ducks
03-23-2008, 10:32 AM
Nocioni sent off for snapping at interim coach
CHICAGO – Andres Nocioni could not contain the frustration of the Bulls’ bad season and a rough stretch of games individually.
After being pulled from Saturday night’s game early in the second quarter, Nocioni barked at coach Jim Boylan on the bench. He did not play again.
The moment symbolized a team that simply cannot get on the same page long enough to do anything worthwhile, a trend that continued with a 108-101 loss to the Indiana Pacers at the United Center.
The Bulls’ playoff hopes are growing ever more remote with 13 games remaining. They trail Atlanta by three games and New Jersey and Indiana by 11⁄2 games.
That’s a lot of teams to leapfrog, even if the deficit is small.
“It’s a big setback for us,” Boylan said.
The Bulls’ fourth-quarter woes continued. They took an 86-75 lead on Kirk Hinrich’s drive with 11:23 remaining. Indiana rallied to within 91-90, but Ben Gordon and Luol Deng scored to restore the margin to five.
And then the Bulls started missing – Deng twice and Gordon once. Indiana forward Shawne Williams hit a long jumper and a three-pointer for a 99-97 lead.
Hinrich and Gordon missed, and the Pacers kept scoring to run away with the victory. They finished the fourth quarter 9-of-16 shooting, while the Bulls missed 17 of 24 attempts.
For a team that lost an 18-point fourth-quarter lead to Philadelphia and a nine-point advantage at New Orleans in the previous nine nights, the storyline has grown tiresome.
“We seem to just get into the fourth quarter and just get stuck,” Boylan said. “We were pressing a little bit. Shots that are coming easy for us become more difficult.”
Players were equally mystified.
“That’s our Achilles’ heel right now,” forward Drew Gooden said.
“I can’t explain it,” Hinrich said.
For three quarters, the Bulls exploited one of the NBA’s more porous defensive teams. They shot 55.7 percent (34 of 61) through three quarters.
Deng was a force inside and outside, scoring 28 points. Gordon added 21, and Joakim Noah took advantage of Indiana’s paltry interior defense with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
The Pacers stayed within striking distance behind their typically prolific three-point shooting, finishing with 13 treys on 26 attempts. Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy combined for 49 points and eight three-pointers.
It should not have been enough, but the Bulls again struggled to put together four good quarters.
It remains to be seen whether the team further disciplines Nocioni, who apologized profusely to teammates and coaches through the media afterward. He joins Noah, Tyrus Thomas and Chris Duhon on the list of players who have had run-ins with coaches this season.
“I did a really bad thing tonight,” Nocioni said. “My attitude was terrible. My actions tonight were really bad.”
Boylan declined to comment.
“That’s a matter that will be handled internally,” he said.
The Bulls have a lot of other matters to figure out, as well.
http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...6266325640.txt
CHICAGO – Andres Nocioni could not contain the frustration of the Bulls’ bad season and a rough stretch of games individually.
After being pulled from Saturday night’s game early in the second quarter, Nocioni barked at coach Jim Boylan on the bench. He did not play again.
The moment symbolized a team that simply cannot get on the same page long enough to do anything worthwhile, a trend that continued with a 108-101 loss to the Indiana Pacers at the United Center.
The Bulls’ playoff hopes are growing ever more remote with 13 games remaining. They trail Atlanta by three games and New Jersey and Indiana by 11⁄2 games.
That’s a lot of teams to leapfrog, even if the deficit is small.
“It’s a big setback for us,” Boylan said.
The Bulls’ fourth-quarter woes continued. They took an 86-75 lead on Kirk Hinrich’s drive with 11:23 remaining. Indiana rallied to within 91-90, but Ben Gordon and Luol Deng scored to restore the margin to five.
And then the Bulls started missing – Deng twice and Gordon once. Indiana forward Shawne Williams hit a long jumper and a three-pointer for a 99-97 lead.
Hinrich and Gordon missed, and the Pacers kept scoring to run away with the victory. They finished the fourth quarter 9-of-16 shooting, while the Bulls missed 17 of 24 attempts.
For a team that lost an 18-point fourth-quarter lead to Philadelphia and a nine-point advantage at New Orleans in the previous nine nights, the storyline has grown tiresome.
“We seem to just get into the fourth quarter and just get stuck,” Boylan said. “We were pressing a little bit. Shots that are coming easy for us become more difficult.”
Players were equally mystified.
“That’s our Achilles’ heel right now,” forward Drew Gooden said.
“I can’t explain it,” Hinrich said.
For three quarters, the Bulls exploited one of the NBA’s more porous defensive teams. They shot 55.7 percent (34 of 61) through three quarters.
Deng was a force inside and outside, scoring 28 points. Gordon added 21, and Joakim Noah took advantage of Indiana’s paltry interior defense with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
The Pacers stayed within striking distance behind their typically prolific three-point shooting, finishing with 13 treys on 26 attempts. Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy combined for 49 points and eight three-pointers.
It should not have been enough, but the Bulls again struggled to put together four good quarters.
It remains to be seen whether the team further disciplines Nocioni, who apologized profusely to teammates and coaches through the media afterward. He joins Noah, Tyrus Thomas and Chris Duhon on the list of players who have had run-ins with coaches this season.
“I did a really bad thing tonight,” Nocioni said. “My attitude was terrible. My actions tonight were really bad.”
Boylan declined to comment.
“That’s a matter that will be handled internally,” he said.
The Bulls have a lot of other matters to figure out, as well.
http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...6266325640.txt