Blazers coach remembers close friend Lucas

Portland coach Nate McMillan lamented the loss of a close friend, ex-Blazers power forward Maurice Lucas, who died Sunday of bladder cancer at 58. Lucas was once part of McMillan's coaching staff in Portland.

Of course, Bulls fans remember Lucas for what could have been. The burly forward from Marquette was the team's first-round draft pick in 1974, but he joined the ABA instead of the Bulls.

They could have used him in the '75 Western Conference finals against Golden State. Two years later Lucas helped lead Portland to the NBA title after a narrow first-round win over the Bulls.

“He understood how to be an intimidator,” McMillan said of Lucas. “He was a hit-first guy when that was legal. He played mind games with you. As opposed to putting you on the floor, he would hit you and hold you up and smile at you. That was his game, and he knew how to do it.

“Off the floor, he was totally the opposite of that. He was a guy who was fun, loved laughter, loved to joke and enjoy life. Once he got on the floor, he flipped a switch and he was a different guy on the basketball court.”

Free-throw failures:

At halftime of the Detroit game Saturday, the Bulls' season deficit in free-throw attempts was 70-27. That's an extreme defensive failure.

“The ones that I had a problem with comes down to the ones where we were reaching,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Then the ones where we're challenging shots but we're fouling. We don't want to foul jump shooters. Those are the ones that bother you.

“Some of the fouls, they're calling it tight. We have to adjust. We want to play physical, smart, without fouling. If they're calling it tight, we have to react better. We have to pull our hands back and play body position.”

The Bulls kept right on fouling Monday. Portland made 32 of 41 free throws.

Boozer a castoff:

Bulls forward Carlos Boozer is scheduled to have the cast removed from his right hand Tuesday. He also will have some pins removed and will wear a soft cast for a period of time, but doctors won't know the exact plan until they examine the area.

Boozer broke a bone below his little finger Oct. 2. The original prognosis was eight weeks on the sideline, which would put Boozer back on the floor in late November.

Bull horns:

According to the Bulls, they produced their biggest fourth-quarter margin in team history by outscoring Detroit 34-9 in the final quarter Saturday. … Ex-Bulls assistants Bernie Bickerstaff and Bob Ociepka both joined the Portland coaching staff.