Chicago Bulls a finely tuned offensive machine
The high-scoring Chicago Bulls' offense is doing more than just humming right now. It's belting out an aria the way a legendary tenor might.
OK, that line might be a reach. But on a night when opera legend Plácido Domingo stopped by the United Center to watch old friend Pau Gasol, it is appropriate.
The Bulls started slowly but eventually pulled away to post their sixth consecutive victory, 101-92 over the Boston Celtics on Thursday. The Bulls also scored 100 points for the ninth straight game, something they haven't done since December 1995.
Inside the locker room, Gasol tried to hurry through interviews so he could spend time visiting Domingo, a fellow Spaniard in town for a performance Saturday at the Lyric Opera.
“He's a guy that I truly admire,” Gasol said. “I have a great friendship and relationship with him. Hopefully in a little bit, we're going to go and catch some dinner and catch up and he's an incredible human being.
“He's a basketball fan. He's a sports fan. He's here for a performance. I wish he was just here to visit me, but that doesn't work that way. It wouldn't be realistic.”
Gasol admitted most of his teammates probably know almost nothing about Domingo, but the Bulls center is OK with that. Gasol frequently attends live performances around town. On Wednesday, he posted a picture of himself posing backstage with the cast of “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Apollo Theater.
“I've tried (to get teammates interested in opera). For the most part, I've failed,” Gasol said. “It's not for everyone. I understand that. A couple players have come. Nazr (Mohammed) came last year. Niko (Mirotic) goes every so often. I try to get other guys. It hasn't really worked yet. To me, it's something I enjoy.
“I don't think they know much about Placido. That's OK. He's a special man. In his field, he's dominant. He's a legend. He's a Hall of Famer, as high as you can mention.”
Well, the Bulls (22-12) don't know much about opera, but they've figured out how to score points. The Bulls put six players in double figures, including all five starters. Jimmy Butler scored 19 points and dished out 10 assists for the second straight game, tying his career high. Gasol also had a double-double with 17 points and 18 rebounds.
Derrick Rose scored 18 points but for the second straight game did not attempt a free throw. He got a technical foul at the 7:17 mark of the fourth quarter for complaining about the lack of a foul call on a drive through the lane.
“That's the story of my career,” Rose said. “Since my MVP year, I always felt like I don't go to the line the way I'm supposed to, but that's not my call. It's up to the referees to make the call. So my job is to continue to keep pushing it, being aggressive.”
The Bulls scored at least 115 points in the previous two games, something they hadn't done since 2010. They got off to a slow start this time, trailing 27-21 after the first quarter but picked up the pace late in the first half.
“The first 12 minutes we weren't doing anything, as far as getting out and running,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “The pace was beyond brutal.
“Everybody was waiting on the outlet pass. Then once we started running, it got our legs moving, we finally got a little spurt of energy to end the second quarter and I thought that carried over. Derrick was in attack mode all night, which was great to see.”
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