-->

Road Trip '01: Feb. 1

  • Road Trip '01 Index

    Thursday, February 1, 2001
    KeyArena, Seattle, Washington
    Final Score: SuperSonics 97, Bulls 91

    Bulls
    The Bulls held practice Thursday morning at KeyArena.
    After a good night's sleep, we took off from the hotel Thursday morning at 10:15 and headed straight to KeyArena for the morning shootaround. Upon our arrival, we ran into some of the Sonics who were finishing their session. The first player to greet our bus was former Bull, Brent Barry. He and Fred Hoiberg got a chance to catch-up and share a laugh with longtime Bulls equipment manager, Johnny Ligmanowski. It seems Wednesday night "Ligs," as he is affectionately known throughout the NBA world, called in his winnings on a dinner bet he had with Hoiberg earlier in the season. The pair, along with Dalibor Bagaric, Dragan Tarlac and strength coach Erik Helland headed to the Metropolitan Grill, one of the fancier restaurants in Seattle. Grinning all the way, Ligs proved he wasn't going to be bashful when it came to running up "The Mayor's" tab. After opening with the $15 Crab and Shrimp cocktail, Ligs eagerly eyed the Grill's Surf 'n' Turf dinner special -- a mere $82 all by itself! He capped the evening off with a little dessert and some fine wine. He says his only regret is that he didn't hit Hoiberg up for a few cigars. All-in-all, Ligs' dinner score totaled $120 -- establishing a new personal and Bulls all-time season-high record.

    After the Sonics cleared out, our guys took to the court and did their usual routine of stretching and jogging to loosen up. They then split into two groups - post players and guards - each working on the specific characteristics of their positions. The post players -- Elton Brand, Marcus Fizer, Brad Miller, Dalibor Bagaric and Dragan Tarlac, went to the south goal to work with assistant coach Bill Cartwright on post-up moves and defending the paint. Everyone else was at the north end working on their jump shots with assistants Phil Johnson and Norm Ellenberger. Assistant Coach Bill Berry and Tim Floyd shuttled between both groups, who, to a man, sported a determined look that the Bulls' long losing streak was going to come to end that evening.

    Phil Johnson
    Assistant Coach Phil Johnson worked with the guards and their jump shots.
    After a few minutes, both groups converged and began running some of the Bulls' offensive sets. With the coaches barking out commands to move the ball more, the players crisply displayed some dead-eye passing, hitting the open man in stride for easy dunks. The players seemed really focused on the task at hand. Seattle's been playing well of late, winning five of their last six games. We, as most of you have witnessed recently, have been playing well for most of the game, only to hit a tough 4 or 5 minute stretch where nothing goes right. Failure to overcome that last hurdle is what seems to be stopping this team from posting victories. Our guys Thursday morning looked ready to put an end to that habit.

    Unfortunately, we came up on the short end once again, tying a dubious team-record of 13 straight losses. This loss may have been the most bitter of them all.

    Sitting next to our bench, I couldn't help but notice that our guys were really focused from the moment they took the court until the final horn. In fact, most of the guys got to KeyArena early. When the Bulls are on the road, they run two busses from the hotel to the arena. The first bus usually carries no more than 6 guys, and the second bus, which leaves 30 minutes later, brings the rest. But tonight, the second bus was virtually empty. Everyone couldn't wait to hit the wood -- especially Jamal Crawford.

    Crawford
    Jamal Crawford especially enjoyed the trip to Seattle, his home town.
    Seattle is home to J.C. Since arriving Tuesday night, Jamal's been smiling from ear to ear. His buddies have come to the hotel to visit and he's had the chance to go home and enjoy some of mom's good cooking. He's also been in the spotlight with the Seattle media. Both area newspapers have run big feature stories on the rookie, and the local TV news has made sure that their presence has been known all throughout our stay in the Emerald City. But Thursday night, J.C. was all business, as he too got to the arena early to get himself focused.

    The crowd was all right, but not really very loud. They cheered when they were supposed to, but when the Bulls made a serious run midway through the 4th quarter, they sort of sat on their hands, as if they weren't paying attention. We only led three times during the entire game -- the last one being an 8-7 lead with 5:17 to go in the first quarter. So when we pulled within a point (92-91) with 47.9 seconds to go in the game, I expected a roar, but all I heard were cheers from the Bulls' bench and a few from the Chicago faithful in the stands.

    The game on the court was a physical battle -- especially in the paint. Sitting as close as I was, I could really see and get a feel for the physical demands that are placed on these hardwood heroes. For being a preacher's son, Seattle's Vin Baker isn't shy about committing a few sins down low. He planted a couple of hard elbows in the chest and on the chin of Brad Miller and Dalibor Bagaric on more than one occasion - Patrick Ewing, too. Patrick's been a warrior for a long, long time in this league, and this game was no different, as he notched 14 points, 10 rebounds and 3 fouls -- none of them of the touch variety -- in 35 minutes of action.

    Bulls
    After the shootaround, the team converged in the locker room to review some tape.
    One of the most frustrating aspects of this loss is that Seattle was playing short-handed. The "Kobe Killer" -- a.k.a. Ruben Patterson, was suspended for 3 games by the NBA earlier in the day. At the morning shootaround, Patterson's suspension had not yet been announced, so the Bulls used some of their court time preparing to defuse Patterson's play.

    The 6-foot 5 forward is an aggressive offensive player who loves to drive to the hoop. And on defense, he's proven to be a demon. He's been dubbed the "Kobe Killer" because for the past couple of seasons, when the Sonics and the L.A. Lakers hook up, Patterson has been very successful in shutting down superstar Kobe Bryant. Patterson not being in the lineup should have been a major plus for us. Also, Seattle's heart and soul -- Gary Payton -- was lost for most of the game after he reaggravated an abdominal strain early in the second quarter. But, good, veteran teams know when and how to step-up when faced with adversity. And make no mistake -- Seattle is a good, veteran team.

    Brent Barry and Emanual Davis killed us! Barry, a 5-year veteran and former Bull, was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range. He not only buried us with his shooting touch, but he tied a single-game career-high, doling out 11 assists.

    Mercer
    Ron Mercer's 30 points weren't quite enough to top the Sonics.
    The little-used Davis stepped in when Payton went down, and in 37 minutes of action, shot 7-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, dished out 5 assists and had 3 steals. In Seattle's last game on Tuesday, Davis played 3 minutes and didn't score.

    For us, it was the Brand and Mercer show.

    Although Brand was shutout for the first half, shooting 0-for-2 from both the field and the free throw line, he began to get rolling in the third quarter, scoring 10 points and blocking 2 shots. For the game, Brand just missed another double-double, finishing with 19 points and 9 rebounds, to go along with 4 blocked shots.

    Mercer, on the other hand, was consistent throughout the game, scoring 8 in the first half, 11 in the third quarter and 11 in the fourth, to post a game-high 30 points.

    Ron Artest also played solidly for the Bulls, shooting 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, for 13 points.

    Crawford
    Jamal Crawford played well in front of several friends and family members.
    Jamal Crawford's homecoming ended up being bittersweet, as he played well, clocking-in with 22 minutes and shooting 2-of-3 from long distance while passing out 4 assists. He also got a new pair of sneaks from pal Gary Payton before the game. Payton's new Nike model is about to hit the stores. As a welcome home present, the 7-time All-Star gave his young buddy the pair of shoes he wore Tuesday night when Seattle battled Utah. Crawford immediately donned them as a show of thanks to his good friend.

    Unfortunately, with Payton going down with an injury early in the game, Jamal had limited time to battle his mentor, man-to-man.

    Coach Floyd had praise for Seattle's effort, singling out Barry, Davis, Ewing and Baker's play. But he was visibly frustrated at Chicago's lack of luck down the stretch to snap the long losing streak. "Down the stretch we had our problems, but our guys played with great effort and intensity," Floyd told me after the game. "We had another big night from Ron [Mercer] offensively. But we've been down this road for the last 12 games, and we have been right there with opportunities to win each and every one of them. So, needless to say, this is frustrating. But I admire our guys for continuing to fight and for putting themselves in a position to win."

    Mercer
    Seattle's most famous landmark, The Space Needle.
    Coach Floyd and the Bulls players are not alone in their frustrations. To an extent, Bulls fans everywhere feel the same. I know I do. Winning is addictive. And the Bulls for a very long time did a lot of winning. It's easy to be a fan when times are good. But, it's when times are tough, the true fan rises to the top. The Bulls are fortunate that they have many true fans. And I think they know that. Why? Because these guys haven't quit. I can see it in their eyes -- especially so on this trip. I'm with them at the hotel, in the bus, in the locker room and out in the streets. And I can honestly say that they have not, nor do I think they will ever, quit. They have too much pride and too much appreciation for the support they receive.

    As losses mount, frustrations build, and character is exposed. This loss to Seattle is a bitter pill to swallow, but our guys refuse to hang their heads and feel sorry for themselves. They're mad, and somebody, very soon, is going to pay for it.

    Today, the team practices at the University of Washington before flying to Vancouver in the afternoon. Jamal Crawford is staying in Seattle a little longer as tonight he's being honored by his high school. Along with Sacramento Kings guard Doug Christie, Jamal will be the only other Rainier Beach alum to have his number retired. Check back with Bulls.com for some quotes from Jamal on the ceremony and more.

    Ligs told me today that it's my call when we'll bust out the black uniforms on this trip. Well, that day is Saturday -- the Bulls will be back in black, storming Canada with an attitude. I wouldn't be surprised if we win tomorrow and the team is certainly due!

    All photographs courtesy of Bill Smith, Chicago Bulls
    		•
    Love