Bulls' defense can't contain Celtics
BOSTON -- The real story Friday was the Bulls failing to compete with another Eastern Conference power as they struggle to incorporate Carlos Boozer into the lineup.
Boozer finished with 12 points and 2 rebounds, while the Bulls struggled defensively and lost to Boston 104-92 at TD Banknorth Garden.
After a 17-3 run by the Celtics broke open a 1-point game early in the third quarter, the Bulls never seriously threatened. Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 20 points but was no match for Rajon Rondo's 19 assists and 12 points.
“All facets of our defense right now, it's hard to judge because we have to do it with greater intensity,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Right now, we're struggling a little bit. One thing we can do, we can play a lot harder.”
As usual, though, when the Bulls play the Celtics, there's a sideshow, and Friday's was a battle against Bulls center Joakim Noah that Boston's Kevin Garnett seemed to take personally.
Garnett looked more like his old self than he has in two years, finishing with 20 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists. He also unloaded a torrent of trash talk, elbows and shoves toward Noah. Both players were given technical fouls in the first half for tangling on the way down the court.
“Every time we play KG it's always like that,” Noah said.
Last spring, when Garnett was involved in a playoff skirmish with Miami, Noah called Garnett a dirty player. He echoed similar sentiments in a recent radio interview in Chicago.
This wasn't the first time the two have met on the court since Noah made those comments. But their duel didn't generate much buzz when Noah collected 26 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime loss at Boston on Nov. 5.
The rematch was a different story.
“Everybody has an opinion and obviously he had one,” Garnett said. “I'm not entertaining nor addressing nobodies.”
Asked if he considered Noah a “nobody,” Garnett replied, “Next question.”
Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal, who scored 12 points, contributed to the conversation.
“He (Garnett) is playing at a high level,” he said. “Especially when the young, disrespectful cats come out, he steps his game up.”
Asked several times about Garnett in the visitors locker room, Noah refused to add much to the discussion.
“It doesn't matter. Who cares? At the end of the day, they won the game,” Noah said. “We got our (butts) kicked and they won the game. That's what's frustrating. I don't care about the other stuff. At the end of the day, it's all talk. Nothing's going to happen. What's frustrating is they won the game and we didn't.”
After falling behind by 14 points in the first quarter, the Bulls (9-8) were able to muster one good flurry. They used a 17-3 run to tie the score at 34-34 on a free throw by Luol Deng. Down by 5 at halftime, the Bulls answered with the first two buckets of the third quarter to close within 53-52. From that point on, it was all Celtics.
The home team drove to the basket at will, rebounded the few shots it missed and used a 17-2 run to pull away by the middle of the third quarter.
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Houston Rockets at the United Center, 7 p.m.
TV: Channel 9
Radio: WMVP 1000-AM
Update: The Bulls used a big fourth quarter and 33 points from Derrick Rose to rally for a 95-92 win at Houston on Nov. 16. The Rockets have struggled but pulled off their best win of the season Wednesday, beating the Lakers at home 109-99. They played at Memphis on Friday. SG Kevin Martin is the top scorer at 22.6 ppg., followed by PF Luis Scola at 20.2 ppg. C Yao Ming and PG Aaron Brooks are still out with ankle injuries. The Bulls have won four straight in the series.
Next: Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center, 7 p.m. Saturday
<P><B>Mike McGraw's game tracker </B></P>
<P>Celtics 104, Bulls 92</P>
<P><B>Tough road for new team: </B>The first two games with Carlos Boozer in the lineup were against the two best teams in the East and the Bulls didn't fare well in either. Defense was a big issue Friday, with Boston shooting 53.1 percent from the field.</P>
<P><B>Numbers game: </B>Boozer produced 12 points and 2 rebounds in his second game back. Joakim Noah bounced back from his no-rebound game to post 14 points and 10 rebounds. But it was no match for Rajon Rondo's 19 assists or Kevin Garnett's 17 rebounds.</P>
<P><B>Another chance awaits: </B>Noah on another loss in Boston: “Frustrating, but we get to play them two more times in our building, so hopefully we'll get a better result.”</P>