 seconds to go. Hedo Turkoglu nailed a long jumper at the buzzer, but the Magic got no closer than seven points in the final 12 minutes. Turkoglu scored 20 points and Dwight Howard had 17 and 19 rebounds for Orlando, which had a four-game winning streak snapped. Andres Nocioni collected 10 points and 11 boards for the Bulls, who recorded 13 steals and forced 18 turnovers.</div> <div align="center">Recap l Box Score</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting rookie789:</div><div class="quote_post">gordon should have 20 shot attempts a game</div> I know there is at least a bit of biasness in that statement. When a player is shooting as bad as he did tonight, a pathetic 2-8, he does not deserve to get 20 shots a game. When he is hitting his shots I absolutely agree with you we should look to go to him more, but with him having the game he was having tonight all the Bulls could really do is use him as a decoy. Now here is what I hope Skiles does though I hope he goes early, and often to Gordon against the Knicks tomorrow to get his confidence going. If that happens I predict a break out day for Ben Gordon.
I really dont care how many shots ben gets a game. As long as we are winning it doesnt matter. Of course we are a more dangerous team when he is hitting shots but that could be said about any one of our players. Ben is just in a funk right now that he will sooner or later shoot his way out of. Go BULLS!
