Well, well, how things can change in a single game! The United Center was in an uproar Wednesday night, and it wasn’t just because fans were getting Big Macs. The Bulls bench sparked a 101-78 spanking over the Mavericks and damn, was it refreshing to watch. After blowing a 27 point lead to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, coach Thibodeau knew some serious changes needed to be made with his lineup and time management. Chicago needed a comeback win in a big way and the basketball gods answered our prayers. Must know water cooler details on the Bull’s face-saving come-back below.
What You Need to Know:
- The bench came alive! Coach Thibs finally gave his reserves some real minutes and they delivered by scoring 50 points for the the first time this season. Nate Robinson led the benchers with 14 points, Jimmy Butler added a career-high 13 points, Taj Gibson finished with eight points and eight rebounds, Belinelli, who didn’t play a single second of Monday’s game, contributed 11 points. Even Vladimir Radmanovic got in the action with a sweet dunk. Could it be a revival of the Bench Mob is in the works?
- Without the heavy minutes loaded on the starters, they came up big too. Luol Deng was the leading scorer for the Bulls with 22 points and Joakim Noah picked up his sixth double double this season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
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Deng defending Mavs Vince
- Los Bulls picked up their stellar defense holding the Mavs to 78 points – we love the sound of that! Prior to playing the Bulls, O.J. Mayo was averaging 21.5 a game, but Wednesday Mayo only scored four points – a season low. Shawn Marion was the top scorer for Dallas with 18 points.
Your Take Away Piece:
“PHEW! Wednesday’s game was a win the Bulls desperately needed. They proved the bench is capable of producing points and gave some much needed hope to their devoted fans reassuring that they can keep things rolling while we wait for Derrick Rose’s return. Because our starters weren’t playing excessive minutes they were able to play at a higher caliber because they had energy when the final quarter started. The Bulls that played against the Dallas Mavericks are the Bulls who need to show up to play as frequently as possible. Collective team efforts are the only way to win games in this league when you’re missing your star.”
What’s Next:
The Philadelphia 76ers are coming to town Saturday night for a prime-time game under the lights of the UC. We’ll see if they’re ready to reignite the rivalry established during the first round of the playoffs last season. Will the Bulls be able to get some vengeance against the team who eliminated their playoff hopes last May? Grab your girls and head to your favorite Saturday night spot to watch Chicago and Philly face off at 7PM on WGN.
