Bulls coach Scott Skiles: "We're just not very good against Yao, but I think we did a

"For some reason, we just had trouble executing the small things," Chandler said. "Our offense was out of sync, and you just can't play catch-up against a good team like Houston."

Chicago coach Scott Skiles said the Bulls had a hard time finding the basket and guarding Yao.

"We're just not very good against Yao, but I think we did a respectable game against McGrady," Skiles said. "Houston is a better team than us and we would have had to play an error-free game against them just like we did at Dallas last night. Houston came out, executed and made plays, and that was the game right there."


http://www.nba.com/games/20050209/CHIHOU/recap.html



Rockets Stop Baby Bulls


HOUSTON, Feb. 9 (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bulls are going to surpass their victory total of last season. All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming just didn't want them to do it at the Toyota Center.

McGrady collected 24 points and nine assists and Yao added 21 and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets posted their first five-game winning streak of the season with a 105-92 triumph over the Bulls.

The Bulls (23-23) matched their win total from last season with a 107-100 triumph at Dallas on Tuesday. They held a 29-28 lead after one quarter in this one but did not score for the first 6:12 of the second period, allowing the Rockets to score 15 straight points in that span to seize control.

"It's been a great run for us and we've been doing a great job of sharing the ball," said McGrady, who led the Rockets in scoring for the 33rd time this season. "We've just been making the right plays for the team and limiting our turnovers. The offense is definitely clicking and if we can get our defense on that same page, then we'll really be a hell of a team."

A layup by Bulls rookie Ben Gordon with 7:48 remaining cut the deficit to 86-77 before the Rockets countered with 11 straight points to put away the game. Yao capped the run with a dunk off a feed from McGrady to open a 97-77 cushion with 5:27 left.

"The last couple of games we have been really good on offense," Yao said. "But for some reason, until tonight, we loosened up on the defensive side. Tonight, I thought we had no problem with our offense. The second team did a great job in the second quarter and that really set the tone for us."

All five starters scored in double figures for Houston, which made half its 82 shots. The Bulls connected on just 37 percent (35-of-95).

Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy was quick to praise the Rockets' defensive effort, especially David Wesley's work against the Bulls' guards.

"I'm still trying to devise a defense where (Wesley) can guard everybody on the perimeter," Van Gundy said. "He can guard point guards, and he was all over Gordon and then he'd switch over to (Kirk) Hinrich. He really set the tone for us defensively tonight."

Houston's Dikembe Mutombo came off the bench to collect six points and 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes for Houston.

"I think a lot of our playing well had to do with the practice we had yesterday," Mutombo said. "It was a great practice and everyone was excited and ready to get out there tonight. It has been awhile since we have played this well defensively and I think that had a lot to do with it."

Before doing so on Wednesday, the Rockets had not held any of their previous nine opponents under 40 percent.

Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 20 rebounds off the bench for Chicago, which fell to 1-3 on a five-game road trip. Chandler became the first Rockets opponent to grab at least 20 rebounds since Denver's Kevin Willis did it on April 10, 2001.

"For some reason, we just had trouble executing the small things," Chandler said. "Our offense was out of sync, and you just can't play catch-up against a good team like Houston."

Chicago coach Scott Skiles said the Bulls had a hard time finding the basket and guarding Yao.

"We're just not very good against Yao, but I think we did a respectable game against McGrady," Skiles said. "Houston is a better team than us and we would have had to play an error-free game against them just like we did at Dallas last night. Houston came out, executed and made plays, and that was the game right there."

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/10860415.htm


Rockets waltz past Bulls, who never get in rhythm

BY K.C. JOHNSON

Chicago Tribune

HOUSTON - (KRT) - Any NBA team will tell you it's tough to dance the Texas two-step, and the Chicago Bulls certainly tripped over themselves Wednesday night at the Toyota Center.

Back-to-back games in Dallas and Houston proved too much as the Rockets waltzed to a 105-92 victory with the ease of Fred Astaire. Houston has won five straight.

The Bulls, who trailed by double digits for most of the game, looked like the guy thrashing on the dance floor with no rhythm, taking bad shots, fumbling passes and blowing assignments.

"For some reason, we couldn't get into the right sets, offensively and defensively," Tyson Chandler said. "We had a game plan, and for some reason, we kept having breakdowns."

All five Houston starters reached double figures, topped by Tracy McGrady's 24 points and nine assists. Yao Ming added 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Three stretches in particular hurt the Bulls, who shot 36.8 percent and dropped back to .500.

In a nod to their offensive ineptitude, coach Scott Skiles stacked the floor with shooters, riding a lineup of Jannero Pargo, Eric Piatkowski, Andres Nocioni, Chandler and either Kirk Hinrich or Ben Gordon for stretches in the third and fourth quarters.

The Bulls pulled within 86-77 on Gordon's driving, left-handed layup with 7 minutes 48 seconds left. But Houston responded by ripping off an 11-0 run, capped by a Yao dunk on a feed from McGrady.

Earlier, Houston opened the second quarter with a 15-0 run as the Bulls missed 12 straight shots and committed four turnovers. Piatkowski's three-pointer at the 5:50 mark was the Bulls' first points of the quarter.

They came out almost as cold in the third quarter, surrendering an 8-0 run thanks to three missed shots and three turnovers. Chris Duhon's three-pointer 3:49 into the quarter were their first points.

"We had trouble passing the ball and catching the ball," Skiles said. "We could tell right from the beginning that we were a half-step slow. We hung pretty tough. We just went through a couple long stretches where we couldn't find the basket."

Yao didn't have that problem, shooting 9-for-10.

"I was happy they stopped throwing him the ball," Skiles said. "He could've had 40 against us. Yao took it down there and scored whenever he wanted to."

Skiles called Houston "the better team."

Hinrich's 16 points led the Bulls. Chandler, in a huge effort, had 12 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks. Eddy Curry sat for the final 16:11.

The Bulls haven't posted back-to-back victories against Western Conference teams since downing Portland and Golden State on successive nights ending Jan. 30, 1998.

They've beaten both Dallas and Houston on the road in the same season just once in 39 years as a franchise_during the 1995-96 season.

They are now 5-5 in the second game of back-to-backs but refused to blame a tough travel experience from Dallas Tuesday night.

"That's the NBA," Chandler said. "You go through problems like that. We were in the game. Guys had energy. We just didn't have that extra thrust to win."