WILLIAMSON CARRIES DEPLETED RAVENS TO WIN VERSUS BULLS
Montreal Ravens vs Chicago Bulls 99-97Mar. 19, Montreal - The much anticipated return of Kobe Bryant didn't happen tonight but instead the Ravens got last year's Most Improved Player to play like one. Corliss Williamson scored a season-high 22 points and went perfect in the field with 7 of his 7 shots falling in. Tim Hardaway also had 22 points tonight against his former team and went perfect from beyond the arc with a 4-4 clip.
"Our shots were just falling. It was our night. Other guys stepped up and contributed to a must-win game. It's really a big wave of confidence knowing that we can match up with them without Kobe and MJ."
Pippen was the main scorer for the Bulls. He ended with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists but his teammates were nowhere to be seen. Aside from him, there was no other Bulls player that scored 20 points nor someone recorded a field goal percentage above 60%.
The game was decided by a split-second decision of Tim Hardaway to pass up an open three. After faking a three-pointer in the corner, he lobbed it up to Michael Smith who dunked it all the way with only 2.1s remaining. Chicago failed to put up a shot in the remaining seconds of the game and ended with a loss to the Ravens.
NOTES:Michael Jordan is out with sore knee and was listed day-to-day..... Kobe Bryant is listed day-to-day with a dislocated finger....
Player of the Game: Corliss Williamson (22 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts,1 stl, 7-7 FG)
Ravens:
T. Hardaway (22 pts, 3 rebs, 8 asts, 4-4 3PT)
K. Garnett (17 pts, 9 rebs, 5 asts, 1 blk)
B. Wallace (5 pts, 12 rebs, 2 blks)
Bulls:
S. Pippen (25 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts, 2 stls)
S. Kerr (19 pts, 4 rebs, 6-16 FG)
A. Bowie (14 pts, 4 rebs, 4-15 FG)