An exhausted Golden State Warriors team entered the United Center for their fourth game in five nights looking to expand on their best start since 1994-95.  Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls had other ideas for them though.  After a moving Veterans Day tribute to all the military past and present in attendance, the Bulls put on their gamefaces and prepared to go to battle.  They didn’t have to put up much of a fight as the Warriors showed their fatigue.  Not even the young legs of Stephen Curry and the scoring machine Monta Ellis could save the Warriors.  With not much time for anyone to catch their breath, the first quarter was a fast-paced one with the home team shining on both sides of the ball.  Thibodeau and crew got out to a 34-20 lead after one with the Warriors turning the ball over nine times leading to sixteen Chicago points.  Luol Deng and Derrick Rose combined for twenty-four points.  Most importantly the Bulls kept the Warriors off the free throw line and avoided the penalty by only committing one personal foul, a rare feat in this young season for this Bulls team.   Even with the Bulls lightning quick start the Warriors were down but not out according to Thibodeau.  “The way they score the ball you never feel comfortable.  They can score quickly on you.”

The Bulls would carry over their energy to the second quarter and continue being in the right spots at all the right times.  More smart defense and quick offense helped the Bulls extend their lead to as much as thirty before the half.  Keith Bogans added his fourth steal on the night and Luol Deng added eleven more points bringing him to twenty-one points before the half.  This Warriors team had no answers tonight and even if they did the Bulls weren’t giving them time to think about it.  Captain Derrick Rose said, “When teams come in on a back to back we have to speed up our offense.”  Speed it up they did.  This is by far the best the transition offense has looked on the season.  The ball was being pushed upcourt better than ever with the young captain leading the charge.  Rose was finding all the open men, every player was getting open creating their shot, and hitting their cuts. 

 The second quarter led to similar results with the Bulls doubling their lead to twenty-eight going into the locker room.  Keith Bogans capped off the half when he drained a three with one second remaining on the clock.  Once again, the Bulls played solid defense by keeping their hands back and not fouling.  Three fouls, nine steals, and a twenty-eight point lead going to the locker room kept the fans happy.  Keith Bogans wouldn’t accept any excuses for Golden State’s fatigue.  “Definitely they were tired.  This is the NBA, you gotta come out and play every night.”

A break didn’t do anything for the Warriors.  The Bulls got out to a thirty-five point lead before the end of the third.  A spark of life came out of the visitors when Stephen Curry hit a twenty-seven footer at the buzzer.  By that time the lead was thirty-one and insurmountable.  With a large lead and all five starters in double digits in scoring, Thibodeau gave his starting five much of the fourth quarter off to let his bench show off what they had.  Omer Asik chipped in nicely and found his way to the low post dunking the ball twice over Warriors defenders scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds.  Derrick Rose racked up another double double scoring twenty-two and dishing out thirteen.  “Everybody did their part tonight,” he added.

With a thirty-point win, a new franchise record set for least personal fouls in a game, and a solid team performance all around, what could there be to complain about?  The Bulls did get a little careless toward the end allowing Golden State to drain three pointers.  They have yet to play a forty-eight minute game which you have to do in order to be successful night in and night out.  The verdict was unanimous all around.  “I think we’re making progress.  We have to strive to play a forty-eight minute game,” said Tom Thibodeau afterward. 

Keith Bogans, who finished with fourteen points and six steals said, “This is a game we can build on.  We can still get a lot better.”    

For a team that led by as much as thirty-five and won by thirty, you would think there isn’t a lot to improve upon.  All the players had the same answer when asked if this was their best game of the season.  They all mentioned things needed to be worked on whether it’s focusing more on D, not turning the ball over, or playing a forty-eight minute game.  The maturity and growth is shining through on the leaders of this team and their influence is rubbing off as is Thibodeau’s.  When veteran Carlos Boozer comes back, the influence can only get stronger.  This Bulls team could be scary come January.  The Bulls have another shot at playing forty-eight minutes of basketball Saturday night before departing for their annual “Circus Trip” as rookie sensation John Wall and the Washington Wizards come to town.