By Mark Strotman:
The Bulls got a slight scare Tuesday night when the Wizards used a 12-0 run to briefly re-take the lead in the fourth quarter, but Derrick Rose once again took over late, leading Chicago to a 99-90 win on the road.
Here's five observations from the Bulls' third straight win, and seventh in their last eight games:
1. Yes, the Bulls are still capable of winning grind-it-out games
Last night the Bulls came out firing from start to finish, scoring 129 points in a track meet against the Toronto Raptors. On Tuesday night the pace was much slower, yet the Bulls still managed to be efficient. Despite only scoring 15 fast-break points and connecting on five 3-pointers, the Bulls were patient offensively and stood their ground defensively, holding the Wizards to 43 percent shooting and 90 points, almost 11 points under their season average of 100.8. The Bulls' offense has been as good as ever under Tom Thibodeau this year, but there's still a gear they can throttle down to and still be successful, and we saw it tonight. The Bulls entered the game just 4-4 when scoring less than 100 points.
2. Jimmy Butler is still human, we think
After a week's worth of dominant play Jimmy Butler was due to come back down to earth, at least for a night. The Bulls' swingman, on the heels of a 29-point effort on Monday, scored just 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting and added six rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes. He didn't look as comfortable with his shot and had just one bucket after halftime, but we can probably chalk this up as A) an off-night on the second of a back-to-back on the road and/or B) an off-night from a player who has been nothing short of superb all year. Either way, Butler should bounce back Thursday on Christmas against the Lakers.
3. Derrick Rose is just about all the way back
He may not want to admit it, and there's always room for improvement for a 26-year-old, but Derrick Rose looks to be just about all the way back. The former MVP scored 25 points in 29 minutes against a formidable opponent in John Wall (18 points, 9 assists) and he scored 10 points in the final stanza to push the Bulls to victory after they briefly lost the lead. He did have five turnovers, but only one came in the final period. But past the box score, Rose was once again attacking the basket, finding open shooters when he did and moving seamlessly without any real hesitation. It'll be a storyline all year, but there's a chance that this recent stretch of play for Rose following his illness becomes the turning point for his season.
4. Aaron Brooks just may win the Bulls a playoff game one day
The Bulls' reserve guard saw additional minutes in Kirk Hinrich's absence Tuesday night, and he once again provided a spark on that second unit, scoring 13 points and handing out six assists in 26 minutes. He only shot 5-for-13 and didn't hit a 3-pointer, but he didn't turn the ball over once and even managed a season-high four rebounds. He's jelled extremely well with the second unit, and while the Nate Robinson comparisons are easy for so many reasons Brooks does that feel to his game. If he can catch fire one night, or better yet pass the ball like he did Tuesday and not turn it over, he could be a key factor in a playoff series when the Bulls need an offensive spark. Come back to this one in May.
5. Taking care of the ball is a good recipe for success
The Bulls have been middle-of-the-pack in turnovers all year, entering tonight's game averaging 14.1 giveaways per contest. But against the Wizards, whose opponents had averaged the eighth most turnovers, the Bulls had just 10 giveaways that turned into just six Wizards points. Better yet, only three players accounted for those turnovers; not great that Rose had five on his own, but no turnovers for Pau Gasol in 34 minutes and none from the bench in 88 minutes is a great sign, especially in a slow-pace game such as this one.
BONUS: What an impressive stretch of play
Consider a sixth observation an early Christmas present. Despite having played the fewest number of home games (11) in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls sit fourth in the standings at 19-9 and just knocked off three championship contenders (Memphis, Toronto, Washington) in impressive fashion. The schedule is about to soften up, as the Bulls play just one current playoff team in their next six games. They've won seven of their last eight and, after this most recent stretch, are looking like the team to beat in the East. It's still early, but a healthy Bulls team is a dangerous Bulls team.
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