Salmons' late 3s lead to 4th straight win
This started out as a day to alert stadium security. It appeared someone broke into the United Center overnight and somehow widened the rims.
The Bulls and Indiana rained jump shots throughout Saturday's matinee performance. Pacers rookie Brandon Rush canned 8 of 10 shots in the first quarter, then the Bulls opened the second by knocking down 9 of their first 11 attempts.
So either the baskets were larger or the teams played particularly bad defense.
Actually, the second scenario seems more plausible.
But the Bulls were able to get the biggest shots to fall. Back-to-back 3-pointers by John Salmons sparked a late run as the Bulls held off Indiana 112-106, winning for the 10th time in the last 11 home games.
"The fact that we've got a great chance to make it into the playoffs and all these games are important, it's the most exciting time of my career," Salmons said.
The Bulls (36-38) also recorded their first four-game winning streak in more than two years and will go for their fifth in a row Sunday afternoon at Toronto.
The home team trailed 102-99 with just more than three minutes remaining when Salmons stood on the left wing and drained a clutch 3-pointer with defender Jarrett Jack in his face.
On the next possession, Salmons did the same thing from the same spot on the floor and the Bulls suddenly led 105-102 with 2:08 left.
"If I miss those shots, it's a totally different story," Salmons said. "Sometimes you have to take chances."
True, a 3-point miss can often lead to a fastbreak the other way. The Bulls might have found themselves down by 5 points if Salmons had been off target.
"At that particular time, I was in a pretty good rhythm," he said. "The first one, when it left my hand, I knew I had a good chance of making it. The second one, it was 50-50."
After Jack missed a 3-pointer, Tyrus Thomas hit a lane jumper to stretch the lead to 5 points with 1:29 on the clock.
With about 30 seconds left and the Pacers within 3, Thomas jumped across the lane to block a layup attempt by Danny Granger (32 points). Thomas added 2 free throws with 25.1 seconds left to make it 111-106.
Salmons finished with 22 points, while Ben Gordon scored 25 and Thomas collected 7 blocks to go with 18 points. Derrick Rose, back in the starting lineup, came close to collecting his first triple double, finishing with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
Rush finished with a career-high 29 points after scoring 18 in the first quarter, but the Pacers' road record dropped to 10-29, second-worst in the Eastern Conference.
Indiana's Jim O'Brien coached Salmons early in his career in Philadelphia, when the 6-foot-6 swingman got fewer opportunities playing with Allen Iverson.
"I thought the trade that the Bulls orchestrated to get Brad Miller and John Salmons was the best trade of the year," O'Brien said. "My hat is off to John Paxson. (Salmons) hits big shots."
After the Bulls fell behind 35-21 in the first quarter, Miller (17 points) and Gordon scored all the points in a 19-4 run as the Bulls regained the lead less than five minutes into the second quarter.