Bulls open season with win over Spurs
By TOM MUSICK -- Shaw Suburban Media
CHICAGO – For at least one game, the Bulls answered the question about who would step forward to score in Ben Gordon’s place this season.
Everybody.
Six Bulls players reached double digits in scoring as the Bulls cruised to a surprisingly easy 92-85 win in their season opener Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. The Bulls (1-0) seized the lead with 8:39 remaining in the third quarter and never let go to beat the Spurs (1-1) for only the fourth time in the past 23 contests.
“We share the ball real well,” said Bulls forward Luol Deng, who led the team with 17 points. “There’s going to be some nights where guys are going to have a really good night, but I think we’re going to see this a lot where a lot of guys are in double digits, as long as we keep sharing the ball like we did tonight.”
Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro preached selfless teamwork and stingy defense throughout the preseason. His players apparently listened, as the Bulls topped the Spurs in assists, rebounds and second-chance points.
“It’s just the first game, but it’s a really big win for us,” Del Negro said. “I like the way we responded tonight. When they made a run, we stayed in our execution.”
The Bulls defense frustrated the Spurs, who relied on forward Tim Duncan for 28 points while no one else scored more than 12. Last season, the Bulls defense allowed 102.5 points per game to finish 21st in the NBA.
The Bulls grabbed 52 rebounds and blocked nine shots to outwork the Spurs.
“Chicago just did a great job out there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They had more guys come to compete than we did. We had one guy who really [competed] tonight.”
After not scoring in the first half, Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas scored 10 points and blocked three shots to spark his team to a 21-6 run in the third quarter. Joakim Noah earned a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie forward Taj Gibson provided a pleasant surprise with six points and six rebounds off of the bench.
“Everybody had their moments,” Thomas said. “We have to continue to be a team. As long as nobody gets selfish and everybody has the main focus, main goal, we’ll be fine.”
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who missed several weeks during the preseason because of a right ankle injury, played 33 minutes and reported no pain after the game. Rose finished with 13 points and seven assists, including a highlight-reel play in which he split Spurs defenders Duncan and George Hill for a twisting layup that brought fans to their feet.
Now the Bulls need to make sure that today’s opponent, the Boston Celtics, will not bring them to their knees.
“This game gives us confidence, but we’re not going to get too excited or too high,” Noah said. “We have a tough opponent [tonight]. We’ll celebrate the victory on the plane tonight, but as soon as we land in Boston, we’ll focus on the Celtics.”
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