Valentine: Bulls are trusting each other more
Denzel Valentine may be a rookie, but he had some thoughtful observations about the Bulls being able to count on their younger guys during this recent stretch where they've won five of seven.
"I thought we trusted each other and that's something we didn't do when we went on that losing streak (after the) all-star break," Valentine said after Saturday's win over Atlanta. "Jimmy (Butler) goes in there and passes to me. Nobody was forcing shots. I think Niko (Mirotic) might have forced one shot, but after that, we were moving the ball. Prior, somebody was trying to just be the hero and save the day and the next thing you know, we're taking bad shots, nobody was playing defense."
Mirotic was getting extra attention since he's been hot lately, and Valentine came through with 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers after the Bulls fell behind 100-91.
"I was kind of upset with myself because I had a lot of wide-open looks earlier in the game," Valentine said. "I just told myself, 'I'm going to be the reason why we lose.'"
Jerry comments on Krause:
Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause was officially announced as a member of the 2017 class for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Krause died on March 21.
"I know this would have meant the world to Jerry," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "It only further validates his legacy and what we all knew about his body of work with the Bulls. I know it is bittersweet for (wife) Thelma and his family, as this means a great deal to them as well. It's a shame that he won't be here to enjoy this honor, but I know his family is extremely happy."
Krause's two greatest moves were trading up on draft night in 1987 to get Scottie Pippen and also giving Phil Jackson his first NBA coaching job. Pippen took to Twitter to congratulate Krause on Saturday.
"It's a shame Jerry isn't around to enjoy this day but I'm glad he's in," Pippen wrote. "A very deserving honor that surely means a lot to his family."
Enshrinement ceremonies will be Sept. 7-9 in Springfield, Mass.
Ties go to Bulls:
With Saturday's victory, the Bulls moved into a three-way tie for seventh place in the East with Miami and Indiana. As it stands now, the Bulls win all tiebreakers with the Heat and Pacers.
The Bulls won the season series with Miami 2-1. They split with Indiana 2-2, but are on pace to win the second tiebreaker, best division record. The Bulls are 9-7 in the Central division with no games remaining, while the Pacers are 7-7 with games left against Cleveland and Milwaukee.
In a three-way tie, it would go to head-to-head record in games between the three teams. The Bulls are 4-3, Miami 3-3 and Indiana 3-4. Those three teams will not play again in the regular season.
The Bulls would lose tiebreakers against Atlanta and Milwaukee, since they dropped the season series 3-1 to both teams.