Shooting to a big victory
Bulls coach Scott Skiles surely spotted the friendly face on Seattle's bench Tuesday night.
The lead assistant to new Sonics boss P.J. Carlesimo is Paul Westhead, the man Skiles often credits for his NBA record 30-assist game.
That's because Orlando was playing against Westhead's run-and-gun Denver squad that night. The Nuggets fired up so many quick shots, it gave Skiles a huge number of possessions to work with.
Nobody came close to piling up 30 assists Tuesday, but Seattle provided the perfect antidote to the Bulls' collection of ice-cold shooters.
The Sonics threw up shots as though the ball had just come out of a bun warmer. The visitors' average time of possession must have been below eight seconds.
Given the opportunity for some nonstop shooting practice, the Bulls had little trouble finding the net and coasted to a 123-96 victory at the United Center.
"It wasn't exactly a defensive gem out there by either team," Skiles said. "We got loosened up early, shot the ball well, and it was clear offensively we were going to have a good night."
This was only the fourth time this season the Bulls (7-12) broke through the 100-point barrier and their second game shooting better than 50 percent (.537).
Five times this season the Bulls couldn't reach 80 points in a full game. Against Seattle (5-17), they had 67 at halftime, beating their previous season high for a half by 9.
Ben Gordon led the point parade with 27 while hitting 12 of 19 shots. If the game had been closer, the Bulls might have had four players in the 20s. As it turned out, Luol Deng finished with 20, Joe Smith had 19 and Kirk Hinrich added 15 with 8 assists.
Gordon was hot early, hitting 6 of 7 shots in the first quarter for 14 points. Smith scored 15 in the first half, while knocking down 6 of 7 attempts.
"It was one of those games when (Gordon) had the ball on a string," Skiles said. "When his handle is really sharp like it was tonight, he generally shoots the ball well, and he did that. Stable is the word (for Smith). He's a nice stabilizing force for us out there."
The Bulls pulled away in the second quarter when they hit 15 of 25 shots and outscored Seattle 36-22. The Bulls set a season high in assists with 35.
"In the past, when we were struggling, everybody kind of tries to go on their own," Hinrich said. "Tonight, obviously, the ball was going in the hole. But I think there's something to be said about that. When we are moving the ball, taking our shots in rhythm, we generally shoot a higher percentage."
Seattle's highly touted rookie Kevin Durant had a decent game with 16 points. But he played just 24 minutes because of the lopsided score.