New look Bulls put together team effort to start a difficult season on a good note.
The Chicago Bulls started off their 2012-13 campaign on a good note with a preseason victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies in a crowd filled United Center. The Bulls, who are the underdogs in the next season due to the absence
of their point guard and team leader Derrick Rose, needed a good victory to gain some confidence in the abilities of the Rose less roster, and did just that by playing a team game in which everyone contributed. Luol Deng led the Bulls in scoring with 18 points
and 4 rebounds, going 4 of 8 from the field and 9 of 11 from the foul line. New comers Nazr Mohammed and Nate Robinson both came off the bench to score 13 points each, where as Kirk Hinrich performed starting point guard duties and scored 5 points and 7 assists.
Jerome Jordan was the top scorer and one of only two Grizzlies players with double digit points for the night, scoring 13 points and 5 rebounds in a little over thirteen minutes of action.
The Grizzlies led most of the first period, although Chicago stayed right on their tails and gave them a tough challenge with their new roster. The Grizzlies led 28-26 at the end of the first quarter, and continued their lead in
the second quarter till the 1:01 mark, when Carlos Boozer tied the game at 46 with a jump shot. Memphis, however, quickly took back the lead with a layup by Marc Gasol and held a 52-49 advantage over the opponents at the half time break.
Chicago entered the second half regrouped, and quickly went to work by compiling a 14-0 run to commence the third period and take a 63-52 lead, as the Grizzlies missed their first five field goal attempts and committed three turnovers
during the Bulls run. A quick 7-0 run in one minute of playing time put the Bulls ahead 70-54, and they led 81-65 at the end of the period. Memphis attempted a comeback in the final period, starting the quarter with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 73-81,
and another 10-0 run later in the period had the Bulls up by 1 with 27 seconds left in the game. Chicago, however, denied the Grizzlies another point and took the game 92-88 in the end.
Rip Hamilton scored 13 points and 4 rebounds for the Bulls, while Joakim Noah added 10 points and 7 rebounds. The Bulls shot a mediocre 35.7 percent from the field and a dismal 2 of 14 from the distance. The Grizzlies were slightly
better from the floor, going 2 of 10 from the distance and 42.2 percent overall. The Bulls had 18 turnovers while Memphis had 22, and the Bulls got five more steals at 17.
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