Bulls end win streak in Atlanta
Atlanta ended the Bulls' six-game win streak on Jan. 9, helping send the Bulls into a six-week tailspin.
They tried again Friday, but with Derrick Rose sitting out a second-straight game with right hamstring tendinitis, the Bulls were no match for the Hawks. With the Bulls posting 21 turnovers and missing a ton of shots, they lost in Atlanta again 103-88. It was the 12th straight game the Bulls allowed the opponent to score 100 points.
Early in the game, the Hawks made things happen with offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points in the first half. Atlanta was ready for what the Bulls had planned offensively and piled up 27 points off turnovers.
"Right from the beginning, they outmuscled us," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after the game. "They had a second-chance opportunity pretty much every time down. We'd get an initial stop and couldn't get the ball.
"The ball movement wasn't good on the other end. I don't get it. We had three good games, made a lot of progress and took a step back today."
The Bulls had been playing better lately, but they also faced a couple of struggling opponents in Washington and the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing in Atlanta without three of their top four scorers figured to be a tough task and the Bulls play again Saturday against Portland at the United Center.
One of the few bright spots for the Bulls (30-27) was more solid shooting from Doug McDermott, who scored a team-high 20 points. Pau Gasol finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds, but just about everyone else was a negative. Aaron Brooks led the turnover parade with 5.
"That's all we talked about for two days is taking care of the basketball," Hoiberg said. "You don't give yourself a chance to win when you have careless turnovers like that. It leads to easy transition baskets, you're taking the ball out of the net. I don't know, just too careless."
The Bulls trimmed an 18-point deficit to 8 in the third quarter, but couldn't keep it going. Nine points was as close as it got in the fourth.
Before the game, Hoiberg stuck up for Rose and his ability to judge his own health. Rose talked about how it was his decision to sit out the last two games. Frankly, it makes sense for a guy who's endured three knee surgeries to play it safe when he's not feeling right.
It's not Rose's fault the Bulls traded backup guard Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta in a luxury-tax lightening move.
"Look, I trust Derrick," Hoiberg said, according to espn.com. "I had a one-on-one talk with him when he came into my office before the last game and he talked about the pain that he had. He talked about not being able to play his game, being cautious out there, and that's when I think when you're not going full speed and you're thinking, is when major, serious injuries happen.
"So I trust Derrick. I know he wants to play, I know he wants to be out there. His teammates want him out there. But at this time with his leg feeling the way it is, we all feel that it's best that he doesn't play."
In other injury updates, Hoiberg said Jimmy Butler would get an MRI exam on his injured left knee Saturday to check his progress. Hoiberg said Butler is still feeling some pain. Nikola Mirotic (appendectomy) is probably still a couple weeks away from returning to the court.
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Bulls scouting report
Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers at the United Center, 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: WGN
Radio: ESPN 1000-AM
Outlook: The Blazers (30-28) have been on fire lately, going 15-4 since Jan. 10. They did end a six-game win streak on Thursday, though, by blowing a 21-point lead at home against Houston. PG Damien Lillard is making a push to finish second in MVP voting to Steph Curry, averaging 30.1 points in February. Lillard is at 25.1 points and 7.2 assists on the season. SG C.J. McCollum (21.1 ppg) is probably the favorite to win Most Improved. After that, Portland is getting good balance from guys like SG Allen Crabbe (10.9) and SF Al-Farouq Aminu (10.1). The Bulls won in Portland for the first time since 2007 back on Nov. 24, getting a 93-88 victory behind 22 points from Jimmy Butler. Lillard hit 4 of 22 shots that night.
Next: Miami Heat at American Airlines Arean on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
- Mike McGraw