The Bulls End the Pacers' Undefeated Season

What a beautiful win for the Bulls! The Bulls played their best basketball of the season, dominating the Indiana Pacers in every facet of the game. The 110-94 final score really doesn't explain what a blowout this game was truly was.

Defensive Dominance

You didn't have to watch the game very closely to see how defensively dominant the Bulls were, particularly during the first three quarters of the game. Kirk Hinrich, Derrick Rose, Luol Deng -- you name a player, and he played fantastic defense last night. I was particularly impressed to see Rose lockdown George Hill and Deng hold Paul George to 12 points on 3-14 shooting from the floor.

The Bulls looked like a team that was pissed off after losing to the Pacers earlier this year, and I did not see any of the sloppy rotations or lack of hustle that has been evident for most of the season.  Pacers not named Chris Copeland connected on just 1-12 threes during the the game. The Pacers' bench contributed little outside of some garbage time buckets.

D. Rose Goes Deep

A rare drive last night

Derrick Rose electrified the United Center last night, burying 6-11 three pointers en route to 20 points. Rose laughed any time the Pacers played the drive, and if not for a moving screen by Taj Gibson, Rose would have hit 7-12 attempts. He clearly has his legs back, and he finally got fantastic arc on his shots.

Though Rose's three point shooting was amazing, I'm worried he may be afraid to drive the lane. Rose only attempted 5 FGs, and he looked extremely scared to drive the ball into the lane. Rose is a dynamic offensive weapon, and though I would love if he becomes a 42% three point shooter, I do not want to see him abandon driving. Other offensive players (I'm look at you Dunleavy) can't create their own shots, thus the Rose drive 'n kick is essential to long-term success.

Bench Mob

The Bulls' core bench players played orgasmically. I haven't seen Hinrich so tenacious on both sides of the ball since his first run with the Bulls, and I'm unbelievably impressed with how confident he looked on offense.

Taj Gibson was similarly fantastic, extending plays with 4 offensive boards and chipping in for 15 points. Mike Dunleavy nailed both of his three point attempts and poured in 10 points in just 22 minutes. If the top 8 of the rotation can play like this for the rest of the season, then Bulls fans are in for a splendid regular season performance.

This was undoubtedly the most impressive game of the season. The Bulls played like hungry champions, and I haven't seen the team look this since the 2011-12 season. For real. I'm feeling extremely pumped.

Chicago Bulls (4-3) Vs Indiana Pacers (9-0)

The Indiana Pacers are dismantling the NBA and making a mockery out of the rest of the league. Paul George's troops are thus far undefeated, and I've yet to see a team really threaten them. Admittedly, it's only been 9 games, but Paul George looks like the frontrunner for this year's MVP. The team plays an ugly offensive game, but so do the Bulls.

I really really do not buy the Indiana Pacers as an NBA champion, but with George and Roy Hibbert making the leap, it may be time for me to capitulate.

The Bulls played well last night against the Raptors, but the Pacers blew out the Milwaukee Bucks, 104-77.

Quick Stat Lines:

Paul George: 24.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 48.7% FG%

Roy Hibbert: 11.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.8 BLOCKS PER GAME

Hibbert is the best rim protector in the game, and the Bulls are going to have a very difficult scoring inside. As hard as Joakim Noah tries, he is simply not a real threat offensively, particularly against a strong defender like Hibbert. I assume Hibbert will matchup with Boozer most of the time, so hopefully Boozer lingers outside of the paint to open up the lane for Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose (if he plays).

Key Matchup: Derrick Rose Vs George Hill

George Hill and GF

The Bulls did a masterful job containing Paul George last time these two teams played. Thus, I'm not concerned about stopping him. Rather, I want Derrick Rose to abuse point guard George Hill.

CJ Watson started the last time, and Rose owned him every time he asserted himself. However, those moments were few and far between. Hill can't guard Rose--well, no one can guard Derrick Rose--so if he plays and is healthy, he NEEDS to exploit this matchup for the Bulls to win. Boozer will be largely contained, so Rose needs to drive to score and create open shots for his teammates.

My Prediction... Do I break my addiction and go against the Bulls?




No, I can't do that, even against the Pacers.

Final Score: Bulls 92 Pacers 89

Bulls (1-2) Vs. Pacers (4-0)

It's going to be a battle tonight at the stadium formerly known as Conseco Fieldhouse.

Let's take a look at some of our Central Division Foes' top players.

Paul George: The Leap

If you follow the writing of Bill Simmons or any of the excellent stable of Grantland NBA writers, then you are aware of the well-documented "leap." The leap happens when a player takes his game to the next level.

Honestly, I wasn't THAT impressed by the Pacers coming into this season, even after the team picked up Luis Scola and CJ Watson in the off-season. A great bench is a luxury, but at the end of the day, only 5 players play at a time, hence why the Miami Heat continue to win championships without a talented front court. However, if Paul George maintains his current pace, the Pacers are a real threat in the East.

His numbers thus far are insanely good: 27 points per game, 8.8 boards, and 4.3 assists. Even more impressively, George is shooting 53% from the field while connecting on 45% of his threes.

Now, his shooting percentages simply aren't sustainable. George has shot 43% from the field through his first three years while hitting 36% of his shots from downtown. Still, as we saw in the 2013 NBA playoffs, there's no question that George is a superior player with the potential to takeover a game.

The Butler/Deng duo should stifle him a bit early on, but even if Paul gets frustrated, he can still materially impact the game on the defensive end. He's an ok shot blocker, but he uses his length to grab tons of boards and can disturb passing lanes. I'm officially all-in on the Paul George superstar designation, but this will be the hardest match-up he's faced this year.

Same Old Roy?

I was once banned from sitting in the student section at DePaul basketball games for telling John Paxson (who was sitting a few rows in front of me) to draft Roy. He dominated my pathetic Blue Demons, but the Bulls surprisingly received the #1 pick that year, rendering Mr. Hibbert obsolete.

Remember that Roy Hibbert last year who DOMINATED that pathetically weak Miami Heat inside? Well, thus far he's resorted to his regular season form, averaging about 8 points and 8 boards. However, he's averaging an insane 5.3 blocks per game, so we could see the Bulls getting swatted in the paint.

I'd be much more optimistic about this match-up if Joakim Noah played extensively in the preseason, but thus far, Noah's looked a little sluggish and unbalanced. Maybe a few days off have given him time to get into top-notch shape, but even if he struggles, Gibson simply isn't big enough to counter the 7'2 Hibbert.

If Butler and Deng smother George, watch out for a nice hi-lo game between Hibbert and David West to become the go-to offensive option.

That being said...I'm picking the Bulls

The Bulls can't lose this game, but the Pacers are equally motivated to win this game to show that they are the Heat's primary competition in the Eastern Conference. Still, I think Rose comes to play tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for 35 on his home court.

Final Score: Bulls 102 Pacers 95