Bucks no match for balanced Bulls attack
RECAP | BOXSCORE
11-21-2005
Michael Redd and the Bucks struggled against the Bulls defense
The Bucks erased an early 14-point Bulls lead only to see the Bulls extend the lead back to 21 before the Bulls closed out the Bucks, 105-81. Five players scored 14 or more points for the Bulls led by 18 each from Ben Gordon and Luol Deng.
The Bulls opened the game on a 15-2 run, leading by as many as 15 points, before the Bucks closed to within four at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bucks evened the score at 32-32, but then the Bulls went on a run, extending their lead to 16 at the break. Ben Gordon had 16 of his 18 points in the first half. Milwaukee was unable to cut into the lead and the Bulls led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter.
The Bucks pulled to within 10 points in the fourth quarter against the Bulls subs, but couldn't come any closer. The United Center crowd cheered loudly when a dunk by Joe Johnson in the final seconds gave the Bulls 101 points and earned free burgers for the fans.
"This was a good win for us," said Deng, who also finished four rebounds, four assists and five steals. "We have been up and down lately and had a lot of close games. It was nice to get an early lead so we could rest up in the fourth quarter."
Nearly all of the Bulls played well except for Kirk Hinrich, who has struggled with his shot all season. Hinrich was 2-for-9 finishing with just six points, but did manage to dish out nine assists.
"My shot just hasn't been there," Hinrich said. "The defense has been pressuring me a lot more this season. The coaching staff is working with me to improve my shot selection. In the meantime, I'm just trying to get my teammates involved."
With their small backcourt struggling with their shooting, speculation has the Bulls exploring their trade options. Bulls GM John Paxson tried to squash any rumors.
"We like where we're at right now," said Paxson. "We're not actively pursuing any deals but, obvisouly, if the right offer came along we'd have to take a look at it."
Hinrich and Gordon are both shooting well below 40 percent on the season. Joe Johnson has had a few solid games but has struggled to find his place in the Bulls system.
"Anytime you add a new piece, there's going to be some adjustment," said coach Scott Skiles. "We're ahead of where we were last season at this time, so we're not too concerned. For the most part, our guys have continued to show improvement as the season has progressed."
The Bulls will host the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs Wednesday before taking a short trip up to Milwaukee Thursday for a rematch with the Bucks.