Tuesday, November 15, 2016 Final Score: POR 88, CHI 113 POR POR HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS “Obviously that was a rough night. Offense never really got on track. They took advantage of that early. The first quarter, I thought actually we got better looks the first quarter than we got the rest of the game, we just weren’t able to convert. I think it’s difficult to evaluate our defense when you get down that much, especially when the offense struggled. They played a good game. They were physical. They were aggressive. They did what they usually do.” Do you chalk this up as “one of those nights?” “I don’t know, I think it’s difficult to evaluate. You ask about effort, when you shoot 20 percent, I don’t think that’s effort. So that’s why it’s a little difficult to evaluate when you’re struggling at the offensive end.” On the Bulls were ahead 22-2 in points in paint “Again, it’s difficult to evaluate because look, we’re not a paint team per se. We rely on threes, we rely on penetration and so I think it’s difficult to evaluate 22 to 2. Some of it was transition, obviously they had offensive rebounds and things like that. Again, when you’re struggling offensively in the first quarter, there are going to be a lot of bloated numbers across the board.” On struggles with rebounding this season so far: “Actually, you know, they’re the best offensive rebounding team in the league and they did get their share. I don’t think it was an exorbitant amount of offensive rebounds when you look at the percentage they got. Certainly, it’s a challenge with them with the offensive rebounds. I thought we competed, but again, you expect to win the offensive rebounding, to get some of them because that’s what they do. It is a concern. Our defensive rebounding is a concern. It’s addressed and we’ve just got to keep getting better and foc
DAMIAN LILLARD “We didn’t get off to a great start offensively. We got a lot of great looks and the ball wasn’t going in. When the ball’s not going in, you’ve got to go to the other end and defend. I thought we also had some really good defensive possessions, we just couldn’t come up with the ball. That’s been an issue for us so far early in the season, is coming up with defensive rebounds. Knowing that they were a really good offensive rebounding team, we allowed them to come in and play to their strength. Our weakness in that area showed and they took advantage of it. We kind of just dug ourselves a hole and then played even from there. Once we got in that hole, we couldn’t dig out. We knew coming in that they were a team with a lot of vets, they’ve all played on successful teams and they know how to play. So once they got that lead, they kept executing and got their confidence up, and they just kept at it. We never got in our groove and we never to the level defensively that we needed to to give ourselves a chance in this game.” Why do you think defensive rebounding has been an issue? “I’m not sure. Sometimes just break downs on the perimeter and our bigs have got to come over and help and their man is up getting a rebound. Sometimes we’re just out of position. Sometimes guys are getting pushed in the back. Sometimes the other team just wants it more, they tip the ball out and it gets chased down. It’s something that we’ve got to be a lot better about. You give NBA teams multiple opportunities to score the ball, they’re going to score the ball. It’s just something we’ve got to be a lot better at.
HEAD COACH FRED HOIBERG On whether that was the best the game Bulls have played this season: “Yeah, I think it was the most complete game that we’ve played. Like I told the guys, I thought it started at shoot around this morning. I could tell they were locked in. They were energetic and they were locked in when we were talking about the game plan. I thought it started with Jerian (Grant). He was terrific guarding the ball. It’s one of the toughest covers in the league, with (Damian) Lillard as hot as he can get. He set the tone for our defense with his ball pressure and I thought he made some really good, simple plays on the other end. I don’t think we had a turnover in that first quarter and only two or three at halftime. This team thrives on that in this building by getting out and scoring on the fast break. It was a good effort that hopefully we can build off of.” On whether he saw this performance coming from Jerian Grant: He’s had some really good practices, he really has. Even when they’ve been playing three on three, he’s been shooting the heck out of it. He’s really been getting after it. I think early in the season it was disappointing for him that he started on the inactive list, but to his credit he’s continued to work. I talked to him about getting that opportunity and that it’s going to come at an unexpected time. He found out he was going to start before the game started tonight and he responded well. On Jerian Grant’s length being effective on defense: Yeah, he does have good length. He wasn’t intimidated at all, he just went out there and battled and fought. You could argue that Lillard is as good as we have in this league at that lead guard position, so just to go out there and play with the poise that he played with for his first meaningful minutes of the season, I thought he handled it great.” JERIAN GRANT On starting the game tonight after beginning the season inactive: “When you talk to people that have been in that position they just tell you to stay ready, your opportunity is going to come. 82 games in this league, things happen, so just stay ready. That’s been my mentality.” On his mentality when being inactive: “It’s definitely tough, at first you’re shocked but then it makes you work harder. It puts things into a reality check and it makes you get back in the gym and work that much harder so as disappointed as I was, it made me work harder and stay ready.” On his plan when defending Damian Lillard: “Keep the ball out of his hands, once he gets that ball he’s dynamic with it averaging 30 points a game. So really just keep the ball out of his hands.” JIMMY BUTLER On winning three of their last four games: “I’m just playing basketball. I think as a team we’re doing what we want to do well, we’re correcting ourselves, we’re bonding to the process, everybody’s working on their game, we’re actually paying attention to the scouting reports and doing what we’re supposed to do on the defensive end. When you guard the game looks really easy.” On his role: “I think to an extent that the game tells you what you’re supposed to do. I think year to year I’ve been in a different role and now the role is a little bit bigger than it was last year so I’m called upon to do a lot more on both ends of the floor. So I think that’s what the game tells me to do, that’s the way the game goes but with the group of guys we have, they constantly remind me of what I have to be doing on the floor.” DWYANE WADE On the Bulls’ guard play tonight: “Those guys are two guys that are going to come at you all game. I thought we just tried to do a good job with just knowing where they were at all times. Tried to make their shots harder than normal and some they’re going to make and obviously some you miss. I thought Jerian [Grant] did a great job, I thought everybody who came in did a great job but just knowing where they were at and our bigs did an unbelievable job of talking and communicating. We had a game plan and we executed it.”
• The Bulls have now won two consecutive games at the Moda Center for the first time since they won three straight contests in Portland from 1995-1998. Portland entered tonight’s game having won seven of its past eight home games against the Bulls. • Damian Lillard (19 points tonight) has produced a total of 357 points in 12 games this season. That is the most points by a Trail Blazer through the first 12 games of any season in franchise history (334-Vandeweghe, 1986). • Ed Davis recorded season-highs in both points (nine) and rebounds (nine). Davis averaged a double-double with 10.5 points (64.3% FG) and 11.0 rebounds in two games against Chicago last season. • Allen Crabbe (15 points) notched his sixth game with at least 10 points in 12 games this season. • Portland’s bench outscored the Chicago reserves by 14 points (38-24). • Chicago hauled in 67 rebounds, the most by any team in a single game in the NBA this season (61, Den. vs. Por., 10/29/16). • Chicago forward Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting (8-8 FT), and has now scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games. • Bulls guard Jerian Grant scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, finishing one point shy of his career-high for points scored in a single game (19, 4/10/16 NYK vs. Tor.). • Jimmy Butler (27 pts, 12 reb), Taj Gibson (12 pts, 11 reb) and Robin Lopez (13 pts, 11 reb) all recorded double-doubles against Portland tonight.
So much for sure odds playing the Bulls. When I noticed 7-17 in the first Q, the prediction of a "one of those nights came to light. Its shame this is a home loss
