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The one that got away
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AP/ Nam Y. Huh
There are some questions in life that will go unanswered.
For the Bulls, there are some that I have spent the last few seasons pondering.
On Saturday night, two questions arose in my mind. It was the same query, but the names were different. How do you not trade for Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol when given the chance?
I have learned to let it go, but as you could tell from the reaction Bryant draws whenever he makes a move at the United Center, the crowd is fantasizing just as much as I am about what could have been.
The Bulls (32-38) looked like they were going to be the only team this season that had won games against the NBA's top four teams-Boston (53-18), Cleveland (56-13) and Orlando (51-18) but a fourth quarter run by the Lakers (55-14) reserves ended all hopes of that and a potential 8 game home winning streak as well as a four game winning streak.
The Bulls had leads of 16 (second quarter), 14 (halftime) and 6 (start of the fourth.) They lost them all to Lakers run and started getting into too much one-on-one.
The fourth quarter was especially brutal, seeing as how Bryant started on the bench and the Lakers bench tied the game and than went on a 14-0 run to make it 106-93, with a little over six minutes to play.
Bryant (28 points, 5 steals, 7 assists) and Gasol (23 points, 10 rebounds) returned to the game, but the Bulls never could mount any resistance as everything was going the way of the Forum Blue and Gold as they embark on a season high seven game road trip, winning 117-109.
The Bulls were led by Derrick Rose (25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and John Salmons (30 points). Tyrus Thomas chipped in with 15 points and a game high 16 rebounds 3 blocks.
My friend Oscar text me immediately after the game and asked what I thought and my response was, "That's the diff between a championship team and an inconsistent one."
The Bulls still remain in the eighth seed, thanks to Milwaukee (31-40) losing against the Portland Trail Blazers (44-26). They also have the Charlotte Bobcats on their heels at (31-39).
The Bulls next game is on the road as they travel back to the nations capital to play the Wizards (16-55) who have lost three straight.
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