On what happened tonight:
“That's a good team. In the 2nd half, they just turned it up. Their intensity level went way up and we just couldn't match it. They just have our number now. They're comfortable and confident when playing us.”
On their good start to the game:
“In the 1st quarter, we just ran our offense really well. We moved the ball and made our shots. In the 2nd quarter, they adjusted and tightened up some. Then, in the 2nd half, they got out on us and played us much harder. We just didn't pick it up like them. Our mindset couldn't change to the capacity of theirs. Their's is a championship team mentality. We just couldn't match up.”
On Carlos Boozer's Run:
“is playing very well. We are feeding off of him. We have been able to establish in the post, that is very important for us. Carlos is making a lot of good plays and his teammates are searching him out.”
On the 3 point shooting:
“Those shots are in rhythm now. That is the big thing. It is all ball movement and hitting the paint and then swinging out with the extra pass. Slowly our percentage has been creeping up. We are taking the right ones. Marco game in and got going. That was big for us. Nate did a solid job. Luol is starting to find his way.”
On the rebounding edge:
“Rebounding is so important. You cannot emphasize it enough. We defended and we rebounded, but we did not take care of the ball the way we would like. I like our ball movement, I thought guys were trying to make the right play. As long as we keep the ball moving and keep the turnovers down, we will be in a position to win.”
On the bench play:
“Nate did a really good job. Marco was really terrific in the 2nd quarter, and then Rip got it going in the 3rd quarter. That really helped build the lead. A lot of guys stepped up and played well. Joakim with his energy and Kirk with his defense against Irving who is just a load to guard. He play with such poise, there is nothing he cannot do. He shots, he can drive it, he makes plays. And then Miles got going, so that added a lot of pressure. They play hard, they are down some players now.”
On adjustments on Kyrie Irving:
“We have to make him work. I don't know if you really stop him. He does not force things. He did miss some shots that he normally makes. Against a guy like that you need your whole team. We were fortunate. They big key was rebounding, and we did a better job of challenging shots in the 2nd half. We still have a couple of areas to clean up.”
On the bench:
“We just felt great. We understood we needed to come in and bring some energy. Our whole bench—Nazr Mohammed, Nate Robinson, Jimmy Butler-- Everyone came in and did their part. No matter how many minutes they played, everyone played with energy, and it showed tonight.”
Is the team rounding into form:
“We're just trying to find our niche. We're just trying to take care of the ball. Trying to get back to rebounding the ball well. Carlos has been playing phenomenal. We are getting a lot of minutes for a lot of guys, and whenever someone is called to step up, we have guys capable of doing it. We're just trying to find out ways to win games, and win game at home especially. We're just trying to get a rhyme going and keep pushing.”
Do you feel you can beat anyone in this league:
“We feel that. When we are right, we are a hard team to beat. We have some of the toughest guys in the league on our team. Especially going through injuries and playing night in and night out.”
CAVALIERS NOTES:
- The Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-92 on Monday night, and have now won 11-straight games against the Cavaliers (last loss on Mar, 19, 2010, 92-85, in Chicago). The Bulls’ last eight wins against Cleveland have all come by double-digits, including five of the last six by at least 20 points. Chicago has an average margin of victory of 26.5 points over this six-game stretch, and an average margin of victory of 18.0 points over all 11 games of their current streak over the Cavaliers.
- Chicago tied a season-high with 10 three-point-makes, while shooting a season-high .714 (10-of-14) from beyond the arc. Tonight’s three-point shooting performance marked the highest percentage for the Bulls since seven years ago to the date, when they shot .733 (11-of-15) in a 111-82 win vs. Memphis on Jan. 7, 2006.
- The Bulls scored a season-high 118 points in tonight’s win, surpassing their previous high of 115, which was also scored against Cleveland in a 115-86 victory on Nov. 2. The Bulls are now 7-0 on the season when scoring at least 100 points.
- Chicago shot .537 (44-of-82) from the field, and improve to 5-0 on the season when shooting .500 or better. In three wins over the Cavaliers, the Bulls have shot .547 (122-of-223) field goals.
- The Bulls scored 35 points in the third quarter of tonight’s win; this is the most points the Bulls have scored in any period this season (previous 34, 2nd quarter, vs. Dallas, Nov. 28).
- Chicago’s 34 assists tied a season-high previously set at Cleveland on Nov. 2.