Kings-Bulls Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Oct 30 2012 1:02AM

While many have been quick to dismiss the Chicago Bulls with Derrick Rose sidelined, coach Tom Thibodeau's team is eager to prove its doubters wrong.

After six consecutive losing campaigns, the Sacramento Kings are also looking to surprise.

Chicago tries to continue its recent domination of Sacramento as both teams kick off their seasons Wednesday night at the United Center.

After finishing an Eastern Conference-best 50-16 last season, the Bulls entered the playoffs with legitimate title hopes before Rose tore his left ACL during Game 1 of a first-round loss to Philadelphia. It's still unknown when the league's 2010-11 MVP will be able to return to the court.

"We all know us being without D. Rose we'll probably be the underdog in every game we play," Carlos Boozer told the team's official website. "That's all right. We're ready for that challenge. We'll be ready to play every game."

With Rose out, Chicago will look for even more from Luol Deng. The All-Star forward, who played through a torn ligament in his left wrist last year, ultimately opted against surgery and insists he's good to go.

"Trying to do too much would be the biggest mistake I could make," said Deng, whose average of 15.3 points ranked second on the team behind Rose's 21.8. "I know how good I could be when I'm myself. For all of us as a team, no one individual is going to do what Derrick did. As a group, we all have to commit. I'm really looking forward to it."

While the Bulls won 18 of the 27 games Rose missed during the 2011-12 regular season thanks to impressive efforts from their bench, similar displays could be hard to come by with Omer Asik, C.J. Watson, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver no longer around. Chicago, though, brought back veteran guard Kirk Hinrich for a second go-round and could receive a spark from Nate Robinson.

"I think even if you win a championship, you come back the next day and people will doubt you," Deng said. "It's just the way it always is. I think as a team - we hear things all summer - you know what's being said. The best thing that we do as a team is we really focus on what we have to do day-in and day-out. We don't try to get caught up in what's going on outside these four walls."

Chicago has taken seven of eight matchups from Sacramento, including four in a row by an average of 16.8 points.

The Kings, who went 22-44 last season, compiled a West-worst 6-27 road record - one of several areas they're hoping to improve upon in 2012-13. Sacramento will also need to clamp down on defense after finishing last in the league in both opponent field-goal percentage (47.6) and points allowed (104.4).

"We have to surprise people because we're no one in the NBA," coach Keith Smart said. "We have to pull out all the stops to try to grow as a team."

After averaging 18.1 points and a team-best 11.0 rebounds, DeMarcus Cousins seems primed for another big season. The Kings will also be looking for second-year point guard Isaiah Thomas to take his game to the next level after he averaged 15.1 points and 5.4 assists over 41 games when playing at least 24 minutes.

Selected fifth overall in this year's draft, Thomas Robinson could also contribute for the Kings, who went 5-2 during the preseason.

"I'm very pleased," Cousins told the team's official website. "(There's) definitely a big improvement with this team this year so far. We learned a lot. We improved a lot and accomplished a lot this preseason, so hopefully it can carry over to the regular season and we can turn things around here."

Noah leads Bulls past Kings, 93-87

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Posted Nov 01 2012 1:13AM

CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bulls insist they can be more than just a run-of-the-mill team without Derrick Rose. They're off to a winning start.

Joakim Noah scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 93-87 Wednesday in the season opener without their injured superstar.

Richard Hamilton added 19 points, while Carlos Boozer chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds.

"It's one game out of 82," Noah said. "Good start. But we have a lot of basketball to be played."

It was a winning night all around for Chicago, with Taj Gibson agreeing to a four-year, $38 million extension just before the deadline.

Gibson broke the news after emerging from a meeting with executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman following the game. The new deal kicks in after the season, and it locks in one of Chicago's key players for the long term.

It was a surprising turn, considering he had said before the game that he was turning down the Bulls' offer. That would have meant becoming a restricting free agent, with the Bulls holding the right to match any offer from another team.

Clearly, Gibson was thrilled to get it done.

His teammates were elated, too.

"I know how much he fights every night to represent the Bulls," Noah said. "It's the icing on the cake."

Luol Deng said, "He definitely deserves it, and I'm happy to see it."

The news about Gibson steered the spotlight from the game, itself, and what happened was promising even if it was a struggle for the Bulls. They have some work to do if they're going to get by while Rose recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, but they'll take this.

Chicago led by 14 after a 10-0 run in the third quarter and hung on in the fourth after the Kings closed within three several times.

A basket by Sacramento's Tyreke Evans (21 points) cut it to 86-83 with 41.2 seconds left, but Deng hit 1 of 2 free throws.

Evans couldn't get the ball in bounds, resulting in a five-second violation. That led to two free throws for Hamilton to make it 89-83 with 32.9 seconds left, and the Bulls hung on from there.

"That was my fault," Evans said. "I was looking for a guy to get open and I should have just called a timeout. Bad play on my end."

Along with the points and rebounds, Noah set a career high with five steals. He also hit 11 of 12 free throws and blocked three shots

Hamilton was relentless after being sidelined for much of last season by injuries, and Boozer was effective down the stretch scoring seven points in the fourth.

That included a neat three-point play off a miss by Noah in which he crashed to the court and then hit the free throw, making it 86-78 with 2:45 remaining.

The Kings, who are trying to make a jump after six straight losing seasons, got 15 points from Marcus Thornton and 14 from DeMarcus Cousins. But they also committed 21 turnovers - three more than Chicago.

"Unacceptable," Thornton said. "I know it was our first game, but we can't use that as an excuse. Twenty one turnovers against this team is too much. They're too good on defense and turning them into transition points. Can't give them those."

This time last year, the Bulls were eyeing a championship run. Now, with Rose sidelined, there's a different vibe around Chicago.

The mood changed when Rose crashed to the court late in the Bulls' playoff-opening win over Philadelphia, sending the Bulls spiraling toward a first-round exit and casting a huge cloud over a team that many saw as the biggest threat to Miami in the Eastern Conference.

To many, they're treading water until Rose returns. The Bulls, of course, don't see it that way.

They insist they're going to fight and claw the way they always have, and that's what they did in this game.

"We're not going to change our style of play," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "That has to be consistent. It has to start with our defense and rebounding, taking care of the ball, playing inside-out and sharing the ball."

Notes: The Bulls appointed Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen senior adviser to president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf. Pippen has been serving as a team ambassador. In a statement issued Wednesday, Reinsdorf said the new title will "better reflect his role with the Bulls."

Notebook: Bulls 93, Kings 87

Kent McDill, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:07 AM - Updated Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:07 AM

THE FACTS: With Kirk Hinrich starting in place of injured point guard Derrick Rose, the Bulls took control of the game at the start of the second half and held on for a 93-87 win over visiting Sacramento in the season-opener for both teams. Joakim Noah led the Bulls with 23 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists and three blocks. Tyreke Evans had 21 points for the Kings.

THE FACTS II: The Kings' last lead of the game was at 22-20 late in the first quarter.

QUOTABLE I: "It's Halloween and he had a monster night." - Bulls forward Carlos Boozer talking about teammate Joakim Noah.

THE STAT: The Bulls, one of the league's worst free throw teams last season, scored 25 points from the line, making 25 of 33. Sacramento went 13 for 16 from the line.

THE STAT II: The teams split 37 turnovers, 19 for the Kings and 18 for the Bulls.

THE STAT III: According to Basketball Reference, the last time an NBA player equaled all of Noah's numbers in the same game was Feb. 2, 2008 when Josh Smith of Atlanta had 28 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, three assists and three blocks.

TURNING POINT: Taking a four-point lead into the second half, the Bulls went on a 12-2 run to build a 14-point edge. The Kings spent the rest of the game trying to overcome that and got no closer than three points.

HOT: Evans was eight for 13 from the field and made all four free throws for Sacramento.

NOT: Hinrich was one for seven from the field for just three points in 29 minutes, but he did have a game-high seven assists; DeMarcus Cousins had seven turnovers and a technical foul to go with his 14 points and seven rebounds for Sacramento.

QUOTABLE II: "Most games are going to be like this. We have to find different ways to win." -- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

GOOD MOVE: Getting only 2:44 out of backup center Nazr Mohammed, Thibodeau played power forwards Boozer and Taj Gibson together most of the fourth quarter.

BAD MOVE: With 35.6 seconds remaining in the game and the Bulls up by four points, the Kings failed to get the ball inbounds following a timeout and turned the ball over.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Never throw away those old jerseys. With Hinrich back on the Bulls, a large number of Hinrich jerseys were seen in the United Center, and presumably many of them were purchased when Captain Kirk was on the team from 2003-2010.

ROOKIE WATCH: Thomas Robinson, selected fifth in the 2012 NBA draft out of Kansas, scored three points in seven minutes, with one rebound and two turnovers. Bulls first round draft pick Marquis Teague out of Kentucky did not play.

NOTABLE: Late reports said Bulls forward Taj Gibson agreed to a four-year, $38 million contract extension just minutes before the deadline that would have made him a restricted free agent at the end of the season... The Bulls have not had a losing record under coach Tom Thibodeau since the fifth game of the 2010-11 season, when they were 2-3... Sacramento guard Aaron Brooks lost a tooth in a battle for the ball with Hinrich with just over two minutes left in the game.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, at Cavaliers Friday, vs. Hornets Saturday, vs., Magic Tuesday. For the Kings, at Timberwolves Friday, at Pacers Saturday, vs. Warriors Monday.

• Kings: Salmons
• Bulls: Rose

• Kings: Cousins
• Bulls: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #36 David Jones, #12 Violet Palmer, #45 Brian Forte
• Attendance: 21313
• Duration: 2:28