The Bulls took Sunday off as most of the front office, coaching staff and players enjoyed an opportunity to watch the Super Bowl in the comforts of their homes. Normally the schedule maker has us on the road during Super Bowl weekend, as we catch the game either in a hotel ballroom or at a sports bar. It was nice being back in Chicago after finishing off a three-game road trip Saturday in Charlotte.
Things I took away from the road trip:
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The offense is coming around and I love Lauri Markkanen advancing the ball in transition creating matchup issues for the opposition. He will be in Charlotte All-Star Weekend participating in the Rising Stars Challenge game...next year I hope he’s playing in the Sunday night affair at the United Center.
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Zach LaVine can get to the basket any time he chooses when he’s in attack mode. Zach is a tremendously gifted player.
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Trust me on this one, Bobby Portis’ 33 points game against Charlotte will illuminate on the Pelicans scouting report in preparation for Wednesday’s home game against the Bulls at the United Center. I love BP’s passion and pure enjoyment of the game.
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I’m all about "opportunity" and Wayne Selden Jr. is making the most of his floor time with the Bulls shooting 60% from the field over the past five games.
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My best friend on the road is NBA League Pass. I watched a ton of games last week and I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am with the skill set NBA players display on a nightly basis. What James Harden is doing is ridiculous.
CCI 24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES
Toronto 121, Los Angeles Clippers 103: The Raps have won 10 of their last 11 at home. Toronto outrebounded the Clippers 56-36.
Memphis 96, New York Knicks 84: Someone had to win...right? Mike Conley and Marc Gasol combined for 49 points. The Knicks losing streak stands at 13. They’ve lost 14 in a row at MSG. The Knicks own the worst record in the NBA at 10-42.
Boston 134, Oklahoma City 129: The Celtics snapped OKC’s seven-game win streak as Kyrie Irving had 30 points and 11 assists. Boston has won four straight and nine of its last ten games.
Rodney Hood is on his way from Cleveland to Portland in exchange for Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin and two second round picks. Hood wasn’t the same player in Cleveland as he was in Utah; a change of scenery with a playoff-bound team will help. Solid pick up for the Blazers.
Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out at cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter: @ctsbulls. Always a pleasure!