Acie Law gives Bulls points off the bench
There was bound to be some sort of silver lining to the Bulls' injury-plagued, nine-game losing streak.
Out of sheer necessity, Acie Law was thrown into the lineup the past two nights in Memphis and Dallas with impressive results.
The 6-foot-2 point guard scored a combined 40 points, hitting 13 of 19 shots and 12 of 13 free throws.
When he starred in college at Texas A&M, plenty was written about Law's bizarre, physics-defying outside jumper. He shoots it left-handed with virtually no spin.
During his college years, A&M coach Billy Gillispie tried to correct the release by taping Law's right thumb to the rest of the hand. It didn't work and Law kept on doing what he was doing.
In these last two games for the Bulls, Law knocked down a couple of 3-point baskets, but his most impressive talent was getting to the basket. He has the speed to slice into the lane, then can finish with either hand.
Law considers himself right-handed, but he shoots with his left. That came about because he broke his right hand three times growing up.
In his hometown of Dallas on Wednesday, Law produced a remarkably efficient 22 points, a career high, in just 21 minutes.
Asked later if Law earned more playing time, coach Vinny Del Negro responded by listing a shortcoming.
"For right now, yeah," Del Negro said after the game. "Everyone's got to improve. I don't ever really worry about guys' offensive tools.
"I think Acie has proven he can get to the basket and do some things, but we've got to try to tighten up things defensively."
Is Law's defense so bad that it outweighs his offensive skills? That's something the Bulls need to figure out before the season ends.
There must be some reason the No. 11 pick of the 2007 draft has been traded three times and played so little.
Until Derrick Rose went out with a sprained left wrist last Thursday in Orlando, Law hadn't played more than eight minutes in a single game since Nov. 14 - his last night with Golden State before getting traded to Charlotte with Stephen Jackson. Law played in just eight of the 43 games he spent with the Bobcats.
It's uncertain whether Rose will return from a sprained left wrist Friday night against Cleveland, but even so, Law seems capable of giving the Bulls a nice scoring boost off the bench.
If Rose hadn't collided with Dwight Howard last week, they may never have known.
Deng still healing: Before the Dallas game, coach Vinny Del Negro mentioned that forward Luol Deng still is limping around, just more than a week after suffering a right-calf strain.
The Bulls never really gave an official time line for Deng's return, so it may be presumptuous to suggest he had a setback in his recovery. A calf strain typically requires two weeks or more to heal.
Century streak grows: The Bulls' streak of allowing 100 or more points is up to 12 games. That hasn't happened since the 1985-86 season, when Bulls' opponents crossed the century mark 25 straight times from Dec. 21 through Feb. 17.
The 25-game streak occurred while second-year guard Michael Jordan recovered from a broken foot, the only significant injury of his NBA career.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bulls game day</p>
<p class="News">Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center, 7 p.m. Friday</p>
<p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Comcast SportsNet</p>
<p class="News"><b>Radio:</b> WMVP 1000-AM</p>
<p class="News"><b>Update:</b> This is the first trip to Chicago this season for LeBron James. The Bulls haven't seen the Cavs at all since Dec. 4. Way back on Nov. 5, the Bulls won in Cleveland 86-85, stopping James on a driving attempt as the game ended. James has averaged 24 points in two games against the Bulls, compared to 31.5 points last season. The Cavaliers (54-15) own the league's best record. They lost the first two games after acquiring PF Antawn Jamison from Washington, then won 11 of the next 12. Shaquille O'Neal is out with a thumb injury.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Next:</b> Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center, 6 p.m. Saturday</p>