Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls Crowned Kings in "Circus Trip" Finale

They've reached the end folks. The "Circus Trip" is OVER! Playing in their fourth game in five nights, the Chicago Bulls struggled early on in Sacramento, but managed to finish strong for a 96-85 win.

The Bulls were led once again by Derrick Rose; he had a ridiculous game (30 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) after missing Friday's game in Denver with a sore neck. My player of the game is definitely Joakim Noah, box score below.

Noah vs. Kings: 44 minutes, 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.

I've noticed a habit develop with the Bulls in which they are consistently finding themselves trailing early in games. Exhaustion may have been the reason for the slow start against the Kings, but what's the excuse for all the other times it's happened?

They've trailed after one quarter of play in nine of 15 games. The energy won't be there every time a slow start puts the team in a large hole. Tom Thibodeau needs to game plan for the "others (everybody but Rose)"to spread their wings in the first frame—then let Derrick take over later on, once the defense is nice and tired. Just a thought.

A Few Other Thoughts

• Luol Deng needs to start shooting better! What's his deal? For the season he's shooting 42.2 percent, which is 108th best in the league. That's funny to say—108th best.
• When did the NBA turn into a "no-touch" league? It's maddening to see ticky-tack calls being made one after another. Just this morning on a court in beautiful Southern California, I drove to the hole and got hit in the head and the body and made the shot. To my knowledge, no foul was called. If I can do it—so can they. Let the boys play! That's what I say.

The Bulls had a chance to win every game on the trip. No game was lost by more than nine and no game was won by more than eight. It started with a win and finished with a win, but alternated win-loss in between.

This is the first time the Bulls have had a winning record (4-3) on the "Circus Trip" since the 1997-98 season. Rather impressive seeing as their top free-agent signing is still sitting on the bench with an injured pinkie finger.

There's relief in sight though—Boozer is set to start practicing this week in hopes of playing Friday against the Celtics.

Next games is Wednesday at 7 p.m.: Orlando Magic (12-4) at Chicago Bulls (9-6)

What did you think of the officiating in the Bulls win in Sacramento? What do you think of the Bulls' shooting guard situation? Let's discuss in the comments section below.

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Bear Heiser covers the Bulls for http://www.FanHuddleChicago.com