BullsEye Blog

Game Notes For Wednesday vs. Raptors

2008-04-16T20:20:40Z

and 16 appearances in 2007. * Toronto has won four straight games against the Bulls for the first time since taking 16 in a row from March 1999 to December 2002. * Toronto has lost three straight and nine of its last 10 away from home. * Chris Bosh is averaging 25.5 points is in last 15 road games. * The Bulls are trying to win consecutive games for only the second time since Dec. 31 (March 4-6). * The Bulls will have a losing record at home for the sixth time since Michael Jordan’s final season with the club (1997-98).

Game Notes For Monday @ Bucks

2008-04-14T19:27:51Z

* The Bulls have taken two of the first three games in the season series with Milwaukee, with the home team holding serve each time. * Sunday’s loss to Orlando was the Bulls’ fourth in their last five games. They have not won a game when scoring less than 100 points since February 14 (99 points). * The Bucks have dropped six in a row to fall to 26-54, their second straight season with 54 losses. Another loss would match the franchise’s third most in a single season, accomplished in its inaugural 1968-69 season. * Andres Nocioni led the Bulls with 22 points on Sunday, matching his total for his previous four games combined. * Luol Deng has averaged 20.3 points per game and shot .539 from the field against teams currently below .500, as opposed to 14.6 and .421, respectively, versus teams at .500 or better. * Michael Redd has averaged 31.5 points per game against the Bulls since 2005-06, the second-highest rate by any opponent versus Chicago over that span (LeBron James – 33.5, minimum 5 games).

Game Notes For Friday vs. Cavs

2008-04-11T21:15:26Z

* Chicago has won four of its last six games against Cleveland. * Cleveland’s 118-114 win at Charlotte on April 2 broke the Cavaliers’ six-game road losing skid. * The Bulls have lost 12 of their last 17 games, including the last three in a row. * LeBron James is averaging 36.3 ppg versus the Bulls this season. But he has struggled in the 4th quarter of these games, averaging just 4.3 ppg on 29.4% shooting. * Zydrunas Ilgauskas is averaging 18 ppg and 8.5 rpg over his last 10 contests. * Joakim Noah pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds the last time these teams played in Chicago. That is the most rebounds by a rookie in a game versus Cleveland since of the 1991-1992 season.

Game Notes For Wednesday @ Magic

2008-04-09T21:17:06Z

* Orlando has taken the two previous games against the Bulls in 2007-08, running the Magic’s record to 4-1 versus Chicago since the beginning of last season. * With last night’s loss at Miami, the Bulls have been eliminated from playoff contention. * The Magic’s loss at New York on Sunday was the fifth in their last eight games. Since February 22, Orlando is 14-0 when scoring at least 100 points, compared to 0-7 otherwise. * The last time Larry Hughes faced the Magic, he poured in 40 points while leading Cleveland to a 118-111 victory on February 11. It was his highest point total in four years. * Hedo Turkoglu’s three-point field-goal percentage is 124 points higher at home (.469) than on the road (.345), the largest such improvement in the Eastern Conference (minimum 100 three-point FGA both home and road). * Dwight Howard’s career-high streak of 10-rebound games has reached 22, the longest active streak in the league. No one else is working on a streak longer than six games (Shawn Marion, injured).

Game Notes For Saturday vs. Wizards

2008-04-05T22:14:22Z

* Chicago has won seven of its last 10 games against Washington.
* The Bulls’ 101-98 win over Cleveland on Thursday was just their seventh game all season which has been decided by three points or less (4-3). Only the Jazz and Raptors (6 each) have played in fewer such games this year.
* Chicago is shooting a league-low 43.2% this season. The Bulls shot 53.5% in their win over the Cavs on Thursday, raising their record this year to 8-0 when they shoot better than 50.0% from the floor.
* Larry Hughes had 25 points and a season-high nine assists in Thursday’s win over Cleveland. In his previous six games, Hughes had scored in double figures just once.

Game Notes For Thursday vs. Lebrons

2008-04-04T16:18:27Z

* Chicago and Cleveland have split their two meetings so far this season, with the home team winning both matchups. The Cavaliers have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Bulls at Quicken Loans Arena.
* The Bulls have lost 10 of their last 11 road games, including having lost six road games in a row. Chicago has given up more 100 or more points in nine of the past 11 road games.
* The Cavaliers have won 10 of their last 11 home games, losing to the Hornets in the only game in which they surrendered 100 points.
* Chicago has six wins in games in trails at halftime. This is tied for the fewest amount of wins in this situation in the NBA this season.
* Joakim Noah grabbed a career high 20 rebounds in the Bulls March 6 victory over the Cavaliers. Noah’s total was the most rebounds by a Bull this season.
* In two games against Chicago this season, LeBron James is averaging 38.0 points per game, but only 4.5 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game.

Game Notes For Tuesday vs. Celtics

2008-04-01T20:11:43Z

* Boston has won all three meetings with Chicago this season by an average of nearly 20 points per game (19.7).
* The Celtics play six of their final nine regular season games on the road. Boston has won eight of its last nine games away from TD Banknorth Garden.
* Paul Pierce is shooting just 33.6 percent from the field in his last six visits to the United Center and has missed 21 of his 23 three-point attempts over that time.
* The Bulls are looking for consecutive wins for only the second time in 2008 (also March 4-6). They have also not lost more than two and a row over that period.
* Joakim Noah is averaging 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over his last three home games. Through his first 30 games at the United Center, he was averaging 4.8 ppg and 5.8 rebounds.

Big Game for Both Teams

2008-03-26T22:35:09Z

This game in Philadelphia tonight is not just a big game for the Bulls as they make their push for the play-offs, but the 76ers have their sights set on moving up in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia has been red-hot - they've won 6 out of 7 games and going back even farther they've won 18 out of 23, including wins over Detroit, San Antonio and at Boston just a couple of nights ago. They are a team of young athletes who are also proving to be very good basketball players.

The Bulls' season seems on life support from game to game, but last night's win over Atlanta really helped their play-off hopes in that the win came against one of the teams they have to pass to get to the 8th spot in the conference. They've got Atlanta again on Friday, so there is hope. Of course, there's no over-looking tonight's game against Philadelphia, especially when you consider the Bulls gave up a big 4th quarter lead and lost to the Sixers at the United Center just a couple of weeks ago.

Game Notes For Wed vs. Sixers

2008-03-26T15:54:06Z

* The road team has won the first three games in the season series between these teams, with the 76ers coming away with two victories. The Bulls are 4-2 in their last six trips to Philadelphia.
* After beating Atlanta on Tuesday, 103-94, the Bulls are 3-6 in their last nine games. They’ve lost four straight road games, and eight of their last nine away from home.
* Winners of two straight and 18 of their last 23, the 76ers are over .500 for the first time since they were 4-3 through November 16, 2006.
* Drew Gooden erupted for a season-high 31 points on Tuesday. His 16 rebounds also tied a season high.
* As a starter, Joakim Noah has hit 52.5 percent of his field goals and 81.6 percent of his free throws. Those figures were 43.7 and 61.6, respectively, when coming off the bench.
* Samuel Dalembert has averaged 15.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in three games against the Bulls this season. His career field-goal percentage versus Chicago (.609) is the highest by any active player (minimum 75 FGA).

Game Notes For Tuesday vs. Hawks

2008-03-25T15:52:55Z

* The Hawks’ victory over the Bulls in Atlanta on Jan. 13 ended a 12-game losing streak to Chicago. The Bulls last lost to Atlanta at the United Center on April 9, 2004, a run of six straight wins.
* Atlanta has won four of its last five games.
* Joe Johnson is averaging 28.0 points over his last 11 games and shooting 50.2 percent from the field over that time.
* The Bulls have lost two straight and four of their last five games.
* Chicago has lost three of the last four and is only 12-11 this season when Luol Deng scores at least 20 points in a game.

Game Notes For Saturday vs. Pacers

2008-03-21T18:17:28Z

* The Bulls have won the last two and six of the last eight games against the Pacers.
* Since January 25, the Bulls have dropped back-to-back games seven times, but have yet to lose three in a row.
* The Bulls could be without Kirk Hinrich, who has a right sprained ankle. Hinrich scored a career-high 38 points in the Pacers’ last visit to Chicago on Jan. 23.

Game Notes For Thursday vs. Spurs

2008-03-21T18:16:17Z

* San Antonio is 15-3 versus Chicago since Michael Jordan left the Bulls. However, the Spurs are going for their first season sweep of the Bulls since the 2004-05 season.
* The Spurs have lost four in a row for the first time since November 2003 and are looking to avoid their first five game losing streak since the 1996-97 season.
* The Bulls have won four of their past five home games, scoring 100+ points in each game.
* San Antonio has an NBA-high 21 wins in games it trails after the first quarter. Its 21-10 (.677) overall record in such games is second best in the league behind the Boston Celtics.
* Manu Ginobili has made 41.2 percent of his three-point attempts on the season, highest among players averaging 20+ points per game and attempting more than 10 three pointers.
* Ben Gordon is averaging 19.6 points per game, shooting .521 (61/117) from the field and .481 (26/54) from three-point land in March.

Game Notes For Tuesday vs. Nets

2008-03-18T17:52:52Z

* The Nets have won three straight and five of the last six games with the Bulls.
* The Nets have been off since Saturday. New Jersey has won two straight since the end of its six-game losing streak.
* Devin Harris is averaging 20.0 points on .491 shooting from the field in four home games with the Nets, compared to just 13.8 points on .352 shooting on the road.
* The Bulls lost yesterday in New Orleans and have dropped two straight and four of their last five. They have yet to suffer a three game losing streak under interim coach Jim Boylan.
* Kirk Hinrich has averaged 18.4 points per game against the Nets for his career, his highest scoring average against any team in the league.

Game Notes For Monday @ Hornets

2008-03-17T17:53:49Z

* The Bulls look to even the series vs. the Hornets since the move to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season. New Orleans leads 8-7.
* Tonight will be Tyson Chandler’s fourth game against his former team. In three games, Chandler averages 5.3 points and 15.3 rebounds vs. the Bulls.
* The Hornets are looking to match a season-high with their seventh straight home win. They’re also trying to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time since a season-high three-game skid from Feb. 22-25.
* Ben Gordon has scored double figures in 54 of his last 60 appearances off the bench, averaging 21.8 points in those games.
* The Bulls are 5-7 (.417) since its 11-player, three- team trade with Cleveland and Seattle on February 21.
* 16 of Chicago’s 25 wins this season have been by 10+ points, including the last three victories.

Analyzing the NBA Trades

2008-03-07T21:39:33Z

The Laker trade, getting Pau Gasol, improved their record, no doubt about it. He seems to be fitting in very well. Everyone is waiting for Andrew Bynum to get back to full strength...that's when you will see the Lakers do what they can do.

I'm one of the few people who doesn't see the Jason Kidd trade as helping Dallas all that much. He's an excellent point guard, but I think their major deficiency upfront is strength down low in the half-court game that they are going to encounter in the play-offs.

As for Phoenix, they have time to work Shaquille O'Neal into their offense and once they get into the halfcourt game, that's when they'll be able to use him and his talents a lot better. In the open floor in the Western Conference in the regular season, Shaq is a bit of an anchor...but watch what he can do in the play-offs when the Suns get into a halfcourt game against a team like San Antonio.