Andrew's Chicago Bulls Dynasty - November 2006

[Mark.]

Tough stuff on the 5 game losing streak, its going to be interesting to see when you will break it.

I imagine Gordon's return might help the performances of the others, especially Hinrich.

Gotta say though, its good to see the Pistons win

[Andrew]

March 10th, 2006
L.A. Clippers (103) at Chicago (111)
Bulls end losing streak behind Duhon's 23 points
[ Boxscore ]

In Ben Gordon's absence, the Bulls have struggled to find a player to step up and make buckets when they need them the most. Tonight, Chris Duhon answered the call.

Duhon scored seven of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, nailing a three pointer with just under four minutes remaining to give Chicago the lead for good. He then intercepted a pass and fed Latrell Sprewell for a layup on the break to widen the gap and give Chicago some breathing room. Duhon also totalled seven assists and three steals.

Los Angeles was in control for most of the first half after scoring the first four points of the game. After the Bulls tied the game at 26 on a Steve Smith three pointer the Clippers ran off six unanswered points and held on for a one point lead at the half. The third quarter was a back and forth battle with several lead changes to end the period. Chicago held a three point lead heading into the fourth.

The teams continued to go back and forth until Duhon's three pointer broke a 92-92 tie. The Clippers got a huge lift from rookie Yaroslav Korolev who scored all 16 of his points in the second half. Elton Brand led the way for Los Angeles with 19 points and 15 rebounds while Corey Maggette had 18 points and Cuttino Mobley added 17 points and 5 assists, but Sam Cassell managed only 7 points on 2/11 shooting to go along with his game high 10 assists before fouling out.

Mike Sweetney chipped in with 18 points and 4 rebounds for the Bulls, who won for the first time since February 25th. Kirk Hinrich also had 18 points while dishing out five assists and making five steals. Sprewell scored 10 points off the bench including six in the fourth quarter, receiving loud "Spree" chants whenever he touched the ball late in the game.

March 11th, 2006
Chicago (85) at Atlanta (95)
Hawks defeat Bulls with third quarter push
[ Boxscore ]

By the time Matt Carroll and Eric Piatkowski entered the game in the fourth quarter and scored a surprising 10 points apiece, it was already too late. The Atlanta Hawks dominated the Chicago Bulls 26-12 in the third quarter to take a 19 point lead into the fourth quarter. Joe Johnson had 17 points for the Hawks who also got help from their bench in the form of Jerome Moiso, who scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds including four at the offensive end.

Atlanta never trailed after taking a 19-16 lead late in the first quarter and began to take over the game halfway through the second. Chicago struggled to put the ball in the basket especially during their dismal third quarter in which they shot only 26%. The Bulls have lost six of their last seven and seven of their last ten games. They were without Andres Nocioni for the third straight game after he injured his wrist in a 111-106 loss to the Nets.

"Injuries have definitely hurt us in the past month" said Shawn Kemp, one of only two Bulls to see action in all 63 games so far and the only player to start in each contest. Kemp scored 10 points and had 6 rebounds in the loss but also committed five turnovers and four fouls.

The Bulls will have a two day rest before facing the Portland Trailblazers in Chicago.

March 12th, 2006
Bulls Injury Update

CHICAGO, IL -- The Bulls have indicated that Andres Nocioni will likely sit a few more games as his wrist is reportedly still bothering him. Ben Gordon however could be back sooner than expected, though the Bulls will likely wait until he is fully healed before bringing him back into the lineup.

March 14th, 2006
Portland (114) at Chicago (99)
Portland blazes past Bulls
[ Boxscore ]

The surprising Portland Trailblazers improved to 37-26 after a dominating 114-99 road win over the Chicago Bulls. Veteran centre Theo Ratliff exploded for 26 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks as Portland cruised from start to finish. Chicago shot just 39% from the field and were 3/26 and have now lost seven of their last eight games.

Though Portland would only outscore Chicago by four points in the second half, the Bulls would never be able to recover from the 11 point deficit they faced at the end of the first quarter. All five starters for the Blazers scored in double figures led by Ratliff's 26. Rookie Martell Webster had 19 points and was 3/8 from downtown while sophomore Sebastian Telfair had 13 points and 9 assists. The Blazers' frontcourt had a fine performance as Darius Miles had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and Zach Randolph contributed 16 points and 18 rebounds.

Kirk Hinrich led Chicago with 26 points while collecting four rebounds and three assists. Luol Deng scored 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists while Latrell Sprewell scored 17 points off the bench.

March 15th, 2006
Chicago (98) at Milwaukee (88)
Bulls never trail, come up with road victory
[ Boxscore ]

The struggling Chicago Bulls were taking no chances against their division rivals the Milwaukee Bucks, coming out aggressively in the first quarter to score the first seven points of the game and never looked back. Though Milwaukee would eventually find their footing and would not be put away for good until the Bulls made a final push to increase the lead to thirteen in the final minute. The Bucks cut the deficit to ten but it was too little, too late having been outplayed for most of the game.

"We really needed this one," Kirk Hinrich told reporters after the game. "It's been a rough few weeks and we've had some disappointing games where we haven't closed out, like the Nets game." Hinrich led the Bulls with 23 points and 9 assists, shooting 10/22 from the field and 3/8 from downtown. Latrell Sprewell stepped back into the starting lineup and scored 16 points while Luol Deng scored 20. Chris Duhon had 16 points and 5 assists off the bench while Shawn Kemp contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds. Michael Redd led all scorers with 33 points and was 14/25 from the field, but failed to connect all four of his three point attempts. Andrew Bogut scored 16 points and tallied five rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes.

Chicago is now 35-30 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, three and a half games ahead of the eighth placed Boston Celtics. Milwaukee is 28-36 and trail the Celtics by three games for the final seed.

March 18th, 2006
Miami (111) at Chicago (117)
Deng scores 32 as Bulls overcome Southeast leaders
[ Boxscore ]

After Dwyane Wade scored 11 of Miami's first 13 points to lead Chicago 13-6, it looked as though the Heat were preparing to blow out the Bulls on their home floor. The Bulls however, had other ideas.

Chicago narrowed the gap to 32-31 before James Posey hit a long three to put the Heat up 35-31 at the end of a first quarter that saw both teams shoot above 50%. Miami remained in control for the first four minutes of the second but soon fell victim to a strong Chicago run that culminated in a 64-53 Bulls advantage at the break. Luol scored 17 of his 32 points in the first half while all 14 of Shawn Kemp's points came in the first two quarters. The Bulls maintained a double digit advantage for most of the third quarter but the Heat closed the gap and trailed by eight heading into the fourth.

After a rocky start to the period, the Bulls regained their composure and would not lose their grip on the lead. Luol Deng scored 15 in the fourth quarter and Latrell Sprewell shook off an early injury to finish with 18 points. The game remained close until the end and although the Bulls would miss four free throws in the closing minutes, the Heat would falter at the other end giving the Bulls a 117-111 victory in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative sellout crowd in the United Center.

The Bulls are currently in seventh place in the East and would face the second placed Heat in the first round, if the Playoffs began tomorrow.


We meet again: Former teammates Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton square-off as opponents once more

March 19th, 2006
Nocioni returns but Sprewell forced to sit

CHICAGO, IL -- Andres Nocioni is expected to be in uniform for tonight's game against the Washington Wizards but the Bulls will be without guard Latrell Sprewell, who broke a finger in last night's 117-101 victory over the Miami Heat. Sprewell played through the injury and logged 18 points in 25 minutes but was in a lot of pain after the game. The injury is not severe however and should only sideline the former All-Star for a week.

Sprewell was signed February 24th to replace Ben Gordon, who is expected to return soon after breaking his wrist on February 4th. Sprewell has been averaging 14.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.8 apg, starting in six of the 12 games he's played for the Bulls.

[Andrew]

March 19th, 2006
Chicago (111) at Washington (113) OT
Ruffin burns Bulls twice, Deng registers triple double
[ Boxscore ]

The Washington Wizards picked up a controversial overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls thanks to two baskets by Michael Ruffin. Ruffin scored a layup at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime and then made another layup which seemed to come after time expired to give the Wizards a 113-111 victory.

Chicago appeared to be on the verge of closing out the game after Luol Deng grabbed a rebound of a missed free throw and drew a foul, making both shots for a four point lead late in the fourth quarter. But Gilbert Arenas, who scored 18 points, nailed a three pointer to bring the Wizards within one at 101-100. Kirk Hinrich then made one of two free throws before Ruffin's first buzzer beater came on an offensive rebound. The Bulls appeared to have the game in hand in the final minute of overtime 111-108 before Arenas struck again with another three.

Deng got inside for a layup but was whistled for an offensive foul. Replays showed that Ruffin was clearly inside the semi-circle under the hoop, marking the second time the Bulls have lost an overtime game on such a call. The Wizards raced the ball up court and missed a three but Ruffin grabbed the rebound and made the game winning layup.

The loss overshadowed a brilliant game by Deng, who had 24 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists and 3 steals. Shawn Kemp had 22 points and 17 rebounds, Andres Nocioni had 22 points and 7 rebounds in his first game back from a wrist injury while Chris Duhon tallied 14 points and 5 assists and Hinrich added 12 points and 6 assists. No other Bulls scored more than six points. Caron Butler led the Wizards with 21 points, Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison both registered double-doubles with 13 points and 12 rebounds and 16 points and 12 rebounds respectively. Antonio Daniels scored 11 points in 20 minutes off the bench.

March 22nd, 2006
Chicago (87) at Indiana (79)
Hinrich leads Bulls in fourth
[ Boxscore ]

Although they didn't put the Indiana Pacers away for good until the final buzzer, the Chicago Bulls remained cool, calm and collected after turning a 17-15 advantage at the first quarter break into a lead they would maintain the rest of the way, often in front by double digits. Kirk Hinrich scored nine of his game high 20 points in the fourth as Chicago improved to 37-31 three nights after a controversial loss to the Washington Wizards.

After a low scoring first quarter the Bulls capitalised on some quick turnovers by the Pacers to push up the lead early in the second. The Pacers would not come close again until the early stages of the fourth quarter when a furious run cut the deficit to three. A Hinrich three pointer put the Bulls up by six to put the game out of reach for the Pacers, who would come no closer than four the rest of the way.

Chicago received another big performance from Andres Nocioni, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from injury. Chris Duhon had 19 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds including a key board in the final minute that forced the Pacers to foul him, leading to two made free throws. Jamaal Tinsley was Indiana's top performer with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

March 23rd, 2006
Gordon cleared to return

CHICAGO, IL -- Ben Gordon is expected to be in uniform when the Chicago Bulls take on the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets tomorrow night at the United Center. Gordon is reportedly still suffering some soreness in his wrist but the break has healed successfully and he has been cleared to play. He will likely step back into the starting lineup but may play limited minutes while his wrist heals completely.

[Andrew]

Ben Gordon returns to action.

March 24th, 2006
New Orleans/Oklahoma City (94) at Chicago (103)
Gordon returns, Bulls hold off late rally
[ Boxscore ]

After receiving a standing ovation during the player introductions, Ben Gordon returned to action for the Bulls playing 23 minutes and scoring 13 points as well as grabbing five rebounds and handing out three assists in the Bulls' 103-94 victory over the Hornets. Bulls fans got a scare when Gordon left the game in the fourth quarter holding his wrist after a collision with Chris Paul but no further damage was done and although he didn't return, is not expected to be back on the shelf.

"It felt great to be back out there," Gordon said after the game. "It [his wrist] was throbbing after I ran into Chris but it feels OK now. It won't set me back." Few people were more relieved than Bulls' coach Andrew Begley. "I thought we'd lost him again," Begley told reporters. "As soon as it happened I started thinking we'd made a mistake bringing him back while he still had the soreness in his wrist. But Ben's a competitor and he assure me he'll be right to go in the next one."

Chicago was in control for most of the game but after Gordon left the game in the fourth, the Hornets began making a run. Wesley Person, whom the Bulls traded to the Hornets at the deadline, scored a season high 23 points and was 5/6 from downtown, including two big threes late in the game that threatened the Bulls' lead. Undaunted, Chicago answered with two threes by Hinrich eventually winning by nine.


Gordon's first basket drew an appreciative roar from the crowd

March 25th, 2006
Sprewell set to return

CHICAGO, IL -- Latrell Sprewell has been cleared to play and will be in uniform when the Bulls travel to Boston where they will take on the Boston Celtics tomorrow night.

[Matthew]

Bulls seem to be making a push now. Maybe that analogy to the 95 rockets isnt far off . Close call with Gordon getting hit by Paul. Have the Bulls moved up in the standings with this surge?

[funk99]

yep yep. Gordon is back and good luck on ur run to the finals

[Andrew]

Have the Bulls moved up in the standings with this surge?

Unfortunately not, Indiana's still two games ahead. I'm pulling away from the Celtics though, they're five games back and struggling so I've got a bit of breathing room there. With Gordon back I should be able to leave them in the dust but catching Indiana is another story.

[Matthew]

How many games do you have left, and do you have anymore games against indiana? Is there much of a difference between the second and 3rd seed, like the east in 2005 with detroit and boston and the west this past season with denver and pheonix?

[Andrew]

13 games left and I'm 38-31 at the moment. I've got one more game against the Pacers (April 4th) so I might have a chance to pull ahead or at snatch the tiebreaker should it come to that.

Here's the current Playoff picture:

EAST

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-19) - Clinched Berth
2. Philadelphia 76ers (43-25)
3. Miami Heat (44-26)
4. New Jersey Nets (42-25)
5. Detroit Pistons (40-28)
6. Indiana Pacers (39-28)
7. Chicago Bulls (38-31)
8. Boston Celtics (33-37)
------------------------------
9. Toronto Raptors (33-36)
10. Washington Wizards (30-38)

WEST

1. San Antonio Spurs (50-19) - Clinched Berth
2. Portland Trailblazers (40-29)
3. Phoenix Suns (38-30)
4. Dallas Mavericks (46-24)
5. Houston Rockets (45-24)
6. Memphis Grizzlies (41-28)
7. Los Angeles Clippers (34-34)
8. Denver Nuggets (34-37)
------------------------------
9. Sacramento Kings (33-36)
10. Golden State Warriors (32-35)

[Matthew]

Looking at that, the 7th seed might be a better draw. I'd rather play philly then miami

[Andrew]

True, though I did manage to beat Miami without Gordon a few games back. Last time I played Philly I destroyed them even though Gordon was still out, so perhaps they would be the easier first round matchup. Looks like I'll be able to avoid Cleveland and Detroit until the Conference Finals.

[Matthew]

New Jersey is only 1/2 game back of philly as well, so you may end up playing against them. Do you have your eyes on any awards for the bulls at the end of season?

[Andrew]

I think Chandler and Duhon might be in the running for the Sixth Man Award but I don't think I'll have a chance anywhere else. Gordon might have been in the running for MVP or MIP with his numbers but having missed 20+ games that's not too likely now.

[TheBigEasy]

Great dynasty Andrew. I hope you can make it to the finals ...

About your sliders. Are the ones you use the same currently posted on the website or are they different and you are using the ones with which you started the dynasty?

Cause I have started a dynasty with the Hornets with your sliders currently on the website and I don't get nearly as low scores as you ... (and I get blown out a lot ) I am currently averaging 108.8 pts, my opponents 127.2 ... five games into the season. I try to play slowly, use the clock and stuff, yet still the scores get up this high (ok, the last game was a double overtime win against the Mavericks, ending 148-141 ... but the rest were just regular timed games). Any advice?

[Andrew]

I'm using the ones I've posted in the Forum and in the NBA Live 06 section. Do you notice anything in particular leading to the high scores (a lot of three pointers, defense is too loose, game seems too fast-paced)? If you can isolate things like that, you'll have a better idea of what kind of adjustments you should make.

[Srbija]

This is getting alot more exciting, although you seem to be in a comfortable position.

[Andrew]

Thanks Srbija, it's been enjoyable despite the losses while Gordon was out. Easily the most challenging Dynasty with the most ups and downs I've had so far.

[rongotai]

Im kinda happy you started lossing makes it more interesting

Portland 11 Games above .500 OH MY

[Andrew]

To be honest, I'm not that unhappy with the losses either (except a couple where the CPU kind of screwed me over, like the Wizards winning on the buzzer beater that came after the buzzer) as it means the game's been challenging and I've usually been competing to the end.

[Jugs]

The only reason I love Live 06 - Portland Trailblazers being on top of the Northwest division .

You've certainly got a lock in the top 7 for sure in my opinion with the Celtics way behind you.

Great that Gordon has returned, if he stays healthy, he'll do wonders in the play-offs.

[Mark.]

Great to see Gordon back, it seems I was right that his presence helps the other players play better, as Hinrich had a nice efficient game with Gordon at his side.

I agree with Matthew, maybe the 7th seed would be most comfortable at this stage, although a lot can change in 20 games.

Top stuff, good luck for the final stretch, its going to be interesting

[funk99]

To be honest, I'm not that unhappy with the losses either (except a couple where the CPU kind of screwed me over, like the Wizards winning on the buzzer beater that came after the buzzer) as it means the game's been challenging and I've usually been competing to the end.

yep lol that must of felt really bad. A bug that needs to be fixed but you are going well and with Gordon back you will storm into the finals and against Phillly would be easier than the Heat.

[kibaxx7]

Gordon's back, amazing news Andrew! Now you can aim for a higher seed... wow Cavs 50-19

[RKO]

San Antonio is kicking ass.....good luck in the playoffs, when the time comes....

[Andrew]

Great to see Gordon back, it seems I was right that his presence helps the other players play better, as Hinrich had a nice efficient game with Gordon at his side.

Absolutely, Gordon's been a reliable scorer and his presence takes some of the pressure of Hinrich. It's also handy to have someone with Scorer FSS when you really need to score a bucket.