Bulls' comeback bid falls short, drop second-straight to Blazers

November 18, 2012, 10:00 pm

	AGGREY SAM E-mail Aggrey | Archive
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PORTLAND — If once is anomaly, is twice the start of a trend? For the second straight game, the Bulls (5-5) were given a taste of their own medicine and while Sunday’s 102-94 loss to the Trail Blazers (5-5) at the Rose Garden wasn’t the blowout defeat the team suffered Saturday in Los Angeles, the lack of urgency, especially against an inexperienced young squad with inferior talent hints at deeper issues.

After an embarrassing loss the previous evening, the Bulls were locked in at the outset of the contest, as both Joakim Noah (16 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists) and Rip Hamilton (15 points) had their mid-range games clicking early on, helping the visitors build a slim cushion.

For the hosts, LaMarcus Aldridge (18 points, 13 rebounds)—a former Bulls draft pick, though he was traded for the eventually-jettisoned Tyrus Thomas—justified his All-Star status early with his combination of finesse and interior play, while fellow big man J.J. Hickson’s high activity level also made an impact and star rookie Damian Lillard (16 points) showed flashes of his tremendous ability.

However, the Bulls were focused on both strong defense and getting quality shots—they shot nearly 62 percent from the floor in the opening quarter—and with Noah displaying his all-around game as a scorer, passer and rebounder, not to mention a balanced effort that saw seven of the eight players who received playing time get on the board, the Blazers found themselves on their heels. After a period of play, the Bulls led, 30-23.

Portland started the second quarter with a 6-0 run to quickly narrow the gap, prompting a Bulls timeout, though not much changed afterwards, as they reverted to their ways from the night before, as ball security once again was an issue. So was point production, as the guests experienced one of their periodic offensive droughts, with the second unit, aside from backup point guard Nate Robinson (18 points), and the Blazers capitalized with Aldridge’s continued domination, as well as contributions from swingman Wesley Matthews (21 points), to overtake their opponents.

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau eventually reinserted his regulars, with the exception of reserve swingman Jimmy Butler, but the turnover issues and inefficient offense persisted, allowing Portland to gain some separation.

Having lost all momentum and simply being out of sync on both ends, at the intermission, the Bulls trailed, 51-43, following a last-second layup by Lillard before the halftime buzzer.

Typically, the Bulls, whether instantaneously or in a more gradual process, adjust their mindset and overall approach during the break, coming back with a more focused effort, regardless of the results. That didn’t occur in the third quarter, as they continually permitted the Blazers open looks, settled for contested jumpers and perhaps most disturbingly, didn’t display the hustle that’s defined this team during Thibodeau’s tenure, particularly in defensive transition.

Swingman Nicolas Batum (21 points) took over the hot hand for Portland in the period, knocking down a trio of shots from long range, while Lillard, an early-season Rookie of the Year candidate, resumed his consistent play.

As the period waned on, however, the Bulls managed to trim the deficit behind Hamilton, Noah and later, energetic subs Butler and Taj Gibson (11 points), who had been struggling as of late, and heading into the final stanza, the visitors were behind by a more manageable 73-68 score.

Gibson’s energetic play carried over to the fourth quarter and sparked by his hustle and toughness, as well as solid play from Noah and Luol Deng (14 points, seven rebounds), the Bulls knotted up the contest early in the period. But Portland countered with an 8-0 run to acquire some breathing room—an extended 12-2 spurt gave the hosts a double-digit edge—to make the contest a continued uphill battle for its guests.

Down the stretch, Robinson was the Bulls’ offensive catalyst, but as admirable as the effort of the diminutive scorer was, the visitors simply couldn’t get over the hump, with the Blazers seemingly getting to every key loose ball and rising to the occasion late.

To put a nail in the Bulls’ coffin, Matthews, Butler’s college teammate at Marquette took it upon himself with an array of jumpers and hustle plays to cement the home team’s victory and while their guests, led by Robinson, would make an inspired last-gasp comeback in the game’s final minute, it was too little, too late.

Tags: nba, portland, Basketball, All-Star, Chicago, Eastern Conference, Tom Thibodeau, NBA Draft, Portland Trail Blazers, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich, Vladimir Radmanovic, Rookie of the Year, Nate Robinson, richard hamilton, Marco Belinelli, luke babbitt, carlos boozer, western conference, Wesley Matthews, JJ Hickson, Nazr Mohammed, LaMarcus Aldridge, Sasha Pavlovic, Nolan Smith, Jimmy Butler, Nicolas Batum, Marquis Teague, Meyers Leonard, Damian Lillard, Jared Jeffries, Will Barton, Victor Claver, Ronnie Price, Terry Stotts