Bulls clinch best record in East
The Bulls clinched first place in the Eastern Conference on Friday night at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, of all places.
The location of the Bulls' 93-82 victory over the Cavaliers provided an opportunity to reflect on events of the past 11½ months.
Last year on April 27, the Bulls were eliminated by Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. At the time, the Cavs seemed headed for a championship, followed by a decent chance of re-signing hometown hero LeBron James, then many years as an NBA power.
Who knew the Bulls would be kings of the East a year later without even signing James?
The latest victory improved the Bulls' record to 59-20. They clinched homecourt advantage against every potential playoff opponent except San Antonio.
“It's good to be the No. 1 seed, but at the end of the day we understand that there is a bigger picture,” center Joakim Noah said. “We're staying focused. It's definitely an achievement and we're excited about it.”
Last year, Noah (“What's fun about Cleveland?”) and Carlos Boozer (free-agent defector) might have been the two most unpopular visiting NBA players. Now Cavaliers fans might see the Bulls as the best hope to prevent James and the Miami Heat from reaching the Finals.
The Bulls have three games remaining, starting with Orlando on Sunday. They also visit New York before closing at home against New Jersey.
Another victory would put the Bulls in select company. Every 60-win team in franchise history has won the championship.
Coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after the game he doesn't plan to rest any players. The Bulls' bench took care of that issue Friday by stretching the lead. Derrick Rose played a relatively low 33 minutes, providing 11 points and 8 assists.
Boozer led the Bulls with 24 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes. Noah (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks), Luol Deng (10 points, 9 rebounds), Ronnie Brewer (12 points) and Kyle Korver (10) gave the Bulls six players in double figures.
“We still have a ways to go,” Thibodeau said. “We're not done. We have to keep playing and keep improving. You want to put as many things going in your favor as possible. It doesn't guarantee anything, but that's how you have to approach it.”
The Bulls are just a game behind San Antonio in the loss column for the league's best record. The Spurs finish the regular season with road games against the Lakers and Phoenix, so there's a chance the Bulls could go higher.
On Thursday, Deng volunteered to go the distance without any extra rest.
“We don't feel tired right now. I think we're fine,” he said. “We're just trying to have the best record we can have. I feel fine. It's been such a good year, we want to win every game.”