Bulls Game No. 4: More starting lineup confusion in 98-90 win over Orlando
90. 38. 98. 24. Final
No Derrick Rose for the second straight game. No Joakim Noah because of flu-like symptoms. No idea who would start for the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic. The result? A 98-90 victory for the Bulls to improve their record to 3-1 on the season.
Tuesday night was supposed to be “all systems go” for the Chicago Bulls heading into their first meeting of the season with the upstart Orlando Magic.
With a couple extra days off, the Bulls were hoping to start their projected starting five for the first time since the regular season began last Tuesday night.
But, things didn’t exactly go according to plan:
Bulls starters: Rose, Hinrich, Gasol, Gibson, Dunleavy. Thibodeau said pregame Butler was playing.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 5, 2014
That tweet from Chicago Tribune Bulls columnist K.C. Johnson at 7:18 ET. One would assume that the Bulls were trying to ease Jimmy Butler back into the Bulls lineup, even though Butler played 39 minutes in last Saturday’s night win in Minnesota.
Fast-forward to 7:21 ET (yes, three minutes later), then the chaos ensued:
Bulls changing lineup again: Rose out now. Butler in. And just like in Minny, I have a headache.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 5, 2014
The same thing occurred for the Bulls last Saturday night for the Bulls. Derrick Rose was projected to suit up and play for the Bulls, but sat to rest his sprained ankles.
More from Chicago Bulls
- Chicago Bulls’ winning ways proves Billy Donovan’s system works
- Chicago Bulls News: Coby White is that dude
- Chicago Bulls’ recent success means big trades make sense
- The Chicago Bulls seem to have a major Zach LaVine problem.
- No Zach, no DeMar, no problem? Chicago Bulls stun the Bucks in OT
Although reports all day long had Rose basically in the starting lineup against Orlando, Rose sat for the second game in a row due to the sprained ankles he suffered on Halloween night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Add in an illness for starting Bulls center Joakim Noah and the Bulls lineup-shuffled once again on Tuesday.
There’s no timetable for Noah’s return to action, but a report from ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell should help clear a few things up in the Noah situation:
Noah will not travel with Bulls tonight to Mil. He's expected to drive up on his own tomorrow then they'll see how he's feeling.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 4, 2014
Thibs initially said Noah would also miss tomorrow's game then said if he was feeling better Bulls would send someone to pick him up.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) November 4, 2014
Even without the two most important pieces to the puzzle for the Bulls on Tuesday, the Bulls moved to 3-1 on the season with a 98-90 victory over the Magic at the United Center.
More from Da Windy City
- Juan Soto appears headed to the Yankees which is not a big blow Chicago Cubs offseason
- 3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks shootout loss to Nashville
- Chicago Cubs in the middle of chaos that is Shohei Ohtani’s free agency
- The Chicago Cubs are on a roller coaster of emotions chasing Shohei Ohtani
- Chicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidates
The Bulls were led by a 21-point, nine-rebound performance from Jimmy Butler. Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson each contributed 16 points to help the Bulls win their second-straight game and kick off a four-game-in-five-night span.
Along with the three-headed monster of Butler, Gasol and Gibson, the Chicago bench outscored the Magic bench, 37-19 and held Orlando’s first-round pick Elfrid Payton to a 3-for-14 shooting night.
Despite being out-rebounded 48-44 by the Magic, the Bulls assisted on 23 of their 35 made field goals, shot 13 more free throws than Orlando and shot 46.6 percent from the three-point line (7/15).
Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls
No Rose, no Noah, no problem.
Sure, it was a tie game at 69 through three quarters, but the Bulls turned it on in the fourth quarter and made the key plays down the stretch to pick up their third win in four games to start the year.
The injury bug has bitten the Bulls early, but it could be much worse for the Bulls. They could be Oklahoma City, who … well, simply can’t catch a break (except in star point guard Russell Westbrook’s hand).
The fact that Thibodeau is trusting his rookies/depth guys early on in the year is a good sign. Nikola Mirotic had a nice eight-point, six-rebound outing on Tuesday, while playing 23 minutes off the bench. Aaron Brooks scored 13 points and dished out eight assists.
The Bulls (3-1) make the trip up to their “home away from home” on Wednesday night in Milwaukee against the youth-filled Milwaukee Bucks. Wednesday night would mark the first time that Chicago high school hoop legends Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker would be on the same floor in the NBA. Both Parker and Rose attended Simeon Career Academy in Chicago and led the Wolverines to six combined state high school hoops championships.
Tip-off between the Bulls and Bucks is scheduled for 7:00 CT from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
Next: Bulls Game No. 3: Jimmy Butler returns, Bulls survive Wolves