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• Video: John Lucas gets revenge on Lebron

  In Bulls, John Lucas III / 15 March 2012 / 0 comments

  Via CSN Chicago: Flashback to the play of Lebron James jumping over John Lucas for the dunk, and then marvel in Lucas’payback on 3/14 as James attempts to guard him in the fourth quarter:

• Rose-less Bulls, led by John Lucas III and The Bench Mob, take down Heat

  In Bulls, John Lucas III / 15 March 2012 / 0 comments

  

  In a showdown between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams, the Bulls learned prior to tip off that they would be without their MVP and leading scorer, Derrick Rose who was a late scratch with a sore groin.  Everybody wrote the Bulls off – how could they pull off a win without D. Rose against a Heat team that’s beat them 6 straight times?  The Bulls believe they can win every game, even short handed.  They’ve done it all season long (they’re now 8-3 without Derrick Rose this year) – when one goes down, another steps up.  Tonight it was John Lucas III. The Bulls simply wanted this game more as they played harder and out hustled the Heat.

  C.J. Watson got the starting job after missing 5 games with a left ankle sprain, and you could tell from the get-go he wasn’t anywhere near 100%.  That didn’t stop him from being aggressive – he repeatedly took the contact, went down, limped gingerly around the court and played with heart.  He pitched in 11 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds in the time he could withstand.

  John Lucas III shined filling in for Watson off the bench.  He didn’t miss a shot until the start of the 4th quarter as he was rollin’ with 13 points.  Lucas stepped up big for 11 fourth quarter points including a tremendous fadeaway right in the mug of Lebron who was switched on for the mismatch. A play  that will be shown on SportsCenter for days to come – similar to when James dunked over Lucas’ head. Payback is a… Lucas ignited the United Center and his teammates as his confidence poured through each and every Bulls player: overall it was balanced scoring all around: Lucas 24 (9-12 FG in 24 minutes), Noah 14, Brewer 12, Korver 12, Watson 11, Deng 11 – every player that entered the game scored.

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• John Lucas the III string PG shines in first career start

  In Bulls, John Lucas III / 12 January 2012 / 0 comments

  

  AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

   

  At 29, John Lucas III has been around the block.  Since entering the NBA un-drafted in 2005, he’s bounced around from team to team and after being waived by all, spent some time playing overseas.  The two years he’s spent on and off with the Chicago Bulls has been his most longest stay.  Last season, he appeared in 2 games.  Last night, with Derrick Rose sidelined, John Lucas III got his first ever NBA start.  With Rose, CJ Watson, and Rip Hamilton out, Lucas was paired up against one of the leagues premiere point guards in John Wall, and was perceived the ultimate underdog.  However, his comrades thought otherwise. When Thibodeau was asked who Lucas’ backup would be, he replied, “Lucas”. Lucas got the best encouragement from Rose who told him,

  “You’re ready, we got your back. Just go out there and play your game”.

  Lucas said he felt he had to uphold his teammates support and “go hard”.  And go hard he did. Lucas propelled the Bulls past the Wizards 78-64 with a team and career-high 25 points. Lucas posted career highs in almost his entire stat line last night at the United Center.  All of the following are career-highs.  Lucas played 46 minutes, had 28 shot attempts for 25 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and a steal.  He outplayed his counterpart John Wall who had 11 points and 8 assists.  Aside from his irrational 28 shot attempts, John Lucas played a superb well rounded game. The Bulls would have lost this game without him. Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer had another underwhelming performance but were thankfully out-shined by Taj and Omer who came in at a tied game and closed it out in the fourth once again.  Thibodeau accounted the benching for defensive production noting

  ” You can pretty much have lockdown defense with those guys on the floor, and I thought we could win it with our defense.”

  

  REUTERS/Jim Young

  Boozer and Noah combined for 45 minutes, 8 points , 10 rebounds, and one block.  Gibson and Asik dazzled in 51 minutes for 17 points, 20 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots.  There’s no question Boozer and Noah must get on the same page immediately, or this is going to arise as the standard and the front office is not going to be happy.  Noah is aware of his dubious play but remains optimistic, noting after the game:

  “You’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do to help this team win?’ I just want to be more effective in helping the team win. And right now, I’m not doing that.”

  Dark horses of the night:  Kyle Korver continued to show his most productive play as a Bulls.  Last night he had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists and hit some big shots down the stretch to pull out this win.  The Bulls have a promising outlook if he maintains.  Luol Deng also put up big numbers despite a sluggish shooting night ; he remains the NBA leader in minutes played with 45 last night. He put up 12 points, 15 monster boards, and 3 steals.

  Stat of the night: In the four Bulls home games this season they lead the NBA in fewest points allowed:

  Memphis: 64 Atlanta: 74 Detroit: 68 Washington: 64

  Video of the night:

   

  Photo of the night: 

  

  Scott Strazzante / Tribune Photo

  John Lucas III caps off his career best performance with a stamp of approval from his point guard teammates Derrick Rose and CJ Watson.

   

  Quote of the night: When talking to reporters, John Lucas III, in true Derrick Rose fashion, proclaimed:

  “I just want to go out there and help my teammates no matter what. I’m not really big on stats, my whole key was about winning tonight.”

• Bulls can’t keep win streak going

  In Bulls, Carlos Boozer, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, John Lucas III, Kyle Korver, Richard Hamilton / 8 January 2012 / 0 comments

  After pulling off an impressive win last night in Orlando (97-83), with Derrick Rose continuing his stellar play, coming up two rebounds short of a triple-double (21 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds), the Bulls starters came out flat tonight against a Hawks team that has played 4 overtimes in the past 2 nights. Atlanta showed no signs of fatigue and shot the lights out (9-12 from 3-point land). Chicago gave in to an early lead (12-1) that they would never conquer. Derrick Rose did not perform well tonight at all, never setting the tempo of the game. The starters rely on Rose to get the game going; tonight that did not happen. He finished with only 8 points, and 5 turnovers in 28 minutes. The Bulls couldn’t get it done on either end of the floor, allowing the Hawks to shoot 56% from the field and a dreadful 75% from behind the arc. Every team is going to have “their” night and Atlanta got revenge tonight, but the Bulls let them. The starters could not get it done, and they shot 14 for 40 collectively from the field. Boozer led all starters with a mere 12 points. When the Hawks went on a 3rd quarter run to to put them up by 29, Thibodeau had seen enough. The most noteworthy points of the game would come from the Bench Mob who proved they may be the best in the league; outperforming their starters. Joakim Noah brought attention to this after the game saying:

  “This one’s on the people who started the game. Our second unit came in, got it back to four, then we went back in and dropped it again…it was embarrassing tonight.”

  On the bright side for the Bulls, Kyle Korver continued his hot streak from 3 point land; he finished with 13 points on 3 out of 5 from downtown. If he can keep the hot hand when Rip gets healthy, the Bulls can really spread the floor even more and force the defense to cover. This will be really beneficial in creating easy shots, something the Bulls have been addressing this year. John Lucas III had another great game off the bench, proving once again he’s a worthy backup point guard. Tonight he actually scored a career (and team) high, 16 points. His confidence intensifies every game and it’s exciting to watch, I’m happy for him and the fact that he’s putting everything he’s got into his time on the floor; hard work pays off. Taj Gibson remained solid, contributing 11 points and 2 blocked shots. Omer Asik has really stepped it up this season, and has pulled the team together with his energy and production at crucial times. Asik had 8 points and 13 boards, 5 of which were offensive, the majority taking place inside the Bulls run to pull within 4.

  

  Jimmy Butler photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports

  Jimmy Butler is special. Great work ethic.  Always first and last to leave the gym. Happy for him in that in his most minutes as an NBA player (12) tonight, he was perfect. 3 for 3 shooting – 2 of which were And-1′s. In addition, he was 6 for 6 from the free throw line.  12 minutes for 12 points, 2 offensive rebounds, and a defensive rebound.  Still really wish we got to see more of him, I think he could really provide an aggressive presence on defense. He has shown really great hustle, going after every loose ball, and grabbing the bulk of them.

  Every team is going to have a let down game is this compact season, it’s a marathon – not a sprint. .  The Bulls will bounce back, they have always struggled with back to backs, especially last season but seemed to reawaken the following game (they never lost more than two in a row). They learn from their mistakes so look for a monster game at home on Monday against Detroit again.  An even worse beat-down than the other night.

  Final Word: The Bulls really need Rip Hamilton to get healthy, it’s amazing how much he spreads the floor when he is in the game. Unlike Kyle who is a terrific knock down shooter, Rip has the ability to create offense off of the dribble which can really extend the play. The Bulls are a much better team when he is on the floor.

• Bulls rip through Motor City

  In Bulls, C.J. Watson, Carlos Boozer, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, John Lucas III, Luol Deng, Richard Hamilton, Ronnie Brewer / 6 January 2012 / 0 comments

  It was an “awkward”, but enjoyable homecoming for Bulls swingman Richard Rip Hamilton. Rip returned to the Palace as an opponent to the Pistons, something he hasn’t done since 2002. Instead of stepping out with a chip on his shoulder with something to prove, Hamilton played the game with poise as it was any other game. He didn’t force up any bad shots, he played his role and showed why he is going to the x-factor for this years Chicago Bulls team. We haven’t seen the Bulls full potential yet, as Hamilton sat out a few games with a groin injury and CJ is out with a dislocated shoulder injury. We’ve been left with glimpses, most notably at Staples. I’m excited for what is to come. The Bulls won convincingly 99-83. Hamilton finished the game with 14 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds; a complete well rounded game. Noah and Boozer finally had a game where they performed well TOGETHER. Boozer finished with 19 and 9, Noah had 13 and 11 with 2 blocks. Deng had an off night with 2 points on 1 for 6 shooting, but thankfully this year, the Bench Mob has consistently stepped up. Brewer finished with 9, Taj had a monster 12 and 7 with 4 assists.  Most surprisingly for outsiders watching was John Lucas III who stepped in for Watson and made the most out of his 8 minutes, hitting 2-2 from 3 point land.  A standout for me: Jimmy Butler came in aggressive for the final 51 seconds and went to the foul line, hit both free throws, then extended the play to the defensive end and had a monster block.  I think I’m speaking for everyone when I say: I want more Butler! I hope Butler gets more minutes as the season and he progresses, although Thiboedeau does like to keep a steady rotation.  Example: Rasual Butler didn’t crack the Bulls rotation last season and is now a starter for the Toronto Raptors and is doing quite well.  We’ll just have to wait and see.  What I do know is our depth will carry us deep into the playoffs if they keep up this level of play.  They finished the game with 34 points and 12 rebounds.
   The more notable story behind Rips return had to be Derrick Rose’s elbow. The MVP finished with 17 and 10, but in the fourth, he took a hard hit on an explosion to the basket and came down on his elbow. He went to the bench in pain, but the competitor that he is, Rose returned. He told reporters after the game he was indeed in pain, and said he would get treatment in preparation for tonight’s game vs. Orlando. We all remember when he rolled his ankle in the playoffs last year, he got treatment from morning to night with his own machines at home. Derrick Rose is the real deal so I wouldn’t expect anything less this time around. If we’ve learned anything about Derrick Rose, the competitor that he is, he will play tonight.  The Bulls face the Magic tonight on ESPN at 8:00 PM (ET).

• Watson out, Rip GTD

  In Bulls, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III, Richard Hamilton, Ronnie Brewer / 3 January 2012 / 0 comments

  CJ Watson will miss tonight’s game vs. the Atlanta Hawks after injuring his left elbow against the Grizzlies. His injury is listed as day-to-day but it seems he may miss the upcoming stretch of 4 games in 5 nights.

  

  

  Image courtesy Yahoo! Sports

  John Lucas III will take the start for the Bench Mob tonight after an impressive showing the other night with 8 points in his first 5 minutes after CJ left the game. Speaking on his new role in the rotation, Lucas said:

  My career has been a fight. Every year, it’s been ‘Keep a job, keep a job, keep a job.’ It humbles you and makes you appreciate the game even more. When you finally get the opportunity, you run with it.”

  Lucas has big shoes to fill as Watson has had a fiery start to the season averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 assists in just 13 mpg running the Bench Mob.

  Richard Hamilton, who missed Sunday night’s game with a groin injury that he suffered against the Clippers, says he is a game time decision tonight. The Bulls do not want to risk turning a day-to-day injury into something serious so Ronnie Brewer may get the start again tonight. Coach Thibodeau says he can also count on Brewer to play some minutes at point if need be as he has shown an ever growing confidence to start the season. With one (possible two) important player(s) down, the Bulls will have to show their chemistry and depth to keep their pace as they face the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center tonight at 8:00 PM (ET).