Improving Bulls Blow One Late at The Garden

The Bulls disappeared when it really mattered Monday in New York.  Though they trailed much of the game, the improving Bulls refused to let the Knicks pull away.  For the first ten minutes of the fourth quarter the Bulls were the better team and were poised to win.

Then Tyrus Thomas messed up a steal, Kirk Hinrich missed a free throw and then a wide open three pointer.  Any of those three plays would have virtually won the game for the Bulls.

Still the game still looked in hand when Tyrus Thomas pulled down a huge offensive board off of Hinrich’s miss with 47 seconds left and the Bulls leading by one.

Thomas could have down two things.  He could have, and probably should have, kicked the ball back out and let Derrick Rose run some clock and try to score with around 24 seconds left.  At the very worst the pressure would have been on the Knicks to score in their final possession.

But Thomas chose to go back up with the ball.  Honestly he was all alone under the basket so it is tough to fault his decision.  The problem was Thomas didn’t go up strong.  Instead he put up an ugly shot and missed at point blank range.

He scores that ball and the Bulls win.  Hinrich makes his free throws and the Bulls win.  Thomas picks up an easy steal and the Bulls win. 

Three plays that the Bulls had to screw up for the Knicks to steal the win, and the Bulls screwed them all up.

Thomas and Hinrich did both have very solid games up until that point so it isn’t like they lost the game for the Bulls.  There were other positives including a career high 18 rebounds for Joakim “maybe he is a basketball player after all” Noah.  Loul Deng looks to be revitalized with the return of Hinrich.  But Deng was nowhere to be found late, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

There is no denying that the Bulls are playing much better since Hinrich and Drew Gooden have returned.  In the last four games the Bulls could have, and probably should have, won all four.

There is plenty of time left for this Bulls team to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff conversation, but they can’t let games like this one slip away, not anymore.