Bulls-Thunder Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Mar 31 2012 7:14PM

While fans across the country are surely looking forward to seeing how the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder stack up to the NBA-leading Chicago Bulls, this weekend's matchup may not tell the whole story with the league's reigning MVP out of commission again.

The Bulls could have a hard time achieving their longest road winning streak in more than 16 years Sunday against the surging Thunder, as Derrick Rose is expected to miss his 10th straight game.

Chicago (42-11) improved to 17-3 over its last 20 games and 14-5 without Rose in the lineup by beating Detroit 83-71 at home Friday. Rose has missed nearly three weeks with a strained right groin and wants to make sure he's fully healed before returning - even with this much-anticipated showdown looming.

"All I can do is just stay positive (and) try to get my teammates up and just try to (get) well," said Rose, averaging a team-high 22.8 points. "It's hard, but at the same time, I'm happy that they're playing great and we're winning games. Of course I wanna be out there, I hate being injured, but right now we're in a good groove."

While Chicago has certainly held its own without Rose, he could be missed in this one. Rose has averaged 26.3 points in three career visits to Oklahoma City (39-12), leading the Bulls to two wins.

Chicago has won 12 of its last 13 road games overall, including seven in a row by an average of 13.4 points. The Bulls haven't won eight straight in opposing arenas since Michael Jordan led them on a nine-game run Jan. 4-Feb. 2, 1996. Another road victory could be hard to come by against the Thunder, who own the league's second-best home record at 22-4.

After going a lackluster 5-5 from March 3-20, Oklahoma City has outscored opponents by an average of 14.2 points during a five-game winning streak.

"We're on a nice streak right now, we're playing good basketball," coach Scott Brooks said. "But we can't rest and we can't feel good about ourselves because that's when you get hit pretty hard and then you get frustrated."

Two nights after beating Portland 109-95, the Thunder concluded a two-game road trip Thursday with a 102-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell Westbrook scored 36 points while Kevin Durant added 21 and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which limited the Lakers to 41.7 percent shooting from the field.

"We got two tough road wins - one in Portland and one here. Now we get to go back home for two big games (against Chicago and Memphis), so it's great," said Westbrook, averaging 31.5 points over his last four contests.

Though the Thunder won't have to worry about slowing down Rose, they know putting points on the board against Chicago won't be easy. The Bulls, whose average of 88.5 points allowed ranks second in the league, have surrendered just 82.6 per game over their last seven.

"They are one of the hardest playing teams in basketball on both ends of the floor, you will see that (Sunday)," Brooks said. "Defensively, they get after you, they touch you, they hold you, they make you work for every point ... that's why they win, that's why they're in every game."

Richard Hamilton is listed as a game-time decision for Chicago after missing the last 13 contests with a sprained right shoulder. Hamilton has averaged 11.3 points - his fewest since averaging 9.0 as a rookie for Washington in 1999-2000 - while appearing in just 16 games due to a slew of injuries.

Sunday marks the only regular-season meeting between the Bulls and Thunder, who have split the last six matchups in the series.

Thunder stomp Bulls, 1 game back for best record

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted Apr 01 2012 4:41PM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) In a little over a week, the Oklahoma City Thunder have broken out of a midseason slump and made their case to be best team in the NBA.

Russell Westbrook scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Thunder used an electrifying third quarter to beat Chicago 92-78 on Sunday and move within a game of the Bulls for the NBA's best record.

One week earlier, the Thunder handed Miami its most lopsided defeat yet this season. Then they were even more dominating against the league-leading Bulls.

"Their numbers say what they are. There's not much they don't have," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They play hard, they play unselfishly, they play smart, they're tough. Their defense is excellent."

The Thunder were scuffling in late March, having lost five out of 10 games while trying to put together a consistent stretch.

In a pair of Sunday games on their home court, they've outclassed the two other teams in the thick of the race for the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs.

"We just picked up the intensity, I think. Playing hard. I can't stop saying it," Durant said. "Every possession, we've just been trying to scramble as hard as we can on the defensive end and move the ball on the offensive end. We've got to keep it up."

Oklahoma City beat the Heat 103-87 last Sunday.

The Bulls, who had not lost by more than 17 this season, only avoided their biggest loss of the season because the Thunder pulled their starters in the fourth quarter and reserve John Lucas III hit two 3-pointers in the final minute.

"It was disappointing, not that any game is more important than others. But obviously this was a game between the best team in the East and the best team in the West," Chicago center Joakim Noah said.

Lucas had 19 points to lead the way for the Bulls (42-12), who played without All-Star point guard Derrick Rose for the 10th straight game. Chicago is now 14-6 this season without the reigning MVP and 7-3 during his current absence with a groin injury.

Kyle Korver replaced a slumping Ronnie Brewer in the starting lineup and scored 14.

"Derrick's a great player. Obviously, we prefer to have him," Thibodeau said. "But we have more than enough. I was more concerned tonight with the mental aspect. I thought we made a lot of mental mistakes."

The Thunder (40-12) pulled away by outscoring Chicago 31-12 in the third quarter, allowing the Bulls to make only five of their 21 shots and forcing five turnovers. Oklahoma City clinched a playoff berth in the process, with the help of tiebreakers over the teams fighting for the Western Conference's final spot in the postseason.

"We know it's going to be tough for those guys without Derrick but they've been playing very well without him, winning some big games," Durant said. "We couldn't take them lightly."

Durant and Westbrook were a combined 21-for-34 from the field and Oklahoma City shot 49 percent while limiting the Bulls to 33 percent.

Chicago came in with the NBA's best road record at 21-6 and on a seven-game road winning streak, two shy of the franchise record set during the 1995-96 season when the Bulls set an NBA record by going 72-10.

The Bulls never led, falling behind by 10 in the first period and then letting Oklahoma City score the final six points of the first half to rebuild its lead to 49-39.

"You can't do that on the road against a team like this," Thibodeau said. "That's all they need."

It quickly got worse.

Westbrook was at his best during a 13-0 run that put the Thunder firmly in control in the opening 5 minutes of the second half. He hit a jumper, a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer during the burst but his most dynamic play came when he zoomed in front of Luol Deng's crosscourt pass, snagged it and whipped it back inbounds to a teammate to get the crowd on its feet.

Durant followed Noah's three-point play with a 3-pointer and a two-handed slam off of Westbrook's alley-oop from half court, and Oklahoma City kept pouring it on.

Serge Ibaka had a right-handed dunk, Nick Collison had a two-handed slam while getting fouled and Westbrook threw down a right-handed jam over 7-footer Omer Asik, thumping his chest twice after he came down. Durant topped it off by hitting a 3-pointer to close the quarter and make it 80-51.

The Bulls trailed by 30 for the first time this season in the fourth quarter, before Chicago's bench cut into the deficit against Oklahoma City's reserves.

"We had a problem to start the game, a problem at the end of the first quarter, a problem at the end of the second quarter, problems to start the third quarter," Thibodeau said. "Against a quality team, you can't overcome that."

Notes: Chicago's Richard Hamilton (right shoulder) was a game-time decision. He has missed 14 straight games and played in only 16 of Chicago's 54 games with a variety of injuries. "I've just got to be convinced. It's more me," Thibodeau said. "He thinks he's ready but I just want to make sure we're smart." ... The Bulls have not had consecutive losses in 86 games, the second-longest streak in NBA history behind Utah's 95-game run from November 1997 to March 1999. ... Oklahoma City's Scott Brooks had high praise for his coaching counterpart. Thibodeau was an assistant coach in Minnesota and New York when Brooks played for those teams. "The guy has no life," Brooks said after a series of compliments. "Even when he was young as an assistant, he never wanted to go out to dinner with me. He had things to do. He's boring." Thibodeau wouldn't argue but retorted it was "from coaching him."

Notebook: Thunder 92, Bulls 78

By Randy Renner, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday April 1, 2012 4:29PM

THE FACTS: A dramatic game between the top teams in the Western and Eastern Conferences wasn't to be in Oklahoma City as the Thunder never trailed, led by as many as 30 points and won their sixth straight game in blowing out Chicago 92-78.

OKC's Russell Westbrook (27 points) and Kevin Durant (26) easily led all scorers and didn't play in the fourth quarter. Chicago had to play without point guard Derrick Rose for the 10th straight game. He's battling a groin injury and Rip Hamilton missed his 15th consecutive contest with a bruised shoulder. The Thunder defense was stifling, holding the Bulls to just 30.6 percent shooting almost halfway through the fourth quarter. Chicago's Kyle Korver (14 points) was the only Bulls starter in double figures. Reserve guard John Lucas III led the Bulls with 19 points, but 14 of them came in the fourth quarter after the game was decided.

QUOTABLE: "We played our best defense of the year. We challenged every pass, challenged every look and every shot. We came out with good energy and toughness and I thought it was important that we do that in this game."
--Thunder coach Scott Brooks

THE STAT: In the third quarter Oklahoma City held Chicago to just 23.8 percent shooting (5-for-21). The Thunder shot 54.5 percent (12-for-22). For the game the Thunder held the Bulls starters to just 39 points on 32.7 percent shooting.

TURNING POINT: The Thunder never trailed, but Oklahoma City really ran away from Chicago in the third quarter by holding the Bulls to just 10 points in the first nine and a half minutes of the quarter and only 12 for the entire frame. Meanwhile, OKC scored 31, turning a 10-point halftime advantage into a 29-point cushion going into the fourth quarter.

QUOTABLE II: "It wasn't just the third quarter, it was the second and the first too. We didn't come ready to play and that's on me. They were much more aggressive than we were and I didn't think our defense was very good either. When you play like you're basically beating yourself."
-- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau

HOT: The Thunder started 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) ... Durant and Westbrook were each 2-for-2 ... Durant finished the first half 6-for-9 (14 points), Westbrook was 7-for-12 (18 points) at the break ... For the game, Durant was 11-for-16 (2-for-2 on 3-pointers) and Westbrook was 10-for-18 ... In the fourth quarter, Lucas scored 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting.

NOT: The Bulls started 1-for-6 (16.7 percent) and finished the first quarter 9-for-23 (39.1 percent) ... Chicago shot just 35.6 percent (16-for-45) in the first half ... Joakim Noah was 0-for-5 and Lucas was 2-for-8 in the first 24 minutes ... Noah finished 1-for-8, Luol Deng was 4-for-13.

INSIDE THE ARENA: 11-year old Addison Baker from Norman, Okla., got the crowd fired up early with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem ... Legendary former University of Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys football coach Barry Switzer was in the crowd.

GOOD MOVE: Thibodeau opted to start Korver ahead of Ronnie Brewer and Korver responded by hitting three of his first five shots, two of them 3-pointers.

GOOD MOVE, TOO: Despite the Bulls' reputation as the best defensive team in the NBA, it was the Thunder who brought the "D" in the first half, limiting Chicago to 35.6 percent shooting. The Thunder bothered the Bulls with active hands throughout the first half forcing difficult shots, a trend that continued all game.

NOTABLE: With the win, the Thunder has the tie-breaker over the Bulls should the two teams finish with the same record in the regular season. That could come into play if both teams make it to The Finals ... Chicago's 78 points is the second fewest for the Bulls this season ... OKC has won six straight games, the third such streak of the season ... The Thunder has now held 14 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting this season ... Oklahoma City is now 16-3 in national TV games and 6-0 on Sundays.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Monday vs. Houston, Thursday vs. Boston, Sunday @ New York. For the Thunder, Monday vs. Memphis, Wednesday @ Miami, Friday @ Indiana.

• Bulls: --
• Thunder: Cook, Maynor

• Bulls: --
• Thunder: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
• Officials: #32 Eddie F. Rush, #11 Derrick Collins, #71 Rodney Mott
• Attendance: 18203
• Duration: 2:16