[Laki]

No Howard... who's gonna stop Rose in the paint?

Bulls -2.5

[obamaismyuncle]

the right play is the one that wins. good luck.

[hockeyhy]

i think i'm making this play as well i'll see you guys laterr

[chantrain]

absolutely 100% agree.

Bulls beat Magic twice with howard post-magic trade already, without him it'll be so much easier.

Bulls #1 in the league at defending the 3pt shot, and coach Thibs made a statement yesterday confirming that he doesn't plan to rest starters or change the teams mentality down the stretch at all.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,6118670.story

"We want to stay consistent," Thibodeau said. "We want everyone to be in rhythm. And you want everyone playing their best. If someone's injured, we'll sit them down. If they're not injured, they're going to play."

The Bulls trail the Spurs by one game for the league's best overall record, which would mean homecourt advantage through the NBA Finals. If they finish the regular season tied, a random draw would determine homecourt because because all tiebreakers are deadlocked.

"The teams I've been with, that's the way we've always approached it," Thibodeau said. "You look at the makeup of your team and determine how to pace it. You think (it) about when you plan your season and throughout the season. Sometimes you may not practice but you have a film session, meeting and walkthrough. And you improve that way. We want to develop the right habits and great concentration."

Players applauded Thibodeau's approach.

"He wants us to stay in a good rhythm," Carlos Boozer said. "He wants us to be playing our best basketball as we enter the playoffs and keep steamrolling."

Derrick Rose called it "cool."

And Joakim Noah closed with this classic.

"It doesn't matter what I think," he said. "This is a dictatorship."

[dwluv3333]

i might have to jump in on this before the public bumps it up to -3.5

[jjgold]

Does game mean anything for either team?

[chantrain]

Bulls playing to keep in form, to have a chance to take top seed in the league, and to tie the NBA record for most regular season wins by a new coach (62)

[Illusion]

Does game mean anything for either team?

No, both teams are locked into their respective seeds.

[brahmabull117]

if there is no howard, bulls should win by 15-20

[brahmabull117]

Does game mean anything for either team?

best record in league for chicago and homefield advantage throughout

[JMobile]

Lets get it.

[sweethook]

game is 50/50 , as no value

[chantrain]

game is 50/50 , as no value

no, the game is 100/100, as in 100% chance of Bulls winning and covering.

only way Magic wins is if somehow all their shooters get hot from 3pt land and nail their shots over the heads of defenders, or somehow bulls forget to defend the 3pt shot.

[bowers1989]

i got bulls -4. and im still feeling confident. (no jinx)

[aireent777]

Magic ML.

[wilfor1]

Heard on news tonight that Rose and deng will play one qtr and be pulled.

[chantrain]

Heard on news tonight that Rose and deng will play one qtr and be pulled.

source?

chicago tribune reported that thibs said nothing changes and starters play

[keenecharger21]

took the bulls -2

happy with that risk

[illmatick]

thinking about this one as well.

[rem sleep]

Why is this line so low? Something tells me to tread lightly on this one.

[mvp123]

be careful with this could go either way , tossup

[craigpb]

My Bulls get up for the better teams so should have little problem unless Magic shoot 55% from 3.

[golfrulz]

bulls coach might rest some starters per espn

[chantrain]

bulls coach might rest some starters per espn

source?

all my sources say the exact opposite. just type "Bulls rest starters" into google

[bowers1989]

well we know that the magic is resting there main starter bc of a suspension lol. bulls play hard. they wont sit on there asses on national tv. theyre out for glory lol

[rupesh1214]

bulls are kinda iffy. they already have the first seed, they might not have there starters play long minutes.

[chantrain]

bulls are kinda iffy. they already have the first seed, they might not have there starters play long minutes.

why do people keep saying this in the face of evidence to the contrary?

"We want to stay consistent," Thibodeau said. "We want everyone to be in rhythm. And you want everyone playing their best. If someone's injured, we'll sit them down. If they're not injured, they're going to play."

Players applauded Thibodeau's approach.

"He wants us to stay in a good rhythm," Carlos Boozer said. "He wants us to be playing our best basketball as we enter the playoffs and keep steamrolling."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,6118670.story

Thibs had Deng playing 40 minutes almost every game this season, even in blow out wins. I don't think he stops now.

[secret007]

WHy is the line so low if Bulls are going to play starters good minutes and Howard is not playing??

[LT Profits]

All the starters will play, but they may not play their usual minutes. I am staying far far away from this game.

[chantrain]

WHy is the line so low if Bulls are going to play starters good minutes and Howard is not playing??

someone made a grievous error, it seems.

[LT Profits]

Besides, Spurs won't be in finals anyway and Bulls already have home court over Lakers,

[LT Profits]

someone made a grievous error, it seems.

There would be no line up overnight if books didn't have a clue regarding playing time

[chantrain]

we'll see. I have no idea why Thibs would say "Nothing changes, we need a good rhythm going into the playoffs, everybody plays unless they're injured" and then do the complete opposite of what he said.

Thibs plays starters till almost the very end even in 30 point blow out games. Deng gets his 40 minutes a game, every game, regardless. don't see why it would change now.


even if starters don't play, the benches defense is crazy good. You got Ronnie Brewer and CJ Watson playing the passing lanes, Asik at the post, taj gibson.

Defense might actually be better with the bench than with the starters

[LT Profits]

we'll see. I have no idea why Thibs would say "Nothing changes, we need a good rhythm going into the playoffs, everybody plays unless they're injured" and then do the complete opposite of what he said.

Thibs plays starters till almost the very end even in 30 point blow out games. Deng gets his 40 minutes a game, every game, regardless. don't see why it would change now.

Players can keep their "good rhythm" while playing half of their usual minutes, and when he said "everybody plays", he may have meant it literally.

Note that the Spurs played their bench a lot tonight, so playing for the top seed in the NBA is overrated and is trumped by having the top seed in the conference sewn up, especially since the Lakers would be favored over the Spurs in the West Finals if those teams meet.

[AzNDooM]

Chicago looks like the play but then again, ORLANDO at home, anything can go. Think ill stay off this game.