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Game Preview: Bulls at Celtics
 |
vs. |  |
|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | Record | 2-0 |
| 92.0 | PPG | 93.5 |
| 85.0 | PPGA | 74.0 |
| 41.7 | FG% | 43.9 |
| 42.3 | Opp. FG% | 36.1 |
| 52.0 | Rebounds | 41.0 |
| 20.0 | Assists | 24.0 |
| 9.0 | Turnovers | 15.0 |
| 5.0 | Steals | 9.5 |
| 9.0 | Blocks | 8.0 |
| Point Guard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Derrick Rose |
Rajon Rondo | ||
| Shooting Guard | |||
John Salmons |
Ray Allen | ||
| Small Forward | |||
Luol Deng |
Paul Pierce | ||
| Power Forward | |||
Tyrus Thomas |
Kevin Garnett | ||
| Center | |||
Joakim Noah |
Kendrick Perkins | ||
| Sixth Man | |||
Kirk Hinrich |
Rasheed Wallace | ||
Friday, October 30, 2009
TD Garden, 8:0 p.m.
TV: CSN New England/ESPN
RADIO: WEEI 850 AM
It didn't take long for the Chicago Bulls to show signs that last season's postseason success against the Celtics wasn't a fluke. They took down the San Antonio Spurs, a team regarded as one of the elite in the NBA, in their first game of the season Thursday night. They'll have another opportunity for a statement win against a championship-caliber team at 8 p.m. tonight when they come to the Garden to renew the growing rivalry with the C's.
Last season's epic seven-game first round series between these two teams is being regarded as one of the best of all time. It had a little bit of everything: the young vs. the old; a David vs. Goliath feel; hard fouls; seven overtimes; dueling scorers (Ray Allen and Ben Gordon); rising stars performing in the limelight (Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose); and even old teammates, Doc Rivers and Vinny Del Negro, coaching on the sideline. It had all the right ingredients, and it undoubtedly delivered.
In spite of the Celtics missing Kevin Garnett in that series, no one expected Boston to be pushed to the brink of elimination. But, it happened, and now Chicago is no longer flying under the radar. They're not the Baby Bulls anymore -- they're now expected to deliver.
So on night two of their season, all they have to do is come the TD Garden to take on a Celtics team that limited Charlotte to only 59 points Wednesday night. Not the easiest task in the world. The Spurs win was solid, but the Celtics seem to be on a whole other level.
Boston stands at 2-0 and already looks to be in post-All-Star break form. It's not often that a team can add two major rotational players over the summer yet begin the season without missing a beat. If team chemistry could be tangibly tested, the C's would be acing.
The Celtics' depth has been a strong point thus far with seven players averaging at least 8 PPG. Defensive continuity doesn't seem to stagger regardless of the combination of players is out on the court.
While Boston's players are much more household names, the Bulls showed strong depth last night as well. They finished the night with six players scoring in double-figures, led by Luol Deng's 17 points. Brad Miller was just one point away from making it seven players in double-figures, finishing with nine points.
The TD Garden should be full of energy tonight with anticipation that this game will live up to the memorable games from April. It may not be the playoffs, but this game will definitely have a lot of emotion. As Doc Rivers put it: "Whenever you play a team in the playoffs, that first game that you play them the following year is usually extremely intense."
Rondo vs. Rose
This battle sent fans into a frenzy during last season's playoff series. These two guys went at it at both ends of the court and provided a glimpse of the NBA's future at the point guard position.
While Rose has a bit more size and bulk, they play extremely similar games. Both love to slash and get to the basket and put pressure on the defense. If the defense rotates and helps, they'll find an open man for a shot more often than not. If the defense doesn't help, they'll typically get up a high percentage shot around the rim. Neither player has a strong outside game, but both are working hard to develop in that area.
Rondo and Rose love to take it to another level against top tier opponents and are both triple-double threats. Keep your eyes peeled on the stat sheet, as these guys might be filling the box score up tonight.
The Deng Effect
Deng is the best all around player for the Bulls and, like Garnett, was unavailable during last season's playoff series. With Gordon now in Detroit, the bulk of Chicago's offense will flow through Deng.
Now that he's back in the lineup and playing at full strength, the Bulls send a more traditional team onto the court, with he and John Salmons assisting Rose on the perimeter. When Gordon was in town, the Bulls often played small ball with Rose, Gordon and Deng all on the court at the same time.
For Boston, this is probably a good thing. If there's any weakness in the Celtics that teams may be able to exploit this season, it may be their ability to defend small lineups. That won't be the case tonight, but Deng certainly gives the Bulls some more credibility on the floor. Last night he led the team in scoring and shut down Richard Jefferson. Tonight he'll face Paul Pierce and we'll get a real taste of what kind of factor he'll play in this new-found rivalry.
Rebounding
Fans are often alarmed when the Celtics are bring outrebounded in a game, but for the most part, it isn't indicative of how the game is going for them. For example, they were outrebounded Wednesday night, 46-44, but they crushed the Bobcats by 33 points.
For the Bulls, it's very indicative of their performance. They need to rebound to win games and they possess the ability to do so. They pulled in 52 boards last night with six of their nine players grabbing at least six. That type of rebounding balance is very impressive and tough to compete with for any team. Del Negro is obviously emphasizing their need to attack the glass, especially at the offensive end of the court. Of their 52 rebounds against the Spurs, 15 of them came at the offensive end, which played a large role in helping them score 92 points while shooting only 41.7 percent from the floor.
The Celtics' coaching staff will be on their players all night long to protect the glass and keep Chicago's athletic big men from giving the Bulls opportunities for second-chance points. Boston's front line will have their hands full with Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, but if anyone loves a good challenge, it's Garnett and Perkins.
