# Official Game Thread: Bulls vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. CST, WGN Superstation, NBA LP



## jnrjr79 (Apr 18, 2003)

<center>







*VS*







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Probable Bulls Starters 

Guard 21 Chris Duhon 6-1 | 185 
Guard 12 Kirk Hinrich 6-3 | 190 
Forward 9 Luol Deng 6-9 | 220 
Forward 5 Andres Nocioni 6-7 | 225 
Center 50 Mike Sweetney 6-8 | 270 



Probable Celtics Starters 

Guard 13 Delonte West 6-4 | 180 
Guard 12 Ricky Davis 6-7 | 195 
Forward 34 Paul Pierce 6-6 | 230 
Forward 30 Mark Blount 7-0 | 250 
Center 43 Kendrick Perkins 6-10 | 260 


Injury Report 

Bulls 
Chicago has no injuries to report.

Celtics 
Tony Allen (rehabbing from right knee surgery) and Marcus Banks (stress fracture of the left tibia) are questionable. 

Series Notes 
The Bulls trail in the all-time series 77-101 but are 47-41 in Chicago ... the Bulls captured a victory in the first meeting this season on Dec. 2, despite Paul Pierce erupting for 43 points ... the two clubs split the four meetings in the series last season. 


Chicago has won six of the last nine meetings with Boston, including a 106-102 victory at the TD Banknorth Garden on Dec. 2. Luol Deng scored a season-high 28 points for the Bulls, who held a 47-34 advantage on the boards and scored 35 fourth-quarter points for a comeback victory.




Ok, I know this game thread is janky, but BenDengGo is still MIA. 

GO BULLS!

Gotta rebound from yesterday's miserable effort.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

Marcus Banks will play. Hopefully someone other than Paul Pierce plays well tonight for the Celtics.

Celtics *Forum* Game *Thread*


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## ndistops (Oct 31, 2005)

Bulls 95
Celtics 87

The only rational basis for making this prediction is that the Bulls keep switching off W's and L's lately.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

jnrjr79 said:


> Ok, I know this game thread is janky, but BenDengGo is still MIA.
> 
> GO BULLS!
> 
> Gotta rebound from yesterday's miserable effort.



it's a fine thread, jnr. thank you. the bendenggo situation is puzzling.

i added a little "flair" to the top of it. knew you wouldn't mind. it's a team effort this mod thing!

go bulls.

miz wants blood tonight.


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

My prediction is the Bulls come out angry and get an early lead. At least they should....


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

I love it - a game I get to see! I'll be at my folks for the TNT game and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do to convince them to watch the Cavs/Bulls. My dad doesn't watch professional sports anymore - he prefers gentler fare like Little House on the Prairie. :biggrin:


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

Skiles put the team through a 90-minute practice today, I guess he really wasn't happy with last night's performance.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Skiles Pre-game 1.47mb 48kbps MP3 4:17min

Skiles about Pistons game : "It was embarrassing", "the guys were embarrassed by it."

key's to tonight's game : keep the two, Pierce and Davis, under or around their averages. (high 30's-low 40's)


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

thats rough. lets hope that 90 minute practice didnt wear them down for the game...


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

Great start. Very active on defense, lots of deflections.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Nocioni continuing to shoot the lights out. If he develops a postgame, he'd be phenomenal. 

The bulls coming out with a purpose. and Sweetney running the break! I think you can fit two sheets of paper under his feet!


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

Sweetney dunked!


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

A concerted effort to get it into Sweetney. He's doing it all. MikeDC is probably not watching.

I'm concerned about his FT's though. I thought he was supposed to be one of the best on the team.

Songaila's shot is just beautiful.


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

sweetney is also 1/5 from the line.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Veal with a three try and a miss. Has there ever been a more irrelevant player than Brian Scalabrine?

EDIT: another three miss


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

Great pass from Deng. Songaila dunks on Scalabrine. Something tells me that will not be making Sportscenter.


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## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

Songaila has really come along the past couple of weeks. He never seems to miss a jumpshot and has shown a pretty solid inside game too. He might be our BEST finisher around the basket.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

jbulls said:


> Great pass from Deng. Songaila dunks on Scalabrine. Something tells me that will not be making Sportscenter.


 yep, not sure how Veal is on an NBA team.

30-21 after the first quarter. Largest lead.hope this continues but I'm sure Pierce will turn it up.

Nocioni with a Songaila like move. and a miss.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

SPMJ said:


> Songaila has really come along the past couple of weeks. He never seems to miss a jumpshot and has shown a pretty solid inside game too. He might be our BEST finisher around the basket.


 He's very crafty and has a ton of post moves. 

Deng and Sweetney are good finishers for us as well.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

3 fouls on AlJeff.

OOOH that Tyson dunk would have looked awesome. He sky-ed on that one.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Duhon is active almost got the steal but a loose ball foul called on him.

Hinrich back in with Sweetney for Songaila and Chris.


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

Sweetney with two dunks in a game??????


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Mark Blount called for a travel. Tyson forcing him to change directions with his shot. 

Banks called for a reach-in. This is a slow flowing game. 

Gordon with a three try. in and out. 

Ricky Davis with the pull up jumper. MISS got his own board. drives pro step. dishes. Raef jumper. GOOD

Sweetney frees himself. slams it home.

34-25 9:00 min left.

Ricky Davis jumper MISS. they are getting orebs, just not finishing.

Sweetney with a fast pass to Tyson on the baseline but Tyson wasn't looking.


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

doesn't it seem like Wayne Larivee is trying every chance he gets to say Noch, or Sweets.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

can someone just confirm? Chandler is playing?


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

darlets said:


> can someone just confirm? Chandler is playing?


Yes, he's playing.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

darlets said:


> can someone just confirm? Chandler is playing?


 yeah, he's playing. and he's doing alright. His stats can look better but he's doing a good job on the defensive end.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

3425 8:25 left.

Davis around a screen, jumper. MISS.

Gordon jumper. short. a BRICK.

Carries on Ricky Davis.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

thanks.

Deng and gordon clocking up the assists????


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Blount, working harder than last year. That's for sure.

Gordon with a pass to Sweetney. stripped by Pierce

Blount works it in. up and under move. on Chandler. good and 1.

technical on Chandler.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

34-30.

Gordon to Deng off a screen. jumper GOOD 36-30.

Pierce jumper MISS. but they get the offensive board again. oob on Bulls. Celtics ball.


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## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

Ben's thinking too much out on the court. Not playing with much confidence on O! His D and passing looks better though.


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## chifaninca (May 28, 2002)

Bulls losing concentration and their lead now.

Songalia horrible pass, you are not athletic ..............

Couple of calls against the Bulls, and the lead is 1


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

I don't know what is up with Sweets' FT shooting.

He shot 72.4% and 74.9% in his first two seasons, and he's now down near 60% this season.

Let's hope he picks it up, he has such a soft shooting touch that hopefully, it's just mental.


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## Yoyo (Oct 16, 2005)

Off-topic question, but...

Why do I get the WGN channel when I live in California? I can watch this game without NBA LP! :angel:


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## Jesus Shuttlesworth (Aug 3, 2005)

Chandler with 3 fouls. He was playing good defense though. He had a great block after a bad pass, and he seems much more active out there. 
Hinrich isn't getting great numbers too but he's also playing good D. 
Duhon with 2 important treys before halftime 
Deng with 5 assists already. 
Songaila and Sweetney are the main offensive forces in charge tonight. At least in the first half.


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## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

Life's good when the 3s are falling(the opposite when they haven't). That's been the story of the season.

Up 18


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

Jesus Shuttlesworth said:


> Chandler with 3 fouls. He was playing good defense though. He had a great block after a bad pass, and he seems much more active out there.
> Hinrich isn't getting great numbers too but he's also playing good D.
> Duhon with 2 important treys before halftime
> Deng with 5 assists already.
> Songaila and Sweetney are the main offensive forces in charge tonight. At least in the first half.


Not Tyson's best game, though he did just hit a nice face up jumper.

Chandler really does seem to get too emotionally up and down about things. In the second quarter, he turned the ball over, made a block on the next possession - but spiked the ball out of bounds in frustration, he could've easily tipped it to Gordon. The following possession there's a questionable call and he spikes the ball off the backboard and gets a T. I'm fine with the occasional turnover or silly foul, that's going to happen - but compounding those mistakes with mental lapses is inexcusable.


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

BTW, why is Deng not on the court to start the second half?


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

SPMJ said:


> Life's good when the 3s are falling(the opposite when they haven't). That's been the story of the season.
> 
> Up 18


Yep.

we live by the jumpshot and die by the jumpshot


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

I think they are giving up. It shows in their play. Though we are canning our jumpshots. like that Darius jumper just now, we also were playing hard and the Celtics were our victim.


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

spongyfungy said:


> I think they are giving up. It shows in their play. Though we are canning our jumpshots. like that Darius jumper just now, we also were playing hard and the Celtics were our victim.


Eight minutes into the third and still no Deng. Did I miss something? Don't see him on the bench either.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Yoyo said:


> Off-topic question, but...
> 
> Why do I get the WGN channel when I live in California? I can watch this game without NBA LP! :angel:


 WGN is like TBS. it's on a lot of cable networks and if it's a superstation game, it's on nationally.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

It's dead in the United Center. As if we're down 23.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

jbulls said:


> Eight minutes into the third and still no Deng. Did I miss something? Don't see him on the bench either.


not sure. I wasn't really watching this quarter.

Duhon 3 again.....He should go for a record.

We are 7/8 in three's this quarter.


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

Deng got slightly hurt in the first half, I didn't hear exactly what it was but I'm pretty sure it was just precautionary to hold him out of the 2nd half.


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## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

9 3s in the qtr  :banana: 

Granted the Celtics REALLY suck by this is a nice response to last night's embarassment.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

a clinic. Ben Gordon three. GOOD!

Duhon three at the buzzer....LOL great ball movement..

3's

Duhon 6/7
Nocioni 3/4
Gordon 2/3
Hinrich 1/1


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

deng won't return. he's icing a bruise on the left knee.

the duhon win barometer pointing to *W*


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

OMFG.

9 of 10 3's in the 3rd quarter. 

Of course, it's easier when they are all wide-open and guys have time to set their feet and shoot the ball uncontested, and each and every one of them fit that description.

I guess there will be no bumping of any "The Sky Is Falling" threads tonight?


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I think Chris is two points short of his career high.

Those Celtics uniforms must be designed to give the other team nausea


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

The way we are drilling 3's tonight, you would think we were playing the Knicks..........


:biggrin:


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Ben Gordon. on the line 2...darn.


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Ricky Davis ugly shot and went in. If it bounced he probably would have dunked it.

Davis with the putback. Will Mr. manufacture-a-triple-double, try for one tonight? 13-8-6 tonight.

look for alot of Ricky playing point the rest of this quarter.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

gordon with 5 rebounds and 6 dimes.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

hmmmmmmm, when your point guard hits 6/7 behind the line, your going to be hard to beat onthat night


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## Yoyo (Oct 16, 2005)

spongyfungy said:


> WGN is like TBS. it's on a lot of cable networks and if it's a superstation game, it's on nationally.


Gotcha.

Blowout by the Bulls. Also, the Celtics' uniform looks ugly.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

would this leave us 12-11. Hmmmm can we get two games above .500


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

Nocioni with 4 blocks and 3 steals tonight, plus 4/5 from behind the arc.

The Bulls now with 14 3's, one off the team record for a game.


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## bullsville (Jan 23, 2005)

darlets said:


> would this leave us 12-11. Hmmmm can we get two games above .500


We better, we have Charlotte at home on Tuesday.


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## jnrjr79 (Apr 18, 2003)

Well, this is just ridiculous. Nice to see a blowout win. I feel like the Bulls too often play down to the level of their opponent. Not tonight. This helps get some of the bad taste out of my mouth from the Detroit loss.


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

Pike, Allen and Othella on the floor at the same time... never predicted that


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

jnrjr79 said:


> Well, this is just ridiculous. Nice to see a blowout win. I feel like the Bulls too often play down to the level of their opponent. Not tonight. This helps get some of the bad taste out of my mouth from the Detroit loss.


Indeed, as the team gets more mature we'll see more and more of this (Playing at our level regardless). Do them the world of good confidence wise too.


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## jsuh84 (Oct 16, 2004)

This game was such a victory that it got boring pretty much throughout the fourth quarter.

Duhon was killer with the 3's tonight, but what about Noc with the 4 blocks?!


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## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

Skiles postgame. 1.52mb 4:27min 48kbps mono MP3 

Skiles: "I think it was our best defensive game overall in a while" "In the two years I've been here, this has been a very impressive win after what happened last night, especially with our youth.


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

updated news on Luol and Dan Dickau:



> HURTING: Bulls forward Luol Deng didn't play in the second half because of a bruised left knee suffered in the first half.
> 
> ''My understanding is it's just precautionary,'' Skiles said.
> 
> ...


 From the Sun-Times game notes:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bullnt18.html


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## bullet (Jul 1, 2003)

Bulls FT% - 0.692 (18-26)

Bulls 3P% - 0.824(14/17)

:biggrin:


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## chifaninca (May 28, 2002)

This is what it can be like if everyone plays to their ability.


No, not a 30 point victory margin, but a good inside, outside team that plays with heart and hustle.

Great victory. Unbelievable shooting from the three point line!


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## kukoc4ever (Nov 20, 2002)

If we can keep shooting 80% from 3, look out NBA!!!

Anyone at the game last night?

Lots of empty seats and the crowd was pretty dead. Seems to be a lot of empty seats as of late.... even at the Heat game this week. I wonder what the deal is?


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## Zeb (Oct 16, 2005)

kukoc4ever said:


> If we can keep shooting 80% from 3, look out NBA!!!
> 
> Anyone at the game last night?
> 
> Lots of empty seats and the crowd was pretty dead. Seems to be a lot of empty seats as of late.... even at the Heat game this week. I wonder what the deal is?


You've depresssed the fan base.


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## Wynn (Jun 3, 2002)

chifaninca said:


> *This is what it can be like if everyone plays to their ability.*
> 
> No, not a 30 point victory margin, but a good inside, outside team that plays with heart and hustle.
> 
> Great victory. Unbelievable shooting from the three point line!


Not to take a positive comment and turn it negative, but what is even more amazing as that everyone was NOT playing to their ability! Kirk, Tyson, and Gordon all played below what their averages have been, and what we expect from them. Luol had to leave for the second half because of the knee bruise.

It's going to be fun to watch this team when ALL of the players are hitting on a good night!


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