Gray matters in Bulls' victory
WASHINGTON -- The struggling Bulls certainly will take good news where they can find it.
But it borders on the ridiculous when a team that reached the second round of the playoffs last season needs a lightly used rookie center to illustrate the proper way to play basketball.
For the second consecutive night, the Bulls were basically going through the motions in the first quarter.
Then, after getting a lesson in passing the ball from second-round draft pick Aaron Gray, the Bulls came to life and rallied for a 95-84 victory Wednesday night while starting center Ben Wallace sat out with a foot injury.
Gray worked the post almost like Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon at times, dishing off rapid-fire passes to open teammates. In front of friends and family that made the two-hour drive from his hometown of Allentown, Pa., Gray finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
"He gave us another dimension," said Ben Gordon, who led the Bulls with 22 points. "We haven't had a guy like Aaron in the past who can post up and is very good at passing out of the double team. He definitely came in and gave us a spark."
Late in a lackluster first quarter, the Bulls trailed 25-12 when Gray, Tyrus Thomas and Chris Duhon ignited an 8-2 run that turned the momentum.
Here's the four-possession sequence: Gray found Duhon for a layup. Gray hit a foul-line jumper. Gray found Thomas for a dunk. Duhon followed in Thomas' fastbreak miss after a steal.
"Coming in as a second-string guy, you've got to bring some energy to the team," Gray said while flashing his trademark smile. "I just try to find the best way to do that."
The 7-footer from Pittsburgh didn't play much after a strong preseason. Then coach Scott Skiles suggested a couple of weeks ago that he might use Gray more often.
The opportunities finally arrived the past two nights, with Gray playing a combined 49 minutes against the Lakers and the Wizards.
"It's great," Gray said. "It's what you sign up for. It's a lot of fun. I've been practicing so well. I really enjoy being here, so it's great."
Skiles continued to suggest he will proceed with caution when doling out Gray's minutes.
"You've got to be a little bit careful when a rookie has a couple of good games," Skiles said. "You don't want to go overboard. He's definitely helped us, and he definitely warrants more looks.
"He's a very good passer. I would imagine now if he continues to play well enough, at some point teams are just going to stay home and see if he can score. He can, but see if he can score over and over again. Teams are coming off of him now and he's making them pay for it."
During a 12-minute stretch from the mid-second quarter to mid-third quarter, Washington hit 2 of 21 shots and was outscored 25-7. The Wizards (13-11) recovered to take a brief 80-79 lead with 4:12 remaining on a basket by Caron Butler (29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists).
The Bulls (9-14) went strong to the basket and answered with a 12-0 run. Luol Deng (20 points) hit a running hook with 3:55 left to put the visitors up for good.