Bulls Pass Another Big Test and Other Takeaways from Thursday's NBA Action
The Chicago Bulls remained perfect on the road while handing the Toronto Raptors their first home loss, a 100-93 victory that ended on a bittersweet note for Derrick Rose and Co.
With just one minute and 53 seconds remaining in the game, the former MVP was sidelined by a sore left hamstring after falling awkwardly while driving through the lane. Though Rose had already contributed 20 points and four assists to the winning effort, head coach Tom Thibodeau's team had to withstand a late push from the now 7-2 Raptors without its best player.
It's the most recent test in a young campaign that's already had its fair share.
Rose has missed four games this season with a pair of ankle sprains, casting further doubt on his durability after having played in just 49 contests through the last three seasons. Though none of his recent injuries appear to be especially serious, anything even resembling a setback is bound to raise eyebrows.
"I felt like I've been managing myself pretty good," Rose told reporters after practice on Tuesday, per ESPN.com's Nick Friedell. "I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out or whatever, but I think a lot of people don't understand that...when I sit out it's not because of this year.
"I'm thinking about long term. I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don't want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son's graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. [I'm] just learning and being smart."
The decision to sit out the remainder of Thursday's game was also likely about being smart.
"I don't think it's that serious," Rose told reporters after the game, per CNN's Rachel Nichols.
Unfortunately, anything serious enough to take Rose away from the action is a potential issue for the Bulls. To their credit, they're 3-1 in games without Rose this season—a testament to the lessons this squad has learned throughout his extended absence.
Power forward Pau Gasol has been especially instrumental in filling the void, and his season-high 27 points against the Raptors suggest he may be just getting started. Swingman Jimmy Butler added 21 points to Thursday's effort, marking the fourth time this season he's scored at least that many points.
But despite besting the surging Raptors and staying afloat without Rose in the lineup, the Bulls aren't out of the woods.
Their 114-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers was a reminder that there's some serious new competition in the Eastern Conference. And while Chicago won't have any problems making the playoffs, it will face real expectations once it gets there.
Meeting those expectations will require a healthy Rose—and more.
Thibodeau's second unit relies heavily on Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic, both rookies still looking to carve out consistent roles on the bench. That second unit committed nine of the team's 10 first-half turnovers, handing Toronto a second-quarter lead that stood at 52-45 by halftime.
There's still work to be done. And there's every reason to believe these Bulls will rise to the occasion.
They certainly have so far.
Around the Association
Grizzlies Beat Buzzer With 0.3 Seconds Remaining
Any less time remaining on the clock, and the Memphis Grizzlies technically wouldn't have been able to get a shot off. Instead, Courtney Lee converted on an inbounds lob as time expired, capping off a stunning comeback in a 111-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The shot required extensive video review by officials looking to determine whether the inbounds pass had been tipped.
Lee finished with 16 points off the bench, but Mike Conley and Marc Gasol led the way with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Sacramento's Rudy Gay led all scorers with 25 points.
Kings Mastering Art of the Collapse
DeMarcus Cousins has been dominant. Gay is on pace for his best season yet. And the Kings are finally beginning to compete in a stacked Western Conference, starting the season with a solid 5-4 record.
It's a record that should be even better.
Sacramento led the Grizzlies by a ridiculous 38-16 margin after the first quarter and looked poised to hand them just their second loss on the season. But Memphis turned the tables in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Kings 35-19 en route to its unlikely last-second win.
The Kings led the Mavericks 32-14 on Tuesday in what similarly turned into a 106-98 come-from-behind victory for Dallas. Sacramento may soon enter a playoff conversation dominated by teams like Memphis and Dallas, but it will have to start playing a full 48 minutes first.
Sacramento has lost its last three games after its scorching 5-1 start to the season.
Sixers Downed by 53 in Dallas
The Philadelphia 76ers remain winless after eight games, and they aren't finding many moral victories, either.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams made his 2014-15 debut with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench, but it wasn't nearly enough to avoid an ugly 123-70 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Philly already trailed by a 73-29 margin at halftime.
The Mavs move to 6-3 on the season, and their team stats are about to look a whole lot better after what transpired Thursday night.
Forgotten Warrior Helps Golden State Bounce Back
Coming off consecutive losses to the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors returned to form on Thursday with a 107-99 win against the Brooklyn Nets. Andrew Bogut's 11 points were the least among the Warriors starters (led by Klay Thompson's 25), but the rest of his line left little to be desired.
The 29-year-old center tallied 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in just 31 minutes. During one stretch early in the fourth quarter, he almost single-handedly extended Golden State's lead to 14 points. After pushing it to 12 with a putback, he recorded his fourth block on the other end, controlled it and bulleted an outlet pass to Stephen Curry for another easy bucket.
New head coach Steve Kerr moves to 6-2 on the season, narrowly maintaining control of the Pacific Division and staking an early claim in the contender conversation.
Jack Comes Alive Against Old Team with 10-of-10 Outing
Nets sixth man Jarrett Jack tallied 23 points against Golden State after converting on all 10 of his field-goal attempts. That marked a season high for the former Warrior, who's otherwise posted modest numbers in his first season in Brooklyn.
It was also the first time a player remained perfect after at least 10 shots since Serge Ibaka went 12-of-12 in January against the Nets. Since the 1985-86 season, a player has made at least 10 field goals without missing only 39 times, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Brooklyn signed Jack to replace Shaun Livingston, who signed with the Warriors this summer as a free agent.
Lowry Attacks Ice Cream
Don't accuse Kyle Lowry of giving it anything less than 110 percent—especially when ice cream is involved.
The Raptors point guard went flying into the first row in pursuit of a loose ball. He didn't come up with it, but he did stumble upon something far more delicious.
Anything for the team.
Quote of the Night
Bulls center Joakim Noah came to Rose's defense after the Bulls beat the Raptors Thursday, using strong language to condemn those criticizing his oft-injured teammate:
Noah also stood up for Rose's commitment:
If it was ever in vogue to question Rose's heart—and it probably never was—that time has come to an end.
