The Bulls dropped their post All-Star Game opener on the road in Toronto this evening, 118-113. The only bright spot in tonight's game was Derrick Rose, who finished with 32 points and 10 assists, and kept the Bulls in the game in the fourth quarter. It was also Joakim Noah's first game back from injury, which makes the outcome all the more disappointing.
The big problem in the game tonight was the Bulls' defense, or lack there of. Allowing 118 points to a 15 win team is pathetic. You could see it all night too. They gave up easy buckets, were falling for pump-fakes all game long, fouling in stupid situations, and leaving wide open looks to every Toronto shooter all over the floor. The Raptors ended up shooting around 58 percent for the game, which for the Bulls is awful. They pride themselves on playing some of the best defense in the league, and tonight, they just didn't bring it. If you would have told me the Bulls would put up 113 in the game tonight, I would have said they'd win by 20.
The other big let down is that this loss comes on the heels of a pretty tough stretch for the Bulls. They have a home game against the Miami Heat tomorrow night, and then go on the road for 5 straight, against the Bucks, Wizards, Hawks, Magic and Heat. A win tonight was almost a 'must' to start the second half, especially on the heels of the Knicks making a trade for Carmelo Anthony. All of a sudden the Eastern Conference is stacked, and the Bulls need to get wins and fight for playoff positioning.
If the Bulls stand any chance of winning against the Heat tomorrow night, they need to play lights out defensively. They should be ready to go, and a little upset about tonight's performance, which was just pathetic. Toronto doesn't even belong on the same floor with the Bulls, and to lose to them in the first game that they've been completely healthy since early December is extremely disappointing.
Oh well, you can't dwell on the bad losses. The Bulls should learn a lesson from this game, though. You have to be ready to play against every opponent, every single time out. Hopefully we will see an inspired defensive effort before the Bulls go on a tough road trip. They've been one of the best home teams in the league, and having Joakim Noah healthy should be a huge boost, and give the crowd alot of energy. I am excited to see how the Bulls play against the "Big Three".
