# Game 58: Chicago Bulls @ San Antonio Spurs



## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

* March 4th, 2005 - 7:30 PM (Central Time)*


*Chicago Bulls (29-25)* @ *San Antonio Spurs (44-13) * 




Previous Meetings:

Spurs 91, Bulls 75 





*Projected Starting Lineups: *













































































*Reserves:*
































































The surprising Chicago Bulls come into town looking to make up for a stomping they took against Houston in thier most recent game. Luol Deng will be out for the game, and Manu's Olympic teammate Andres Nocioni is expected to take his place in the lineup. The key to the Bulls success has been great defense (.422 OPP FG%, Spurs have .420 OPP FG%), good rebounding, and overall depth. I looked at the box score from their last game and noticed that the only player not to log at least 15 minutes was the injured Luol Deng. The Spurs need to be efficient on offense, because the Bulls can suceed in a slow-paced half court game. On the boards, the Spurs need to control the glass especially on the defensive end, because we can't give them multiple looks on offense. They go to Curry downlow a lot, so Rasho needs to defend him well without getting in foul trouble. 


The Spurs need to get some consistency through 4 quarters, because the Bulls will beat us if we choke like we did in the 4th against Toronto. We need consistent play all the way through the game. Without Deng, one of their best offensive players, I think we'll win comfortably, by about 7-8 points. I'm not expecting the Spurs to completely blow the Bulls out of the water, but I wouldn't be too surprised if that happens.


Prediction: Spurs 97, Bulls 89


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Mohammed is listed as questionable for the game, because of a strained groin. We sure could use him in this game since Chicago has several big, aggressive bodies, but apparently he's not going to be able to go.


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## Luiz_Rodrigo (Dec 2, 2003)

The Bulls have a good team, but we can´t lose to them in our home. Deng is a good player and Chicago will suffer his absence. Hinrich, Gordon, Chandler and Curry are good bball players, but we have the best team and are playing in the Texas.

I´m predcting a 12 point win. Something like:

Spurs 95
Bulls 83


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## Nephets (Jul 15, 2004)

I think we'll win, but I don't want bad Karma coming our way.

Curry has a weird shaped head. :clown:


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

I think the Bulls are a great story and a good team this year, but at our house, I simply don't think they can match-up. They have no one to guard Parker or Duncan, our two best players. I think that the Bulls will be able to hang around for a bit, but we should pull away in the 2nd or 3rd quarter. Expect their big men to be in foul trouble all night, and for us to go inside more than usual. 

Prediction:
Spurs- 98
Bulls- 85


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## LineOFire (Apr 20, 2004)

The Bulls got absolutely destroyed by another Texan team the other day so they will be looking for some revenge today. As long as we don't play like we have been recently then this should be a win. I won't get to see it because I am going out tonight but I will certainly check on the score once in a while. 

Spurs 103
Bulls 89


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Nephets said:


> I think we'll win, but I don't want bad Karma coming our way.
> 
> Curry has a weird shaped head. :clown:


Almost all of them have wierd shaped heads.

Spurs 93
Bulls 84


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

The Bulls have made us look like the Bobcats on the offensive end. 



Parker is a one-man offense out there. Manu's left his game in the toilet with that 1st quarter, and so did Duncan. 



It's going to be a long night if we can't stop the Bulls from scoring in the paint.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Bulls by 200.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Sir Patchwork said:


> Bulls by 200.


 With Parker on the bench, it's realistic.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> With Parker on the bench, it's realistic.


Let's just admit it, the Bulls are the better team. :banana:


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Duncan and Parker came out kicking *** in that 2nd quarter, and now we have lead at the half.


We are absolutely killing them on the boards with 13 offensive rebounds compared to their 2. 


Rasho has 7 boards at the half, and Duncan has 9.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Way too close. But a wins a win rite? Doesn't feel like one


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

We won and thats what counts but again we gave up a big lead! What is up with us? TP and TD were simply amazing in the second half yet the Bulls still clawed their way back into the game. I was especially impressed with Rasho's defense and rebounding tonight, and he showed that he is everything I say he is. It was a good win for us, but I'd like us not to blow a lead for once. BG killed us in the second half(specifically in the 4th quarter), and Harrington kept them in the game b/c we wouldn't play defense on the guy. Overall a good showing offensively, but not one of our best on the defensive side.

Tim Duncan- 31 points, 13 rebounds
Tony Parker- 25 points, 8 assists(but 5 TO's)
Rasho Nesterovic- 2 points, 10 rebounds(7 offensive)


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Tell me fellow Spurs fans, do you guys feel the same way I do? I mean, we've won these past three games, but I can't help but to feel upset with our overall play. We're great for one quarter, absolutely terrible the next. Great for one quarter, absolutely terrible the next. I was so upset with how we finished the game it felt like we didn't even win. Chicago is not a bad team at all, but they have no business making us struggle to death to beat them on our home floor. After having 13 offensive rebounds in the first half, we finished with 14. Second chances gave us a huge advantage in the first, and when Chicago took them away we struggled to match their points. 54% from the field for Chicago? That's terrible. Horrible defense tonight. Othella ****ing Harrington had 20 points in 21 minutes......Othella, ****ing, Harrington. 


I'm sorry if I'm too negative for your liking, but it just pisses me off when we play like **** for extended periods. In all of the past three games, we had complete control of the game at one point in time, only to struggle to finish it off at the end. It's just damn frustrating. A lot of improvement has to be made before I can feel comfortable with our championship chances.


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> Tell me fellow Spurs fans, do you guys feel the same way I do? I mean, we've won these past three games, but I can't help but to feel upset with our overall play. We're great for one quarter, absolutely terrible the next. Great for one quarter, absolutely terrible the next. I was so upset with how we finished the game it felt like we didn't even win. Chicago is not a bad team at all, but they have no business making us struggle to death to beat them on our home floor. After having 13 offensive rebounds in the first half, we finished with 14. Second chances gave us a huge advantage in the first, and when Chicago took them away we struggled to match their points. 54% from the field for Chicago? That's terrible. Horrible defense tonight. Othella ****ing Harrington had 20 points in 21 minutes......Othella, ****ing, Harrington.
> 
> 
> I'm sorry if I'm too negative for your liking, but it just pisses me off when we play like **** for extended periods. In all of the past three games, we had complete control of the game at one point in time, only to struggle to finish it off at the end. It's just damn frustrating. A lot of improvement has to be made before I can feel comfortable with our championship chances.


Koko, I wholeheartedly agree with you. We have been very inconsistent in the past four or five games since the AS break and cannot seem to hold a lead. Ever since the all-star break our defense has been piss-poor, especially for Spurs standard. I too am upset that we let Harrington score 20 point all practically on the same two moves. We played brilliantly at times(especially Parker and Duncan), but those guys need help to win the games. Our bench production on offense was good tonight, but our overall team defense was just horrible. I'm glad we got the win, but if we keep playing like this, say goodbye to homecourt advantage.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

It's not just you and me either that are noticing this stuff. Carliesmo said the same exact stuff during an interview before the game. He said something like "Playing like this we're not going anywhere in the playoffs." How true. 


San Antonio Leaders:


Points:


Tim Duncan - 31
Tony Parker - 25
Manu Ginobili - 19


Rebounds:


Tim Duncan - 13
Rasho Nesterovic - 10
Robert Horry - 5


Assists:


Tony Parker - 8
Duncan, Manu, Beno - 2 





After a terrible first quarter, Duncan had a good game. I still wasn't pleased with his defense, but oh well. Parker was absolutely amazing for awhile, but he made some bad plays down the stretch. Still, he had a very good game overall. Ginobili had 19 points, which is a very nice number, but he was 5/14 from the field with 2 assists, 1 rebound and 3 TO's. Not good. Rasho was good defensively, but with 7 offensive rebounds, you'd expect more than 2 points, and even that basket came from the perimeter. Bowen was terrible. Not any other way to put it. Gordon was killing him, which wasn't the worst part of his night, rather his 2 points on 1/8 from the field in 34 minutes. Horry was decent, Beno had two three-pointers, and everyone else wasn't that great.


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## XxMia_9xX (Oct 5, 2002)

dang we had troubles against the bulls? i mean the bulls aren't that bad, but considering they're in San Antonio, i would think that the spurs would have won big. i haven't seen the spurs play since the houston game, so next nationally televise game, the spurs better kick butt!


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## Riverwalker (Feb 9, 2005)

I know the Spurs won this game but as with some of the others lately (e.g. Toronto), it seems like they are ready to put a team away, you know, drive the stake through their heart but then they forget to use the hammer. At least the team recognizes this and hopefully they'll take a course of action to correct this apparent loss of focus or whatever the cause seems to be.

As an aside, I have to give the Bulls a lot of credit. This is a very young team with a lot of upside and who appear to be well coached. If they can stay together, we won't be calling them the baby Bulls for too much longer. 

R


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## Guth (Feb 23, 2005)

Since I am up here in the black hole of the NBA (the midwest), I didn't get to see the game, so am I curious about something. In this game, as in some of the recent ones that we have played badly, have there been some befuddling lineups on the floor? I ask because I feel the same way all of you do, it doesn't feel like we are winning, but do you think it is possible that Pop is trying to give the guys on a bench to play with different combinations and get into some sort of rythym?


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Well Guth, Pop did have several different lineups in there, but I really didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary. 



The main thing that bothered me about substitutions and lineups was when he kept Rasho on the bench towards the end of the game. Chicago was taking 3-4 dribbles and getting in the paint, so Pop decided to go with Horry/Duncan instead of Duncan/Rasho. Rasho wouldn't have prevented Gordon from killing us in the 4th, but it would have helped having a 7-footer in there along with Duncan to alter shots.


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## mr_tibo (May 15, 2003)

One good thing: FT shooting

TP: 5/6
Manu: 7/7
TD: 7/7

Perhaps the best FT percentage of the season for the Spurs


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## mr_french_basketball (Jul 3, 2003)

*my ratings*

better late than never...

Duncan : 9/10
Parker : 9/10
Udrih : 9/10
Horry : 8/10
Rasho : 7/10
Ginobili : 6/10
Brown : 6/10
Barry : 3/10
Bowen : 3/10
Massenburg : 3/10

Do you agree with those ratings? (I didn't see the game)


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

*Re: my ratings*



mr_french_basketball said:


> better late than never...
> 
> Duncan : 9/10
> Parker : 9/10
> ...


Perfect IMO


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

*Re: my ratings*



mr_french_basketball said:


> better late than never...
> 
> Duncan : 9/10
> Parker : 9/10
> ...


Overall it looks pretty good, but I wouldn't have given Udrih such a high grade. He did hit those threes but if I remember correctly, he had some bad turnovers and some bad passes.


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