Thunder-Bulls Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Nov 07 2012 11:31AM

The Chicago Bulls are off to a solid start despite the absence of injured star Derrick Rose.

Even with a healthy roster, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been inconsistent out of the gate.

The two perennial NBA powers each look to build on victories Thursday night when they meet at the United Center.

A torn ACL has Rose out until at least after the All-Star break, but his Chicago teammates are poised to succeed without him. The Bulls (3-1) rebounded from Saturday's 89-82 home loss to New Orleans with a 99-93 victory over previously undefeated Orlando on Tuesday. Luol Deng scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half while Joakim Noah added 20, nine rebounds and five blocks as Chicago used a 15-2 second-half surge to erase a five-point deficit.

"(Winning is) all that counts, but we need to play better," said Noah, who is averaging team highs of 16.0 points and 8.8 boards. "This isn't going to cut it against a better team. We've just got to keep fighting."

While the Bulls struggle to score at times, they remain one of the NBA's top defensive teams allowing 88.8 points per contest. They'll certainly need to be at their defensive best again Thursday even though Oklahoma City (2-2) has been inconsistent at the offensive end.

The Thunder averaged 103.1 points and shot 47.1 percent last season en route to winning the Western Conference, but are putting up 98.3 and making 45.6 percent of their shots through four games.

Oklahoma City should have some momentum after it bolted to a 30-17 first-quarter lead then rolled to a 108-88 win over Toronto on Tuesday. Russell Westbrook shook off a sore shoulder to score 19 points and dish out eight assists while Serge Ibaka added 17 points and Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each had 15.

It was a much better effort than Sunday when Oklahoma City allowed 31 points off 21 turnovers in a 104-95 home loss to Atlanta. The Thunder turned the ball over 19 times Tuesday but dominated defensively, holding the visiting Raptors to 35.7 percent shooting.

"I thought the start was a big part of our win," coach Scott Brooks said. "We've talked about this the last few days. We're just starting to get in a defensive mindset."

Brooks also was able to rest some of his stars in advance of Thursday's matchup.

"You need nights like that in the NBA," Martin said. "You're not going to be able to beat teams with three guys."

Martin has averaged 19.3 points off the bench after being acquired right before the start of the season in a trade that sent 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to Houston.

Westbrook and Durant, both averaging 20.8 points, remain the backbone of a Thunder team that hits the road for the second time. They lost 86-84 at San Antonio to open the season.

Westbrook scored 27 points and Durant added 26 with 10 rebounds in the Thunder's 92-78 home win over a Chicago team without Rose on April 1. The frontcourt of Noah, Deng and Carlos Boozer were held to 21 points as the Bulls shot a season-low 33.0 percent.

Durant helps Thunder edge Bulls 97-91

By BRADFORD DOOLITTLE
Posted Nov 09 2012 1:50AM

CHICAGO (AP) Oklahoma City went to Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter. Chicago was missing its best closer, so all the Bulls had to pitch in.

Durant and Co. were just too much to overcome.

The NBA scoring champion had 10 of his 24 points in the final period and the Thunder beat the Bulls 97-91 on Thursday night.

"It was one of those games you have to grind out," Durant said. "We've been through so many. We know what it takes."

Durant iced the game with an off-balance jumper off one foot with 35.1 seconds to play. He added another jumper a few seconds later and then finished off his game-ending spree with a couple of free throws.

Oklahoma City outscored Chicago 31-19 in the fourth quarter, overcoming a six-point deficit.

"That's winning time, fourth quarter," Durant said. "In the fourth quarter we really turned it up a lot. But if you want to be a really good team you've got to do that from the beginning of the game."

Serge Ibaka scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, and had a team-high nine rebounds for the Thunder, who beat the Bulls for the third time in their last four games at Chicago. Russell Westbrook finished with 16 points and 12 assists.

"I told (Durant) be aggressive, just be aggressive, especially in the fourth quarter," Westbrook said. "It was his time. Everybody knows that's his time. He took his time and got the shots he needed."

Luol Deng led the Bulls with 27 points, and Richard Hamilton added 20 points and eight rebounds. Joakim Noah had nine points, 13 rebounds and a team-high six assists.

"Overall, I thought we played hard but we turned the ball over a lot," Noah said. "(Durant) hit some really tough shots."

Hamilton made a tying jumper with 2:52 to play, but then Durant took over, making a floater from the top of the key over Deng to keep the Bulls at bay.

"I was on him," Deng said. "He's 6-9 (6-foot-9). A great player. Really tough shot."

While Durant came up with some clutch baskets at one end, the Bulls had no one to answer with star point guard Derrick Rose sidelined with a knee injury that will keep him out of action into the new year.

"Derrick Rose is an unbelievable player, don't get me wrong. He is Chicago," Durant said. "But those guys are great complements to him. Once one of your best players is out, guys got to step up and that's what they've been doing ever since he's been out."

The teams combined for 43 turnovers. The 21 miscues by the Bulls were a hot topic after the game.

"We have to sustain our defense and take care of the ball," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We did not sustain our effort and we need to have low turnovers."

Durant was passive for much of the game and didn't attempt a free throw until the closing seconds. He has had just one game without a free-throw attempt since the start of the 2010-11 season.

"I like Kevin to be a playmaker," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "That is what separates great players from good ones. The 19 shots like tonight are where I like him to be."

The Thunder put together a 7-0 to grab the lead with 8:34 to play. Nick Collison capped the surge with a layup off a pass from Eric Maynor.

Deng snapped the run with his third 3-pointer of the game. Deng entered the contest 1 for 11 from behind the arc. Chicago ranked last in the league in 3-point makes, attempts and percentage, but hit a season-high five 3s in the game.

"Lu provides whatever you need," Thibodeau said. "If you need him to score more, he can do that."

The Thunder responded a six-point run, taking a five-point lead after Ibaka blocked a Deng shot from behind, igniting a fast break and Thabo Sefolosha's layup.

"They are hard to guard," Thibodeau said. "They made some tough plays and closed it out."

Kirk Hinrich scored seven points to lead a third-quarter charge for the Bulls, hitting his second 3-pointer of the game and reaching double figures in scoring for the first time this season. Chicago led 72-66 entering the final period.

The Bulls jumped to an early eight-point lead, but the Thunder closed the opening period with a 9-2 run to tie the game. Durant scored the last six points of the quarter on two dunks and a jump shot.

Ibaka scored 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting in the opening quarter and increased that to 15 by the half, when the Thunder led 48-47.

Jimmy Butler helped Chicago stay close the second quarter, putting up six points, three rebounds and three assists in the period, while playing solid defense on fellow reserve Kevin Martin, who scored 15 points for the Thunder.

Hinrich finished with 12 points.

NOTES: It was a season-high point total for Durant, who entered averaging 20.8 points after scoring a league-best 28.0 points per game last season. Durant had scored at least 25 points in his last seven games against Chicago, but his high in Oklahoma City's first four games was just 23. . The Bulls entered second in the league in defensive points allowed per possession. Chicago hadn't allowed a team to score more than 93 points in any of its first four games. . The teams combined to hit 36 of 39 free throws. It was just the fifth time both the Bulls and their opponent shot at least 88.9 percent from the line since the 1996-97 season.

Notebook: Thunder 97, Bulls 91

Kent McDill, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:38 PM - Updated Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:22 AM

THE FACTS: Playing before a national television audience, the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls traded scores and stops until the Thunder pulled away for a 97-91 victory Thursday. Kevin Durant had 24 points (eight in the final three minutes), while Serge Ibaka had 21 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Luol Deng led the Bulls with his season-high 27 points, and Richard Hamilton had his season-high 20 points.

THE FACTS II: Each team dominated the game at numerous times and the lead switched hands nine times. The Bulls led by eight points in the first quarter, which ended in a 24-24 tie. The Thunder led by seven points in the second quarter but were up by just one point at half. Both teams enjoyed six-point leads in the fourth quarter.

QUOTABLE I: "That's what makes a special player. They can have an average game, then in the last four or five minutes they can win the game for you." -- Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks, talking about Durant.

THE STAT: The teams shared 42 turnovers, 22 for the Thunder, and Durant had six. But Durant also contributed three blocked shots and a game-high three steals.

THE STAT II: The teams were near perfect from the free-throw line. Oklahoma City was 20-for-21 and the Bulls were 16-for-18.

THE STAT III: The Thunder got 29 points from their bench, led by Kevin Martin's 15 points, while the Bulls got just 14 points from their reserves, and only four in the second half.

TURNING POINT: With the Thunder up 89-87 and 1:47 left, Deng lost the ball trying to drive down the right side of the lane, and Durant made a jumper at the other end for a four-point Thunder lead. The Bulls could not get back from that.

HOT: Durant was the best shooter on the night, making 11 of his 19 shots.

NOT: Bulls forward Carlos Boozer has had three consecutive bad shooting games. He went three for nine against the Thunder, and is 10-for-35 (28.6 percent) over the last three games.

QUOTABLE II: "We made runs, they made runs. It was a pretty emotional game, but they hit some tough shots down the stretch." -- Bulls center Joakim Noah.

NOTABLE: The Bulls, one of the best home teams of the past two seasons, have already lost twice at home this season ... The Thunder were the first team to top 93 points against the Bulls this season ... Deng has led the Bulls in scoring three straight games.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, vs. Timberwolves Saturday, vs. Celtics Monday, at Suns Wednesday. For the Thunder, vs. Pistons Friday, vs. Cavaliers Sunday, at Pistons Monday.

• Thunder: Orton
• Bulls: Rose

• Thunder: --
• Bulls: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #33 Sean Corbin, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 21737
• Duration: 2:25