Sharing equals success for Bulls
This was a good night for the Chicago Bulls to let the numbers do the talking for a change.
The Bulls piled up 29 assists Sunday against Philadelphia, the most they've had since Dec. 19. They produced 49 points off the bench, which they hadn't done since the opening week of the regular season.
The answer to this week's drama was surprisingly simple. When the Bulls move the ball, they can look pretty good, and it paid off in a 121-108 victory over the 76ers at the United Center. This was the Bulls' second-highest point total of the season.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and carried added importance because it was the last home game before the long ice-show road trip, which begins Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
"Drama? I've been in a little drama in 14 years (in the NBA)," Dwyane Wade said in the locker room. "To me, it wasn't as drama-filled as everyone made it. Obviously, it was a story, for multiple reasons. To me, it's always about how you respond as players when you're challenged, how you respond as a team.
"The only thing we can do is respond together."
Jimmy Butler led the Bulls (24-25) with 28 points, while center Robin Lopez matched his season high with 21 points. Most impressive, because it has been rare, was four sets of double figures off the bench.
Doug McDermott (14 points), Nikola Mirotic (13) and Paul Zipser (13) all reached double digits in scoring, while Rajon Rondo tossed in 10 assists.
"For me, passing the ball gives my teammates energy," Rondo said. "I'm a big believer in having everybody touch the ball when my guys are out there. They know if they run the floor, they're going to get the ball."
Rondo's part in this week's controversy was posting a critique of team leadership, Butler and Wade, on his Instagram account. The episode seemed to rejuvenate Rondo, who responded with two of his best games since being removed from the starting lineup on Dec. 31.
Mirotic, who has been through his share of ups and downs, praised Rondo for accepting his role as leader of the second unit.
"When we go in there, we play simple basketball," Mirotic said. "He wants us to make baskets."
As far as the internal drama, which began Wednesday with Wade and Butler questioning their teammates' commitment to winning and continued Friday with an emotional team meeting, Mirotic thought it was cathartic.
"We kind of took something off our backs," Mirotic said. "We've been honest to each other. We tell what's been bothering me, Doug, everybody. It's like older and younger brother. We fight sometimes, sometimes we are not thinking the same thing, but we love each other, we respect each other and at the end of the day we're all here on the same page, trying to move in the same direction.
"They have great guys here. Everybody's a great guy here. Honestly, we all respect each other. Sometimes, it's going to be imperfect."
The Sixers have been one of the league's hottest teams, going 10-4 this month before Sunday. Top scorer and probable rookie of the year Joel Embiid did not make the trip, while Chicago native Jahlil Okafor sat out his fourth straight game with a sore knee.
After the game, Wade was asked about Taj Gibson's comment that the younger guys on the team requested more from Wade in practice. Wade said he'd keep that information in-house, unlike his comments Wednesday.
"When you win, everybody looks good," Butler said. "You can't say a bad thing about anybody."
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