▲ Breaking Bull

[Vespasian92]

No surprise that the presentation is incredible. You have so many quality players on the team already and its quite possible that you could make a deep run even without changing anything.

[kibaxx7]

The day after the game against Cleveland, and with his teammates playing in Minnesota, Derrick Rose's wrist looked so sore that he stayed for rehab in Chicago. Last night, fully recovered, he left the Orlando Magic's wrists looking damaged instead. Rose led seven Bulls in double figures with 19 points as the team used a 20-3 spark as part of a 31-14 second quarter to blow out Orlando, 113-78, being only five points off the franchise's all-time biggest win over the Magic (117-77, April 15, 2005). "That's team basketball," said Rose to 2K's Doris Burke. "Everybody got an opportunity to play and that's always good. Hopefully we can continue walking down this road." The Bulls made a whooping 61 percent of their shots (50-of-82), including 75 percent of their treys (9-of-12) as Nikola Mirotic, Mike Dunleavy and Taj Gibson combined for 36 points and 16-of-20 field goals. "We definitely know that we aren't going to shoot like this throughout the entire season, but we know we set a tone today. Showed everybody what we can do," Gibson said. Jimmy Butler contributed with 19. "It was a great team effort," said Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. "We came out and took care of business from beginning to end."

Orlando just shot 43 percent. The lead grew to 85-55 entering the fourth quarter, prompting head coach Jacque Vaughn to give his reserves extensive playing time. "We got our behinds kicked," said Evan Fournier, who was the team's lone double-figure scorer with 13. "They have a lot of confidence and when they go on runs like that, they tend to pounce on you. They played an incredible ballgame." The benches were virtually tied, with a minimum 52-51 edge for Chicago; leaving the starters for the Magic with only 27 points. Rookie Elfrid Payton played just 18 minutes, with all of his six points coming in the first half, and Nikola Vucevic also chipped in six. Tobias Harris was 2-for-9 for four points. "The score speaks for itself," said Vucevic, who sat out the entire fourth quarter. "We have to find ways to get victories. We've been blown out in two games already and it's frustrating." The Magic succumbed to the pressure, turning the ball over 12 times in the game, allowing 19 points off them. Victor Oladipo shot 3-of-13 for seven points as Orlando never got closer than 25 in the second half. "We weren't strong enough and they came out and let us know that this is their house," Oladipo said on press conference. "That is why they are a contender and we are on a clear rebuilding."

Once again it was Derrick Rose creating the cushion and his teammates delivering the final blow for Chicago. In a 26-17 third quarter that proved crucial, Rose scored 15 of his 24 points to lead the Bulls to a 95-80 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Rose made 8-of-18 shots and handed out six assists along with nine rebounds. With him on the bench to start the fourth, the Bucks made a run for their money, but the Bulls were able to survive thanks to Jimmy Butler's nine of his 14 points. "I think Derrick did a great job of attacking the rim, even though the Bucks had two big men defending the hoop all the time," head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He willed this win for us." The Bulls shot below 50 percent for the first time this season as the Bucks proved to be their trickiest rival so far. Taj Gibson chipped in 14 points and ten boards for Chicago, as the bench defeated Milwaukee's reserves 40-26. Bouncing back from a 4-point outing against Orlando, Pau Gasol led the charge in the first half, ending the night with 15 and seven rebounds. "I felt a lot better tonight," Gasol said. "My shot felt real good and my confidence grew with our lead." All-Star Joakim Noah had an off night and has yet to find his niche this season, going scoreless and 0-of-4 from the field -- 13-of-39 (.330%) for these five contests.

Rookie Jabari Parker led the hosts with 18 points for Milwaukee while Khris Middleton and Nate Wolters added 12 points apiece (24 of the bench's 26 points) and Brandon Knight finished with 12 as well. "We made them rethink their game a couple of times, so I'm pleased with that," Parker said. "Shame we couldn't get the win, but I think we are all starting to play well together." Six points, 3-of-16 from the field and 0-of-8 from beyond the arc were the results of the combination of O.J. Mayo and Jared Dudley, who are still struggling and can't get out of their slumps. "It was a bad combination for us, Derrick playing great and then us having a tough time in the paint," said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who couldn't score, and to make matters worse, his left knee bent awkwardly after a collision with Gasol in the fourth quarter. He remained on the ground for several minutes -- although he made it off the court with limited help, he didn't return. "We didn't have enough juice," Knight admitted. "We didn't execute our defense very well, so that's what happens against a team like the Bulls." Bucks head coach Jason Kidd left Bradley Center without making any statements and was fined $20,000 by the league.

[kibaxx7]

Excellent presentation as always and a great start. D-Rose can afford sitting out games, the Bulls are very deep.

It was only a game out for D-Rose. The schedule has been kind, no real challenges so far.

The presentation....dude.

Thanks man, really happy with the layout

No surprise that the presentation is incredible. You have so many quality players on the team already and its quite possible that you could make a deep run even without changing anything.

Yeah, we could make a deep run but there's always room for improvements

[buzzy]

Happy to see my scoring template still being used by you after a hundred years

[mp3]

As usual top presentation for you association threads!

Great start to the season mate!

[kibaxx7]

After a summer devoted to polishing his award-winning defensive skills, Joakim Noah is painfully aware he is shooting an icy 33.3 percent from the field -- it's true that we are only five games in, but it would be the worst field goal percentage of his career. He insists he isn’t worried. "I'm not concerned. I’m making shots at practice," Noah said today at the team's practice facilities. "I know they’ll start falling rather sooner than later." Noah made 47.5 percent of his shots in last season's campaign that earned him Defensive Player of the Year honors, even making a pretty good percentage (73.7, 247/335) from the charity stripe. He has continued to work with Bulls assistant coach Ed Pinckney. "I still feel comfortable with my shots," Noah ratified. "I’ve got to get my rhythm right and start knocking them down. It's true Pau needs to get his shots too, but I'm getting the same shots as last year and that's no excuse."

In an effort to determine just what has led to his shooting struggles, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has poured over hours of game video, comparing shots from last year to similar ones from this year. But he swears he isn’t worried -- rather convinced, that he will make him better, tossing off the suggestion of concern with a solid "no". "I'm still trying to figure it out," Thibodeau said, "but there's no doubt in my mind he will recover before Thanksgiving." Joakim's teammates don’t seem concerned about his slump either. "That can happen to anybody, everybody goes through a shooting slump. He’ll be fine," said newcomer Pau Gasol, who's averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, wearing a different jersey for the first time since 2008.

"We’re human, too. I’ve just got to get my rhythm back and go back to what I’m really, really good at," said Noah, who is hoping to use the following three games to prepare for the Bulls' first real test this season, on November 15 against Indiana (4-1). Counting today's standings, the Bulls have faced five teams which records combine in a disappointing 11-14 record in New York, Cleveland, Minnesota, Orlando and Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the three games coming before the Pacers are Philadelphia (0-4), Boston (1-3) and Detroit (0-4), a combined 1-11. What has made it the most baffling for the center's shooting woes is that no one saw it coming, considering all of the hours of hard work that he put in over the summer and his preseason outings. Part of the beauty -- and the curse -- of basketball is that it is logical, but unscripted; and doesn’t always go according to plan. "I'm not worried, as I said before, but it gets frustrating. I'm just going to stay positive," Noah said. Like Thibodeau, he has studied game footage and was given pep talks by both the head coach and Pinckney in an attempt to provide a spark.

"I've struggled a little bit. Last year, I was playing well and now I haven't played so well. I just need to stay at it and hopefully things will turn around," said the center, putting an end to the matter. Thibodeau, who was an assistant coach in teams with a vast array of Hall of Famers (and future Hall of Famers) like Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett or Patrick Ewing, affirmed that even some of the greatest players in NBA history encounter confidence struggles from time to time. "I've seen it from all levels. Throughout the course of a season, your confidence gets tested, night-in, night-out. You have to find that reassurance from the work that they’ve put in. You can always have that work that’s behind you. I’m confident that Jo has put in the work."

[kibaxx7]

Happy to see my scoring template still being used by you after a hundred years

Of course man, it has helped me a lot of times, it's an amazing piece

As usual top presentation for you association threads!

Great start to the season mate!

Thanks man! No real test so far, we will see when the Pacers come to town.

[Phil89]

Perfect start to the season. Although I guess the Cavs were the only "top" team that you've played so far.

Damn, the presentation of all those articles is making me feel lazy

[Kevin]

Out of curiosity, what fonts are you using for your presentation?

[kibaxx7]

The Chicago Bulls nearly suffered a monumental collapse -- thanks to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, they still managed to keep their winning streak alive. With 26 points and 11 assists from Rose, along with the first double-digit scoring output from Noah this season, Chicago was able to survive and win 106-98 in Philadelphia, with the Sixers being down by only three with 3:31 left after being down by 14. "I was just trying to get my team a win," Noah said. "I was feeling good. They were making shots in the fourth quarter and we were missing them, but we were able to get some stops and got the victory." Jimmy Butler added 15 and four assists, as Pau Gasol collected 14 points. "I thought we were mentally and physically drained coming into this game, specially after the tough game against the Bucks," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It took us a while. We got off to a slow start but this team continues to find ways to win.'' Noah added ten rebounds for his first double-double, while Taj Gibson had ten boards as well as a reserve. "I come in and do my job," Gibson said. "When I'm called, I just try to play the game as hard as I can, and hopefully my efforts contribute to us winning the game."

Thanks to a 16-4 charge in the third quarter, Chicago held a 75-61 advantage as Rose and Nikola Mirotic scored six points apiece during the burst. The teams were tied in almost every stat -- and even Philadelphia had an edge in some, like fast break points (26-10), points in the paint (48-38), and bench contribution (41-29), but the Sixers' turnovers proved too costly (Chicago had 12 steals) as they never led and fell to 0-6. "If anything, despite our record, this shows we're not throwing in the towel on the season," said Sixers coach Brett Brown. Michael Carter-Williams led Philly and was a worthy adversary for Rose, with 20 and 11 helpers, while Nerlens Noel posted 18 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Joel Embiid had 17 and nine boards as these three combined for 21-of-33 field goals (63.6 percent). "Joakim threw his body around on defense and we were missing layups because of his presence down there," Noel said. "He is the Defensive Player of the Year for a reason." Rashard Lewis, signed by the team a couple of days ago, had eight points. "Our defense wasn't as good as a team," commented Tony Wroten, who scored 12. "We kind of let them get easy buckets and we really weren't rotating like we usually do."

Rajon Rondo started the game in a slow pace, but he was able to turn it around as the Boston Celtics won in the "Windy City" for the first time in two years. Rondo had 17 points and seven assists and Marcus Thornton added 15 off the bench as the C's surprised everyone at United Center with a 110-102 triumph. "We made a run in the third, but our defense wasn't really up to par," said Derrick Rose, who flirted with a triple-double with 19 points, eight rebounds and nine dimes for the hosts. "This includes myself and my teammates, we just weren't in the game defensively at times." Mike Dunleavy posted 17 for the Bulls but it was not enough down the stretch; he made 6-of-10 shots and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, keeping the Bulls afloat in the first half as they started slowly and nearly were shot out of the game earlier than expected, with a 34-18 first period. "Late in the fourth, everyone hit a big shot," he said. "Rondo hit one, Thornton hit a couple and Jeff (Green) had the one which pretty much was the clincher." For the first time this year, the Bulls never led as they narrowed down a 11-point deficit to just three with 2:28 left in the contest; a 3-pointer by Green made it 107-101 with just a minute left.

"It was a good, clean win for us against a very tough team," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. "Everybody contributed tonight and diving for loose balls was the difference." It was just the second win for a rough Celtics team (2-4) in the first part of the season. Green and Jared Sullinger finished the night with 12 points each, as both teams had seven players in double-figures, with Boston's bench enjoying a small advantage at 45-42. "To start and be able to be out there for the finish of games, contributing, it's been great for me," said Celtics center Kelly Olynyk, who scored 14 points. "I've always been a guy that wanted to be in there at the end of games, rather than the beginning, but both have been happening." Brandon Bass (eight points) and Doug McDermott (seven) exchanged heated words in the fourth frame and both were called for technical fouls; McDermott mentioning the easy calls the visitors were receiving (Boston had 45 free throw attempts compared to the Bulls' 16). "I know I am a big part of the team," said Rondo. "When I've stepped up, it seems like everyone else has stepped up, so I'm pretty confident we will reach .500 very soon." Pau Gasol struggled for Chicago just four points and two boards, while rookie Marcus Smart had six points for the Celtics.

[kibaxx7]

Perfect start to the season. Although I guess the Cavs were the only "top" team that you've played so far.

Damn, the presentation of all those articles is making me feel lazy

Yeah, the Cavs were tough, but the Sixers and Bucks surprised me in the game. And now the C's surprised me too. As you can see, I have injuries off (Embiid played), so Indy will be even tougher with Paul George on board.

Out of curiosity, what fonts are you using for your presentation?

You mean the titles in the recaps? That's Cheltenham (New York Times font).

[Andrew]

Definitely a strong start. It helps to have a healthy D-Rose.

[Kevin]

Ok, thanks for the info

[kibaxx7]

With each shot in Jimmy Butler's sensational performance, the Chicago Bulls' guard showed just how serious he's getting about his game. With a 14-of-15 shooting performance, for 29 points, along with seven boards and four helpers in the Bulls' 114-81 drubbing of Detroit, Butler grabbed the biggest headlines in the Windy City. "I came in tonight wanting to get my teammates involved,'' Butler said, "But sometimes when I do that, it sets me up as well. I was getting a lot of open looks and open lanes." It was another huge shooting night for the Tomball, Texas native after his explosion at Minnesota. Derrick Rose and Mike Dunleavy added 19 and 15 points, respectively, for the Bulls. "It all starts with defense," Dunleavy said. "We know we're going to get our points. In the East, it's about getting stops against your rival. Coach has been making that point since training camp. Here we have the results." Pau Gasol and rookie Doug McDermott notched in 10 points apiece, making five Bulls in double figures. "We all came out and played good basketball," said Gasol. "That's how we win games, playing together." Nikola Mirotic added eight points, while Kirk Hinrich had five, four boards and seven assists for the hosts.

Andre Drummond was the lone feature for the Pistons, with 19 points and six boards. He was called for a flagrant foul late in third quarter for knocking Dunleavy to the floor on a transition dunk attempt, and a technical foul for arguing with a referee. "I wish I knew what happened," he said in press conference as the visitors fell to 1-6. "It's very disappointing. I figured we could give the Bulls some kind of fight, but we were flat." Greg Monroe (14 points) and Brandon Jennings (12) combined for 7-of-24 shooting (29 percent), while Josh Smith had just two points. "We'll have to bounce back, and pretty soon," Jennings said. "We come out and try to give it our best effort, but lately we haven't done that." Chicago shot a blistering 60 percent from the floor and outscored Detroit in the paint, 54-34, while also enjoying a huge 46-29 edge on the boards; Rose had 12 of his 19 in the first half on 5-of-8 shooting, as the Bulls closed with a 61-37 lead. "Everybody in that locker room is going to have to look at themselves and try to figure out this situation," Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Because this wasn't just being down, this was a beatdown." D.J. Augustin, Chicago's leading scorer last season, had six points for Detroit.

The defending champions San Antonio Spurs and the new-old-look Cleveland Cavaliers -- with the return of LeBron James -- seemed to get most of the buzz the last couple of months. It was kind of easy to forget about Chicago -- but tonight they checked every box with an ultra-convincing 115-88 victory over the up-and-coming Toronto Raptors, upgrading their record to 8-1. Derrick Rose's 19 points led six Bulls in double figures, with Kirk Hinrich adding 16 and eight assists; six of the Bulls' eight triumphs were by double digits. "It shows what our character is,'' Hinrich said. "We just put everything out there, everything on the court. After my first shot went down, it felt good. With the second, I knew it was going to be a good game for me.'' Joakim Noah (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Taj Gibson (13 and 10) both posted double-doubles for the cause; while Mike Dunleavy shot 7-of-11 for 15 points. Chicago shot 51 percent from the field, held a 50-36 advantage on the boards and limited the Raptors to 42 percent shooting (29-of-69). After his outstanding game against Detroit, Jimmy Butler had eight points and seven dimes.

Toronto's Kyle Lowry missed the game because of a broken ankle, keeping him out of action for the next two weeks, at least; the Raptors never got the chance to find out who could replace their offensive anchor. Along with his offensive performance, Rose also had four rebounds and four assists while containing Greivis Vasquez, Lowry's replacement in the starting five, to just two points on 1-of-8 shooting. "For us to win, we've got to get Kyle back on track," said Patrick Patterson, who led the team with 18 points and ten boards. DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas had 17 and 14 points, respectively. "It's just one game,'' DeRozan said. "We have to learn from whatever we did. We did some good things, but we also did some bad things.'' The Bulls started the game with an 10-3 run to increase the advantage to 33-16 after the first twelve minutes; then capped the night with a 33-17 final frame. The Raps never led as the Bulls had 16 points on 16 turnovers, up by as much as 27. "Now that he is back, Derrick makes them much better," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. "I think he had a great night on both ends of the floor, so he impacted them offensively and defensively."

[kibaxx7]

Definitely a strong start. It helps to have a healthy D-Rose.

Pretty strong, I'd say. Rose has been superb so far. Thanks for checking in Andrew!

Ok, thanks for the info

No problem man, send me a PM if anything else comes to mind

As you can see, I'm walking over teams. Any sliders suggestions?

[Kevin]

Try other forums like operation sports. Some users post their sliders there and some are actually legit.

[mp3]

Agreed, i use poke's superstar with some tweaks which keeps the game honest.

[Stress Fracture]

Just don't thierry this, and you'll be fine.

And that FIBA in the off-season....finish this already!!

[kibaxx7]

Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol sat the entire fourth quarter and rested their bodies -- with a 14-point lead entering the final frame, the Bulls just knew they had this game in their pockets. Rose scored 20 points and in 24 minutes and Gasol played some marvellous defense on Roy Hibbert as the Bulls sent a message to the league with a 106-89 win over the Indiana Pacers. Chicago was boosted by 48 points from its bench, led by Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson (15 and 11 points, respectively), never trailing in the contest. "We had great contributions from our reserves," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "That allowed us to rest our starters a lot for the next game." Jimmy Butler scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards while Gasol and Mike Dunleavy notched in nine apiece. Rose played his fair share of defense as well, limiting Indiana's George Hill to 3-of-15 from the field; all of Hill's points came in the first half. "At first, it was a little frustrating to read their game, but then we got used to it and made some adjustments," Gasol said. "We started finding our shooters and let the game come to us." Only one Bull struggled from the field, and it was Joakim Noah, with a 2-of-11 shooting outcome. "A lot of guys played well," Rose commented. "Nikola had one of his better games. He was really in control."

At 6-5, the Pacers are battling themselves for a place among the Eastern powerhouses. Paul George shot 9-of-24 for 21 points, still a little raw in his recovery from the leg injury he suffered in Team USA's scrimmage last August. "It's going to take time," Hill said. "You have to have these moments throughout the season. You have something to pull from to win later in the year." Hibbert attempted just four field goals for five points -- Luis Scola had a better game off the bench, with nine and eleven rebounds; Rodney Stuckey scored 16. "We threw a zone defense at them and gave them some trouble in the first half," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "But after halftime they were just ruthless. We still need to make some big changes." Down 72-51, Scola scored six points in a quick 9-0 charge by Indiana to cut the deficit to 77-63 after three quarters, but it was not enough. C.J. Watson, Hill's backup, also struggled, shooting a combined 5-of-23 with the ex Spurs guard. "It's a tough loss, but it is one game and we cannot look at it like the world is falling down on our heads," said Watson, a former Bull from 2010 to 2012. "The good thing about NBA that we have a game tomorrow, so we have to forget about this game as soon as possible and do some things better."

"I thought we could be a good team,'' Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But I never thought we could be this good.'' Chicago's defense went from stale to impervious. After a 34-34 explosive third quarter, maintaining a seven-point lead, the Bulls held the Clippers in Los Angeles to just three field goals in the fourth period to stomp the hosts, 110-89. "On the road, you've got to be solid. Our D creates our offense,'' said Jimmy Butler, who scored 20 points. "We got tipped balls, got the loose balls, we shot well, we had rejections. If we keep playing D like that, we will be mostly successful.'' Derrick Rose led the team's offensive scheme with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, as the Bulls outscored the Clippers 24-14 in the fourth. Chicago had 29 assists on 44 field goals -- eight from Kirk Hinrich and five each from Rose, Butler and Joakim Noah. "We came out sharing the ball," Noah said. "Derrick was committed to really take over the game. He led us and we followed." Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic had ten points apiece off the bench -- with Gibson adding 13 boards for his second double-double in the last three games. "I think he'll continue to get better the more games he plays," Rose said of Gibson.

With Chris Paul watching on the sidelines because of a lower back bruise, the Clippers held a minimum one-point lead in the second quarter, but uncharacteristically, they never made a run in the fourth, as the deficit swelled as high as 21 -- with the final score. After shooting 44 percent through the first three quarters (28-of-63), Los Angeles was 3-for-21 in the last twelve minutes. "That was a good old-fashioned butt-kicking," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said. "That was a team that wanted to win and played like it. We took it on the chin." Jamal Crawford led the team in scoring with 21 points, as Spencer Hawes posted 14. In perhaps his worst game as a Clipper, J.J. Redick shot 2-of-15 (0-of-8 from beyond the arc) for four points. "Obviously, it would have helped to have Chris tonight. He would have been an enormous boost," said Jordan Farmar, who took Paul's spot in the starting five. "But with or without him, we didn't give the effort that we needed to." Farmar and DeAndre Jordan had 12 points each as the Clips were outrebounded, 53-37, and outscored in the paint, 44-30. "It was just one of those games where everyone was hitting shots," Redick admitted. "They were pretty much on fire. They were just up and down at the defensive end. It was just a free ballgame for them." Can anyone stop the Bulls?

[kibaxx7]

Try other forums like operation sports. Some users post their sliders there and some are actually legit.

Agreed, i use poke's superstar with some tweaks which keeps the game honest.

There's some results with new sliders. The games look lopsided, but both first halves were pretty challenging.

Just don't thierry this, and you'll be fine.

And that FIBA in the off-season....finish this already!!

Man, how are you doing? Long time no see. Hopefully we can reach some sweet offseason updates.

[Cruzerr]

Don't even think CP3 would have made much of a difference. The one thing I love about this career mode is Rose going at it again.

[Phil89]

Is 72-10 in danger this season? You've started really well, it's certainly possible.

[kibaxx7]

It's hard to picture May and June when it's just November -- specially in the Windy City. But in the Bulls' 110-89 win over the Clippers on Monday night, Derrick Rose's MVP form started to take shape. Led by Rose, the magical appearance of Jimmy Butler and the sizzling rejuvenation of Pau Gasol, Chicago has been a model of efficiency during their 10-1 run, sitting 8th in the league in points per game (106.4); first in field goal percentage (.525%) and field goals made (477); second in 3-point accuracy (.420%) and third in assists per game (26.6), while being known for their defensive identity -- an identity that also comes to play as the team is first in points allowed (89.5) and second in turnovers per game (11.5). In short, Tom Thibodeau's unit is playing as well as anyone could have possibly imagined when it was reconstructed in the summer. The Bulls were an offensive juggernaut in Los Angeles, racking up 34 points in the third quarter and then scoring 28 in the fourth, limiting the Clippers to just three field goals in the final frame. Yes -- Chris Paul didn't suit up for the hosts, but all of it happened with Gasol, Noah and Rose playing limited minutes. “Right now, we still have room for improvement,” Butler said. “We are only a month into the season and we can still get better and make each other better.”

Rose's recovery from his injuries and the trust being put in Butler are two big reasons for this. With Rose showing some flashes of his old self, and Butler averaging career-highs in points, rebounds and assists -- while shooting a ridiculous 60 percent from the field -- that opens up so many opportunities. Joakim Noah has been a shadow of his last season so far, but that gave Taj Gibson and rookie Nikola Mirotic plenty of chances, and both have answered the call. Kirk Hinrich has been of importance in both backcourt positions, able to shift to shooting guard and set up away from the ball when Rose or Aaron Brooks are on the court. “We’re clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the floor,” said Gibson, who is shooting a career-high .557% from the floor despite playing seven less minutes than last season. “We’re just going to have to continue to work on consistency on both ends. Everybody’s on the same page and everybody’s doing what needs to be done for the good of the team.”

A good example of this came in Chicago's 115-88 victory at Toronto a couple of days ago; a Raptors defense that ranks sixth in points allowed (95.1) and turnovers per game (12.8). The Bulls basically ran a series of pick-and-rolls: in the fourth quarter, Rose twice drove to the basket and got layups to fall, then followed that with another drive by dishing the ball to Mike Dunleavy for a jumper. "It's simple basketball. They cannot stop all of them. There will always be someone open; at least we try that every play," Thibodeau joked. "Any time we have Derrick attacking, that is a bonus for us." The Raps collapsed and never got back. Over the last four games, the Bulls have allowed an average of just 18.7 points in the fourth quarter, as all four teams were limited to 89 or less points. They’ve also displayed the kind of grit and toughness a contending team must boost, beating opponents on the glass by an average of 11.7 rebounds over the four contests. Doing it without noteworthy contributions from Noah or Gasol illustrates some new teeth in Thibodeau's defensive scheme.

Albeit all this, it will take much more than ten wins in eleven games to get veteran Nazr Mohammed to crack a smile. “I’m not happy at this point,” Mohammed grumbled today at practice, causing Rose and Mirotic to cackle in laughter while seated on the side of the team facilities. But Mohammed wasn’t kidding. As a member of the starting lineup of the 2005 champions, the San Antonio Spurs, Mohammed made a point to warn his teammates about the dangers of “feeling too good” about themselves. For the good of the team, he is certainly in no mood to give pats on the back and pump sunshine -- at least not yet. “The motto for me at this point is 'Don't trust happiness'," Mohammed said. “Even more in the NBA, because it can get you quickly if you start feeling too good about yourself. The team is playing great, we can't deny that, but we can't party at this point.”

The smiles can wait. The Bulls hope this is just the beginning.

[kibaxx7]

It's almost hard to believe the Chicago Bulls have the second-best record in the NBA. Joakim Noah posted his third double-double of the campaign, with 17 points and ten rebounds, and Derrick Rose scored 13 and 12 helpers as the Bulls rolled to another victory in Sacramento, 107-84. With the Kings taking a 40-31 lead with 9:39 left in the second quarter, Chicago stunned the hosts with a 54-34 second half. "I felt pretty good when the ball came off my hands," Rose said. "Things are going well, and with this offense and how this team is playing, it will result in good things and a lot of baskets." Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson led Chicago's bench (49 points) with 15 and 12, respectively. "I just tried to take what came to me, take the shots I got," said Mirotic, who scored 10 of his 15 in the second quarter, helping the Bulls pull away with a 12-2 run; a spurt that allowed Chicago's starters to take a break as Pau Gasol played just 24 minutes -- good enough for 14 points and eight boards. He sat back in the final period and watched the reserves close out the victory, their fifth in a row. "Right now, we have to ride the hot hand," said Noah, who made 8-of-14 shots. "Derrick, Nikola and the others are being very effective and they are making it easier for me to get back on track."

While it was expected that Sacramento's young backcourt of Ray McCallum and rookie Nik Stauskas would experience some growing pains, DeMarcus Cousins is giving them an outstanding post threat. They had eight and nine points, respectively, while Cousins led the team with a game-best 26 points. "We talked about trying to change things up after the third, but they just kept putting it in the hole," Cousins said of the visitors. "They really hurt us with their pick-and-rolls. That created some real defensive problems for us." Chicago posted 34 points in just the final frame, while the Kings scored 34 in the entire second half, shooting 44 percent from the field. Rudy Gay struggled, 3-of-11, for 11 points, as Rose played a defensive masterpiece on Darren Collison, who managed just one point. "It's a good thing we only play them twice a season," said Collison. "It was all easy baskets for them. When you allow things like that against this team, as efficient as they are... it's almost pointless." It was the seventh straight loss for Sacramento (3-9), starting a four-game road trip this Saturday, with stops at Minnesota, New Orleans, Houston and San Antonio. "We were playing our game, keeping it close at halftime and then we just ran out of gas," commented Ben McLemore, who added 12 off the bench. "The third quarter has hurt us all year."

Nicolas Batum saved Portland with his shooting -- where most of his teammates struggled the most. Batum scored a season-high 25 points as Rip City put a halt in Chicago's winning streak with a 103-96 win at the Moda Center. The Bulls shot better from the field, at 50 percent, and even had 30 assists; but suffered with Portland's defensive reactions when it mattered the most, and couldn't get to the free throw line to save their night. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole," said Pau Gasol, who scored 16 points. "We didn't do much to take away their shots." With the Trail Blazers up front 80-66 after three periods, Chicago had a 15-3 run in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 99-95 in the last two minutes, but couldn't complete the feat. "We tried to get the lead down, but turnovers kept us from doing that," added Taj Gibson, with 14 points as a reserve. "It was disappointing to play like this after the wins we've been getting." The Bulls have not defeated Portland since 2010, and have lost six straight against them -- tonight, they only led 31-28 in the second quarter. The good news for the Bulls? Joakim Noah is looking like his old self again, leading the team in scoring for the second straight game, with 18 points, and three rejections to boot.

The frustration began early in the third when Jimmy Butler (four points) was hit in the face by Batum's arm. When the foul was called on Butler, he received a technical foul for his antics. Less than two minutes later, Gasol was called for a flagrant foul after clotheslining a driving LaMarcus Aldridge -- the only other Blazer to put points in the basket, with 20. "I thought we had a lot of energy tonight, and when you have that kind of energy, good things happen," he said. Wesley Matthews and Damian Lillard shot a combined 7-of-24 from the field, with 12 and 11 points, respectively; but Lillard posted a game-high plus-minus of +14 because of his ten assists -- eight in the Blazers' 35-point third quarter. Aldridge had eleven rebounds and Thomas Robinson and Chris Kaman grabbed eight and nine, as Portland finished with a 48-43 advantage on the boards, with 16 offensive rebounds (five by Robinson). "This is how we love to play," said Lillard. "Sharing the ball and pushing it up. We can dump it down to LaMarcus when we need a bucket, but moving it around gets guys open shots." Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was called for a technical foul as well for arguing with the officials in the first play of the fourth quarter.

[kibaxx7]

Don't even think CP3 would have made much of a difference. The one thing I love about this career mode is Rose going at it again.

Perhaps not a difference, but CP3 would have given me a bigger challenge. Rose is ballin'.

Is 72-10 in danger this season? You've started really well, it's certainly possible.

Anything can happen here, these players certainly have the potential.

Edited the post above with the last two games. Happy New Year to everybody, guys!