Final - OT
Bulls-76ers Preview
Feb 3, 2010 - 3:02 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS WriterChicago (23-23) at Philadelphia (16-31), 7:00 p.m. EDT
The Chicago Bulls did something during their last road trip that no other team in league history has accomplished. When the Bulls hit the road again to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, they'll look to achieve something the franchise hasn't done in four seasons - win six straight as the visiting team.
After dropping the first two of a seven-game trip that ended Friday, the Bulls (23-23) became the first team in NBA history to win five consecutive road games on the same trip versus teams with winning records.
"We're playing good basketball, hanging in there throughout the whole game," Bulls guard Derrick Rose said following Friday's 108-106 overtime victory in New Orleans. "We're sticking with tough teams."
Chicago, though, has dropped three in a row to teams with sub-.500 records after falling 90-82 at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
"We're not a team that can take anyone lightly," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "When your top players don't play well, it's hard to beat good teams. It's hard to beat any team, for that matter."
Chicago will try to snap its skid versus teams with losing records as it faces Philadelphia (16-31) in the second of four meetings this season. Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points apiece in a 94-88 victory over the visiting 76ers on Nov. 14.
In the teams' last meeting in Philadelphia, Thaddeus Young scored a career-high 31 points and Andre Iguodala added 25 as the 76ers won 104-101 on March 13 in the final NBA game at the Spectrum.
If Chicago can post a victory Wednesday at the Wachovia Center, it will be the team's first six-game road winning streak since it won its final six road games of the 2005-06 season.
The Bulls, however, need to improve their shooting and take better care of the ball than they did Tuesday. After hitting 49.4 percent from the field and averaging 14.0 turnovers during its five-game winning streak, Chicago shot 38.0 percent and committed 20 turnovers against the Clippers.
Rose averaged 24.6 points during the Bulls' winning streak, but he missed 13 of 20 shots and scored 16 on Tuesday.
"We were just making bad plays, making bad decisions," he said. "It was tough the whole night."
Rose and 76ers guard Allen Iverson will both represent the Eastern Conference in the Feb. 14 All-Star game. The two former No. 1 overall selections have faced each other just once. Playing for Detroit, Iverson had five points and eight assists in a 104-98 victory over Chicago on Dec. 23, 2008. Rose scored 10 points with five assists in that matchup.
They will not face off in this game, as Iverson will not play because one of his children is ill.
Back in the starting lineup for the past six games, 76ers forward Elton Brand will look to continue his strong play against the team that drafted him first overall in 1999. Brand, who played for Chicago for two seasons, is averaging 19.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in 14 games versus the Bulls.
Young is scoring 13.5 points per game with 5.8 rebounds since Brand took his spot in the starting lineup. He averaged 14.1 and 5.2 in 41 games as a starter.
"It's very hard watching entire first quarters, second quarters, third quarters or however many minutes I sit in a row," Young said Tuesday, "..but I can only control what I can and just go out and play when it's my time."
Young has averaged 22.7 points and shot 65.2 percent from the field over his last three home games against Chicago.
- NBA
CHICAGO 103
PHILADELPHIA 106 FINAL IN 1ST OT
Feb 3 9:44 PM - NBA
END OF REG 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 25 26 19 24 94
PHILADELPHIA 26 19 26 23 94 END OF REG
NBA CHICAGO AT PHILADELPHIA
HIGH SCORERS AFTER 4TH QUARTER
CHI - DERRICK ROSE 26, LUOL DENG 17, KIRK
HINRICH 13
PHI - ELTON BRAND 26, ANDRE IGUODALA 20, TWO
PLAYERS WITH 12
Feb 3 9:23 PM - NBA
END 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 25 26 19 70
PHILADELPHIA 26 19 26 71 END 3RD QTR
HIGH SCORERS AFTER 3RD QUARTER
CHI - DERRICK ROSE 17, LUOL DENG 15,
TYRUS THOMAS 12
PHI - ELTON BRAND 22, ANDRE IGUODALA 13,
WILLIE GREEN 10
Feb 3 8:44 PM - NBA
HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 25 26 51
PHILADELPHIA 26 19 45 HALFTIME
HIGH SCORERS AT HALFTIME
CHI - KIRK HINRICH 11, LUOL DENG 10,
TYRUS THOMAS 10
PHI - ELTON BRAND 16, WILLIE GREEN 8, TWO
PLAYERS WITH 6
Feb 3 8:02 PM - NBA
CHICAGO 25
PHILADELPHIA 26 END, 1ST QTR
Feb 3 7:36 PM
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