'Hilarious' Gray amuses, impresses his teammates
BOSTON -- After defeating Washington 95-84 on Wednesday, the Bulls seemed genuinely happy for not only Aaron Gray's success, but the fact that he's finally getting an opportunity to play.
"He's the funniest kid on the team," teammate Luol Deng said. "He's just hilarious."
Deng didn't think Gray is ready to make anyone forget former team cut-up Jannero Pargo, but Gray's humor has shown some versatility.
Asked if the rookie center is more a comedian or someone who just acts goofy, Deng replied, "Both. Everybody just loves when he's around."
The Bulls loved having Gray on the court against the Wizards. They were sluggish at the start and fell behind 25-12. But Gray's passing from the post position seemed to bring his teammates to life.
The 7-footer from Pittsburgh finished with career highs in points (10), rebounds (10), assists (5) and minutes played (29).
Gray, the 49th pick in the June draft, played nearly as much in the past two games as he did previously this season.
"He's a rookie, so obviously he's got to pay his dues and go through whatever it is rookies go through," Ben Gordon said. "But he's definitely been making steady improvements. That's why he's been getting more and more playing time lately."
Added Kirk Hinrich: "He's made progress. But in my opinion, just from the start, he's very good, very skilled down there with the ball. Obviously, he's huge, got a wide body. He has good footwork, has a nice touch and he has a high basketball IQ."
Gray made some great passes Wednesday and said coach Scott Skiles pulled him aside at one point to remind him to look for his shot every now and then.
"It's funny, because you know you've got to get out there and produce," Gray said. "You can't just blend in. You can't just go with the flow because if that's the case then you're not going to get much time. I kind of know my role a little bit on this team. As long as I go in every time and do that, I'll be successful."
Whether or not Ben Wallace remains sidelined with a sore left foot tonight against the Celtics, it will be interesting to see how the Bulls distribute playing time to their big men.
Gray and Tyrus Thomas have been playing well, while rookie Joakim Noah might be best-equipped to guard Boston star Kevin Garnett.
Celtics still rolling: The Celtics suffered their first home loss of the season, 87-85 on Wednesday against Detroit, but they still own the league's best record at 20-3. Pistons guard Chauncey Billups pump-faked Tony Allen into the air and drew a foul with 0.1 seconds on the clock to set up the game-winning free throws.
"It was very odd. It kind of felt like the end of the world," Boston center Kendrick Perkins said after the game. "It's a little different when we beat ourselves."
Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen had missed the previous two games with a sore ankle but returned to score 24 points against the Pistons, including a tying 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds left.
Bull horns: During their only day off in a stretch of four games in five nights, the Bulls did not practice Thursday. … The league must not have much faith in a Bulls revival this season. It pulled the plug on the TNT broadcast of the Spurs and Bulls on March 20 and replaced it with Boston at Dallas.
Tonight's tipoff
Bulls vs. Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden, 6 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet, ESPN
Radio: WMVP 1000-AM
Update: The Celtics (20-3) lost at home Wednesday for the first time this season, 87-85 to Detroit. Boston won in Chicago 92-81 on Dec. 8, forcing the Bulls to shoot 36 percent from the field.
Players to watch: Boston's "Big Three" are remarkably close in scoring average, with Paul Pierce at 20.5 ppg, followed by Ray Allen at 19.4 and Kevin Garnett at 19.1.
Next: Houston Rockets at the United Center, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
-- Mike McGraw