Bulls turn in foul effort vs. Blazers
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Bulls have had some miserable, embarrassing losses since the championship era ended in 1998.
There was the time they scored an NBA record-low 49 points against Miami, for example, and the infamous 53-point loss to Minnesota, after which coach Tim Floyd suggested the Bulls wouldn't have beaten a "snappy junior high team" that night.
Wednesday's 116-74 loss at Portland probably doesn't rank with the top two stinkers in Bulls history, but it was a miserable effort. The visitors basically rolled over shortly after the opening tip while the Blazers threw down dunks as if it was an intrasquad scrimmage.
This was the Bulls' worst defeat since losing 140-89 at Indiana on March 28, 2003.
"We've had the personality of being able to bounce back, but tonight we didn't have it," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Their big guys just controlled the paint on us, got us in foul trouble early."
Here's a sample of how bad the Bulls (5-7) played in Portland: They collected 21 fouls by halftime after averaging 22 fouls per game in the first 11 outings of the season. They watched the Blazers (7-5) throw down 13 dunks, mostly of the uncontested variety. Then already trailing 68-47 in the third quarter, the Bulls allowed Portland to go on a 14-0 run.
If it matters, Andres Nocioni led the Bulls with 13 points. Derrick Rose hit just 1 of 8 shots for 6 points, the first time he's failed to score in double figures as a pro.
No question there were some bad calls mixed in against the visitors, but the stat sheet is what counts and it told an ugly story. Center Joakim Noah, who was pulled from the starting lineup Wednesday, collected 5 fouls before halftime in less than 10 minutes of action.
The really sad part was Noah still managed to be the Bulls' most effective big man during the opening two quarters. Noah actually blocked 2 shots by Portland's 7-foot center Greg Oden and jumped in front of the second-year rookie for a steal. Noah finally fouled out at the 8:35 mark of the fourth quarter.
"I think as a team, we've got to stop feeling sorry for ourselves," Noah said. "Coach always talks about no excuses. I feel like we're better than what we showed tonight and we've got to prove it next game."
The Bulls were looking to bounce back from Tuesday's 116-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the first stop on the seven-game circus road trip. But nothing worked for the Bulls at the start of this one.
When the Bulls gave help in the post, they left Blazers wide open at the 3-point line. When big men went out to help on a screen, the ball usually went inside to the unguarded man for an uncontested dunk. The Bulls fell behind 12-1 early and trailed by 30 before the second quarter was over.