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04-23-2018, 05:00 AM
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#201 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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December 1985
12.1.85: vs Philadelphia (8-8). JImmie Cain went for 31 with five assists, and Jack added 25-8-8 and 11-11 from the line, to secure the Bulls' 105-101 win over the Sixers. The Bulls outscored the Sixers 26-17 in the final frame to eke out the win. Steve Michaelson led all scorers with 36; the former Southern Cal big man has broken out in his fourth season, averaging 23.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in his first season as a starter. The 36 points are a career high. Woodrow Taber had 14 points and 11 boards. 12.3.85: at Portland (12-4). All good things come to an end, of course. The Portland Trailblazers saw to that. All-Star Royal Bryant scored 31, nabbed 15 rebounds, and ripped off eight blocks, to lead the Blazers to a 104-90 demolishing of the Bulls at the Rose Garden. The loss ends the sixteen-game winning streak the Bulls were enjoying. The Bulls led 48-38 at the half, but the Blazers got it to within three going into the fourth. They ripped off a 30-13 final frame to ease to victory. Guard Eddy Avina had 21 for the Blazers, while Robert Ritz had 18 and 13 boards. Jimmie Cain scored 27 for the Bulls, while Jack had a 20-9-10 line, on 7-22 shooting (and a -13 +/-). 12.4.85: vs Indiana (8-8). The Bulls return to the United Center and get past the Pacers, 106-99. Jack erupted for 39-16-13 (though just a +9). He shot 15-30 from the field, 8-8 from the line. Landon Creamer scored 16 with five boards and four assists to help the cause. Andrew Edmiston scored 24 to pace the Pacers. Robert Render had 13 and 11 assists, to go along with six rebounds. 12.6.85: vs Boston (15-3). The Celtics come calling to avenge their loss at the Boston Garden last week. They'll have to call another time, as the Bulls gutted out a 121-118 win. Jack topped his last game, going for 40-18-15 (though with eight turnovers and just a +1). He shot 15-23, and 8-8 from the line again. Cain added 25 with a whopping 12 turnovers. Al Zumwalt scored 12 on 6-8 shooting. Brian Deese nabbed 23 and 7 boards (also getting a +1 for the C's). 12.8.85: vs Philadelphia (9-10). Jack scored 31, registered 19 assists, and grabbed eight rebounds, as the Bulls stomped past Philly, 126-116. Cain added 26, and Joe Anderson got fourteen off the bench. Steven Michaelson continued his strong play with 25 and 8 boards. Woodrow Taber scored 20 and got 13 boards, while deep reserve Marlin Blow picked up 11 in just twelve minutes off the bench. He is a former starter with Golden State, and a former All-Star, for whom injuries have derailed a promising career. 12.9.85: vs Detroit (8-13). Chicago ripped Detroit, 114-88, behind 37-13-11 from Jack. Cain scored 16, while Gregory Escalera had 15. Brian Crawford scored 20 off six threes, but 7-22 shooting overall (he was 6-7 from three, for the record). The Bulls didn't lose a single quarter against the Pistons. 12.12.85: vs Utah (15-8). The defending champions come calling, and get the win at the United Center, 120-114. All-NBA forward Harris Connors scored 26, while Brian Mazza went for 26-10-4. Former USC star Federigo Mora scored 18 off the bench; some may remember his Trojans knocking Jack out of the NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight, his freshman year. Jack paced the Bulls with forty points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Cain shot 6-17 to get 13 points for the Bulls, who lose for just the third time this season. They are now 20-3. Jack, by the way, leads the league in scoring (29.7), rebounding (11.8), and is fifth with 10.5 assists. He is also tied for fifth with 2.2 steals a game. 12.13.85: vs Washington (10-11). Another game against the Bullets, and another win for the Bulls. This one saw Jack go for 37 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists (and five turnovers), leading the Bulls to a 99-81 win over Washington. Cain scored 18, while Escalera put up 14. Hugh Turnage led Washington with 22, 9 rebounds and six steals, while Jon McElroy scored 21 with 11 rebounds. 12.16.85: vs Boston (17-7). Chicago erupted for 73 first half points (they gave up 62, though), and cruised to a 124-114 victory over Boston. Jack went for 31-9-14, while Cain added 28-6-7, and Escalera 19-8-4. Brian Deese put up 33 with 8 boards, and Thomas Jones, who played horribly in the last outing between these two, scored 32 with seven boards and four assists. 12.18.85: at Dallas (12-12). Chicago, perhaps wary from the hectic December schedule, were slammed by the Mavs, 126-88. Six Mavs scored in double figures, led by Clemente Ellis' 24. Dom Winkler, one of the league's top scorers, had 22. Jack led Chicago with 21-5-9, while Clarence Cassidy scored 12. Nobody else had more than eight. 12.20.85: at Cleveland (10-15). Jack and the Bulls rebounded, beating the Cavs on the road, 107-100. Jack had another triple-double, going for 37-12-12, with four steals. Cain had 16, and Richard Mims added 14. Renato Young scored 29, and Luke Black 25 for the Cavs. 12.22.85: vs Portland (21-6). A battle between behemoths (the Bulls are 23-4 heading into the game) saw a Finals atmosphere. The game was heated and rather intense. The Bulls rolled to 35-20 lead after one, but Portland got it to within two going into the fourth. The Bulls pulled away late, and put Portland away, 98-86. Jack had 31-14-6, while Cain added 22-6-6. Robert Ritz led Portland with 23, while four others had 13 or 14 points. 12.24.85: vs Cleveland (11-16). The Cavs don't have to spend Christmas in Cleveland. Good for them. They do have to suffer another loss to the Bulls, this one 105-96. Jack had a career-high 47 in the win, along with eight rebounds and six assists. Cain scored 19. Luke Black had 24 for Cleveland, while Joe Baker scored 21 with six assists. 12.26.86: vs LA Clippers (10-17). The Clippers are one of the NBA's top disappointments. Sure enough, they bungled this one. John Koon fouled Richie Mims on a pass with four seconds left; Mims sank both free throws, which proved to be the difference in Chicago's 119-117 victory. Jack went for 36-20-7 to pace the Bulls, while Cain had 21, and Cassidy 15-5-5. C Preston Brown paced the Clippers with 33 and seven rebounds, while Ian Rowland scored 21 and pulled down 11 boards. His miss at the buzzer would have sent the game to overtime. 12.30.86: vs Golden State (19-8). The Warriors arrive, and get sent packing with a 94-83 Bulls win. Jack had a 44-12-7 night. Cain scored 16 with six boards. PG Lionel Condon had 20, with eight rebounds, to pace the Warriors. 12.31.86: at Utah (21-10). So the Bulls were in LA on the 26th, came home for the 30th, then flew to Salt Lake after the game to face Utah on New Year's Eve. Yeah, the game's scheduling is wonky. Utah put a damper on Chicago's plans to end the year on a high note, beating the Bulls 110-106. Royal Bryant paced the Jazz with 28, while Brian Mazza and Sammie Snodgrass added 20 each. Snodgrass also had nine assists (six turnovers). Jack had 40-11-9, while Cain had 27. It is quickly becoming Jack and Cain, Watch It Rain. The Bulls finish the month at 27-5, five games ahead of Boston for the top spot. Portland has the top spot in the West, at 25-8. The Lakers are 3-27, and look like an expansion unit. Code:
Jack is no longer averaging a triple-double; still, his numbers, especially his shooting percentages, are quite impressive. The Bulls are third in total offense, fourth in total defense. Their record is misleading; they are among the worst teams in the league with turnovers, don't get many blocks...I think they're going to come back to earth a bit in January. Code:
It's either that, or Jack will scorch the Earth. Code:
December GW update: The Colonials beat Bucknell and hated former coach Arlie Jennings. Then they rolled off six straight losses, before winning two to end the month. Georgetown, who has taken over as King of DC, is 8-3, and beat GW for the first time in five years. Hector still leads the team in scoring, but is doing little else. Armbruster is scoring 12.3 with 9.9 rebounds a game. All in all, this team has performed to their expected level. They are 6-8. Clemson (12-0) and Duke (12-1) remain atop the poll, while three other ACC teams patrol the top ten (Virginia, who just fell to #5 after being #2), #7 Wake and #8 Maryland. Power forward Rudolf McKinnie, of Missouri, is the top prospect in the nation. He's averaging 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. |
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04-24-2018, 06:01 AM
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#202 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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January 1986
1.4.86: at Denver (21-12). The Bulls, and Jack, were not messing around with Denver. They won every quarter, en route to a 121-90 crushing of the Nuggets. Jack went for 28-12-14, while Richard Mims added 15 and 10. Kevin Matherne scored 18 with seven rebounds for the Nuggets. Jim Burr added 18-6-6. 1.5.86: at Sacramento (14-18). Keenan Sweet's layup with eight seconds left brought Sacramento a 111-110 win over the Bulls. Sweet scored 33 points and added ten rebounds, while Eddie Fletcher and Charlie Hansel added 18 apiece. Jack had a 38-7-12 night, while Jimmie Cain scored 23. He missed a three that would have won it at the buzzer. 1.7.86: at LA Lakers (4-30). The Lakers cheered Jack at every chance, and booed their own players. To think, under old NBA rules, Jack probably would have been a Laker. In this one, he went for 36-9-8, with a pair of blocks and steals each, as the Bulls rolled, 121-89. Chicago won every quarter. Greg Escalera scored 19, while Cain and Landon Creamer put up 15 each. Chuck Duckworth and Dwayne Padgett each scored 16 for the Lakers. Joshua Berry, the Lakers' first-round pick and the small forward that isn't Jack, was booed at home. He scored five points and registered four fouls in just 21 minutes. 1.9.86: at New Jersey (21-12). The Bulls used a 45-24 third quarter, and then a couple timely misses by the Nets, to hang on in New Jersey, 128-125. Jack led the way with 37-10-10, while Cain added 33, and Escalera 25. Danny Smythe put up 33-8-6, while Tom Perez went for 20-5-11, and led all players with a +12. I really don't understand the +/- system; Jack shot 14-20 from the field, went 9-9 from the line, has a triple-double, and gets a -1. Smythe got a -7 for his 16-24 day. Hugh Turange scored 25 in the losing effort. 1.11.86: at Detroit (16-20). Jack has his second-straight double-double, and his 35-11-10 night leads the Bulls to a 111-101 win over Detroit. Escalera had a 23-7-5 day, helping offset a lowkey night for Cain (10 points on 4-6 shooting). Brian Crawford scored 36, on 14-18 shooting, to lead the Pistons, who are scuffling out of contention. Alf Waldron put up 29 with seven boards to help the Pistons lose. 1.12.86: vs Milwaukee (10-27). The Bucks wobbled their way into Chicago Stadium, and were promptly dispatched by the Bulls, 105-77. Jack's 27-9-5 with five steals and three blocks led the way, while Cain added 21. Al Zumwalt had 15 and 6 rebounds off the bench, while Richie Sims added 17 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. Jack Ostrowski (subtle Miral reference) had 20 for the Bucks. A quick look at Ostrowski shows he was a star for the Supersonics for years, and is a three-time All-Star. The former Purdue star, he was a Freshman All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 1976, when he became a starter for the first time. He won a title with Seattle in 1978. He returned to his Great Lakes roots when Seattle declined his player option, signing with Milwaukee two years ago. He averaged a career high 23.3 points a game his first year, but has been declining ever since. A career 20.8 ppg scorer, he is averaging 16.1 points per contest this year. Code:
Last edited by Comey : 04-24-2018 at 06:02 AM. |
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04-24-2018, 06:02 AM
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#203 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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January 1986 (Part 2)
1.15.86: at Washington (17-20). Another game against the Bullets, and another win for the Bulls. Jack shot 17-23 from the field, leading the way with 38-9-10, four blocks and three steals. He missed a rare free throw, though. Cain and Mims scored 18 each. Dougie Toscano scored 23, while Lamont Cioffi and John McElroy equally split 32 points, for the Bullets in their losing cause. 1.16.86: vs Sacramento (17-20). The Bulls, behind Jack's 32-8-8, and Mims' 25-7, rolled past Sactown, 120-93. The Kings led 36-35 after one, but the Bulls rolled after, winning the last three quarters substantially. Escalera added 29 for the Bulls. Chuck Hansel scored 24, and racked up nine rebounds, to lead the Kings. 1.18.86: vs Philadelphia (20-20). The Sixers are playing better of late, but beating the Bulls in Chicago is no easy task anymore. Neither is taming Jack. He put up an eye-popping 50-15-9 number, with three blocks and three steals, to pace the way. He shot 18-24 from the field, 3-4 from deep, and 11-11 from the line. He did that in just 36 minutes. Cain added 23 with six assists. Jack routinely victimized Whitney Gooden, a star player in his own right. He was held to 13 points and four fouls in 37 minutes. Stevie Michaelson scored 20, while Don Rudolph led the Sixers with 27. 1.20.86: at Detroit (18-23). The Bulls run their record to 36-6 with a 99-96 win at Auburn Hills. Jack didn't score fitty, but he did go 11-15 and 7-8 from the line to end with a 29-10-7 line. Cain added 25, while Escalera scored 15. Thomas Henderson, the reigning ROTY, scored 20 for the Pistons, with eight boards and four assists. Brian Crawford had a rather pedestrian game, putting up 14 on 7-20 shooting, and getting to the line never. 1.24.86: at Cleveland (15-26). Jack's 32-10-12, efficient offense (55% team shooting) and stout defense (37% Cavs shooting) gave the Bulls an easy 105-79 win. A 34-19 second quarter gave Chicago its cushion. Cain added 20, while Escalera and Clarence Cassady scored 10 each, the latter registering 10 boards. Luke Black's 23 and 13 rebounds led Cleveland. 1.25.86: at Seattle (23-18). Going from Cleveland to Seattle was too much for the Bulls, and they fell to the Sonics, 116-111. Jose Thomson's 31 paced the Sonics, while Stephen Lewis and Luther Culpepper added 22 each. Jack registered 29-10-18, while Cain added 19, and Creamer 18. 1.28.86: at Golden State (31-11). Chicago humiliated Golden State on its own floor, beating them 96-72. Jack had 25-12-3, with six blocks, to lead the Bulls. Cain added 17, six boards and six blocks. Lionel Condon scored 17 for the Warriors, while Marlin Cross had ten points and fifteen rebounds. 1.29.86: at New Jersey (27-15). The Bulls cooled down the streaking Nets, 110-102. Jack ended the month with 26-14-10; Cain (24) and Escalera (20) provided scoring punch, while Mims (15 points, 10 boards) helped clean the glass. Hugh Turnage scored 23 to pace a balanced Nets scoring attack. Gabe Smith added 18 points and nine boards, while Tom Perez scored 13, got eight rebounds, and distributed 21 assists. Standings Update: The Bulls lead the Celtics by nine games for home court in the East, and Utah by 4.5 games for overall home-court. The Bulls are 24-1, and 30-1 in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers, meanwhile, are 5-40. Code:
Jack now leads the league, with 32.0 points a game. He also leads in rebounds, with 11.4 per contest. His 9.8 rebounds per game is sixth. Code:
Code:
January GW update: The games GW would grind out over the past four years, they cannot this season. They are 8-13, and every single loss is by no more than thirteen points. Most are by single-digits. In those games last year, the difference was Jack. In those games this year, the difference is Jack...and maybe Hulett. Michael King, who has been the sixth man this year, is hurt. Hector is struggling. Armbruster is getting better, but he and Woods (10.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) can't go it alone. They are dreadful defensively, and among the worst in blocks. Jack made a true difference with this group defensively. Armbruster and Woods are stiffs, averaging less than half a block a game, despite both being 6'11. Despite all of that, they are scoring 73.0 ppg and giving up 73.3 ppg. This could easily be a winning team. Clemson is 20-0, the only undefeated team in the nation. Duke is still second, while K-State, Rice, and TCU round out the top five. Santa Clara, who went 17-14 last year, is 17-3 and in the top 25 this season. They are a once-proud power who may be ascending back towards the top. |
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04-25-2018, 05:23 AM
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#204 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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February 1986
2.1.86: at Philadelphia (22-26). The Bulls got the win after a 29-19 third quarter held up. The final, 112-103, was fueled by Jack's 27-11-11, and Jimmie Cain's 24. Greg Escalera scored 17 and nabbed nine rebounds. Stevie Michaelson scored 27, and Don Rudolph 26, to pace the disappointing Sixers. 2.2.86: vs Indiana (26-20). The second-place Pacers come to Chicago, and are run off the floor by the Bulls, 125-91. The Bulls took control in the second, which they outscored the Pacers, 42-24. Cain is a volume scorer and little else, but his 32 led the day here. Jack went for 28 points on 9-10 from the field, 10-11 from the line; he added 14 boards, nine assists, and four blocks. Landon Creamer added 10 points and a career-high 15 assists. Andrew Edmiston scored 28 to lead a lackluster effort by Indiana. 2.5.86: vs New York (14-33). The terrible Knicks come to town for the first time this year. In perhaps the biggest upset of the season, the Knicks shock the Bulls, 92-89. The Bulls were called for a shot-clock violation with five seconds left, and then let the Knicks run out the clock. PF Nickolas Funk scored 26 and nabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Knicks. Orlando Mancilla scored 29. Jack had a 25-7-10 day, but five costly turnovers. Cain scored 25, but did little else. 2.6.86: at Milwaukee (10-38). The Bulls took their frustrations of a night ago out on the Bucks, thrashing the home team, 120-103. Jack went for 32-9-9, with four steals and a pair of blocks. Cain added 26-3-3, Mims 18-5-5, Escalera 14-5-5, and Creamer 14-3-6. Adrian Mathison had 31 and nine rebounds for the hapless Bucks. All-Star Break: Jack was obviously named to the All-Star team for the Eastern Conference, leading all vote-getters. Danny Smythe earned his tenth All-Star bid. Jack was the only Bull named to the team. Utah led all teams with three players. Code:
Jack was named to the Rookie Game as well. Code:
Dunk Contest: Portland's Eddie Avina beat Philly's Whitney Gooden in the contest. Jack participated, but finished dead last. Bah. John Jennings of New York won the three-point contest, beating Seattle's Luther Culpepper, and Hugh Turnage of New Jersey. Rookie Game: The sophomores, behind Chuck Hansel's 33, rolled up the rookies, 112-86. Richie Russell was the star for the rookies, scoring nine, but registering 11 assists. Jack was quiet, going for 10-3-7 in 18 minutes. Code:
All-Star Game: Jon McElroy scored 30 points off the bench, leading the East to a 156-144 win over the West. Brian Crawford added 23, and Stevie Michaelson 22 in his first All-Star game. Jack, also playing in his first game, went for 16-7-8 in 23 minutes. Danny Smythe, the thirty-six year-old playing in his tenth All-Star game, played just one minute, and received a thunderous ovation. Stephen Lewis of Seattle led all scorers with 39 points. Harris Connors put up 20 with nine boards in a losing effort. Code:
At the break, Chicago is 42-8, and owns the league's best record. Indiana, second in the Central Division, is 27-21, fourteen games back. Boston is nine games back of the East's top seed. In the West, Utah (36-13) and Portland (36-15) are engaged in quite a battle, while Golden State (34-14) and Denver (33-17) are yielding no quarter. The Lakers, at 7-43, are Chicago's inverse. 2.11.86: at Milwaukee (10-39). The Bucks are fiesty; the Bulls needed a 44-point fourth quarter (44-35) to edge the Bucks, 122-120. Jack was 15-17 from the field, 11-11 from the line, to go for 42-9-12, with six steals. Escalera added 20, but on 6-17 shooting. Adrian Mathison got 27 and 10 for Milwaukee, while Richie Russell is blossoming: he scored 18, and added 17 assists. For the season, the #2 overall pick is averaging 19.1 points (48% shooting, quite good for a point guard), and 10.9 assists. Easily Rookie of the Year numbers, if you weren't up against Jack. 2.12.86: at Milwaukee (10-40). Forgot, this is the lengthy stay in Wisconsin. The Bucks didn't put up nearly the fight they did last night, getting clobbered out of the gate by the Bulls. The visitors swept all four quarters, leaving with a 114-84 win. JImmie Cain led the way with 29, while Jack put up 27-10-13. Mathison scored 29 with 14 boards, while Russell had a 13-5-11 night. 2.15.86: at Philadelphia (24-29). Jack had a 34-17-10 night, and the defense kept Philly from scoring more than 20 points in three of the four quarters, to get a 93-84 win. The Bulls weren't much better, scoring 20, 17, and 15 points in quarters. But their 41-point second quarter was the difference. Cain scored 18 and got 9 boards to support Jack. Stevie Michaelson got 20 points, while Whitney Gooden had 18-10-8 to lead the way. He also registered four steals. 2.16.86: at Phoenix (23-30). The Suns, behing Mark Brown's 24 and Michael Matney's 21 and eight boards, outlasted Chicago in overtime, 109-106. David Wolcott nailed a three at the buzzer to send it there. Jack went for 32-15-14, while Cain added 22, and Mims got 14 and 12. It was not enough, though. 2.18.86: at Indiana (30-22). The Pacers welcomed the Bulls in, but were glad to see them leave. Jack was 33-12-11, Cain put up 31, and the Bulls stomped Indiana, 131-105. Escalera added 16, and Mims 15. Harland Malcom scored 22, and Marty Ginn 20 and 9 for the Pacers. 2.20.86: at New York (17-37). The Knicks have hell to pay for beating the Bulls in Chicago. The Bulls inflict said hell, whipping the Knicks in front of their fans, 120-89. "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!" Cain screamed at a then-unknown Spike Lee, as he held John Jennings' broken body before him. (Jennings scored nine points, on 4-10 shooting). The Bulls shot 63% from the field, with Jack's 13-15 leading the way. He scored 41, had 11 boards and 8 assists, and a ridiculous +30 for the game. Cain and Escalera scored 16 each. Nickolas Funk scored 23 for the Knicks. 2.22.86: vs LA Clippers (21-33). Jack's 30-11-18...I think he's had a triple-double every game in the second half, save the first one. Anyway, another triple-double gave the Bulls a 112-105 win. Cain added 26, while Landon Creamer brought fifteen points and eight assists. Henry Rathbone and Ian Rowland scored nineteen each for the Clips. 2.23.86: at Washington (24-32). The Bullets finally beat the Bulls, and hand them their tenth loss on the year. Dusty Catron's 31, and Jon McElroy's 22 and 11 rebounds, paced the Bullets to a 100-93 win. The Bullets only committed eleven turnovers in the win. Jack's 33-14-8 with six blocks paced the Bulls, but nobody gave him much help. 2.26.86: at New York (18-39). The Bulls got back to their winning ways, beating the Knicks, 104-100. Jack had a 31-12-7 night, with three steals, while Cain and Escalera scored 20 each. Mims contributed 17 points and 11 boards. John Jennings had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who lost their fortieth. 2.27.86: vs New York (18-40). They enjoyed it so much the first night, so the two teams recreated things in Chicago. Jack's 31-13-6 paced the way, while Escalera had 20 again. Nickolas Funk scored 16 to lead the Knicks. Last edited by Comey : 04-25-2018 at 05:24 AM. |
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04-25-2018, 05:24 AM
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#205 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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February 1986 (Part Two)
Going into March, the Bulls are 50-10, eighteen full games ahead of the Pacers. They are eight games ahead of Boston for the top spot. In the West, Utah (45-14) and Portland (43-16) have gained a little bit of separation from the rest of the conference. Code:
Jack leads the NBA in scoring (31.9) and rebounds (11.5). He is back to a triple-double average, with ten assists a game. That's fourth in the league. Fellow rookie Richie Russell is third, with 10.9. Jack's also third in the league with 2.3 steals a game. Jack's +12.5 average is, far and away, the highest in the league. Only three other players, all with Utah, average double-figures. Looking at the rookies, only Jack and Russell truly stand out. Emil Andrae is third with fourteen points per game (he's also with the Bucks). But nobody really stands out. Josh Berry, He Who Is Not Jack to Laker fans, is averaging 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Fair numbers for a rookie. The fans in LA want the guillotine. Code:
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Code:
February GW Update: The Colonials rebounded, going 5-3 to get to 13-16. They will not reach the postseason, with just one game remaining. Unfortunately, games against teams with winning records have done them in. They are 4-7 against teams with more wins than losses, and, well, 9-9 against everyone else. Maybe winning teams didn't do them in. I don't wish to edit it. They lost a heartbreaker to Rutgers, when Brice Clay's dunk with three seconds left gave Rutgers a 97-96 lead. That was the final. If someone named Brice Clay tried to dunk on a team of mine with three seconds left...well, he, or his substitute, would have to earn it from the line. Hector still leads the team with 14.2 points per game, while Armbruster is putting up 13.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists (third on the team, amazingly). Julian Thaxton is averaging 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Not bad for a freshman, but about double-digits off everything Jack had. Across the nation, Clemson (27-1) finally lost, to #2 Duke, 67-53. They are still #1, in part, because Duke can't beat North Carolina. Two losses to UNC give the Dukies a 22-4 record. Big 8 rivals Missouri and Kansas are third and fourth, while Penn sits fifth. A trio of Ivys--Princeton, Yale, and Cornell, sit tenth through twelfth. Santa Clara, meanwhile, is enjoying their best season since 1974. They won 28 games that year. They are 25-4 this season, and ranked 23rd. |
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04-26-2018, 06:03 AM
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#206 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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March 1986
The Bulls, at 50-10, are three wins away from the most in team history. That came in 1974, with the only NBA championship the team has won. They won 51 a year later, but were bounced in the first round. 3.2.86: vs Atlanta (30-29). The Bulls held Atlanta to ten points in the third quarter, and easily distanced themselves from the Hawks, 108-79. Jack scored 45 on 19-27 shooting, and registered ten boards. He had just four assists. Jimmie Cain was the only other player in double-digits, with 16. Rex Smith paced Atlanta with 18. 3.4.86: vs New York (19-41). Chicago dusted off the Knicks, 99-86, behind 29-18-11 by Jack. Cain added 24-4-6, while Gregory Escalera scored 14. Orlando Macilla and John Jennings had 23 each for the short-handed Knicks; only seven players registered time for New York. 3.5.86: at San Antonio (24-36). The Bulls had little time to enjoy the Knick win, because they had to take off for San Antonio. They beat the Spurs, 118-106, to notch their 53rd win on the season. One more gets the record. Jack put forth another triple-double, getting 35-16-18. Cain scored 28, while Richard Mims scored 13 with nine boards and five assists. Legendary Spurs guard Isidro Brainard, now in his ninth year, led San Antonio with 25. Joshua Jones added 23 and 7 boards. 3.9.86: at Boston (45-17). A game circled by everyone for weeks, the Celtics host the Bulls. Chicago's bid for a franchise record in wins will have to wait a night. The C's halted Chicago, 101-89, telling the league, in effect, that the Bulls, and everyone else, can't assume they have a ticket punched to the Finals. Jules Howes led six Celtics in double-figures, with 22. He was 14-14 from the line. Brian Deese added 19, eight boards, five blocks, and four steals. Jack had a 25-14-12 night, with three blocks and three steals, but struggled (10-24) in shooting, and only got to the line four times. 3.10.86: at New Jersey (39-21). Another test for the Bulls; this time, however, they blew through it. The Bulls blasted the Nets, 134-124, to get to 54-11 on the year. Jack refused to let another loss happen, going for 45-11-12, 16-21 from the field, 12-12 from the line, four blocks and a pair of steals. He somehow ended up at just a +8 for his efficiency. Hmmm. Cain went for 22-6-7, shot 11-22, and got a +11. Escalera scored 21, went 8-16, had just four boards and 2 assists, along with four fouls, and had a +15. Landon Creamer had a 16-5-6 night, with four steals, and earned his +18. Tom Perez had 19 and 23 assists for the Nets, while Danny Smythe scored 22. 3.14.86: at Indiana (33-31). The Bulls outpaced Indiana, 119-107, behind 44-14-8 by Jack. He shot 14-17 from the field, 14-14 from the line. He is truly unstoppable. Cain went for 21, while Mims added 13 and seven rebounds. Marty Ginn scored 22 for Indiana. 3.18.86: at Houston (24-42). The Rockets shocked the Bulls, 112-101, prompting writers at the Chicago Tribune to question whether the Bulls peaked too early, and whether Jack is getting tired in his rookie year. National writers discussed how this team is primarily two players, that they were one of the worst teams last year, and that a singular talent, even one as great as Jack, does not guarantee success. This for a team that is 2-2 in their last four games. In this one, 7'0, 290-pound Del Scholl continued his improved scoring by going for 42. His career high, 44, came against San Antonio on Halloween. Larry Player added 18 points off the bench. Jack went for 33-9-10 with three steals, but outside of Cain's 16 (on 7-17 shooting), there was little else. 3.20.86: vs Boston (49-18). The Celtics have cut into the Bulls' lead, but only down to six games. Make that seven games, after the Bulls whipped the C's, 113-97, at Chicago Stadium. Jack led with 34-8-11, while Cain added 23-6-5, and Escalera 16. The Bulls roared out to a 26-8 lead after one quarter, and never looked back. Michael Chambers scored 20 to lead Boston. Brian Deese added 18 and eight boards. 3.22.86: at Cleveland (25-43). Maybe there is something to this peaking too early thing. Luke Black scored 30, James Anderson 23, and the Cavs beat the Bulls, 128-121, in Cleveland. Jack went for 37-15-12, and Escalera had a career-high 34, but little else happened. Cain had 14, but Richard Mims seems to be tiring. He had just five points and three rebounds in 27 minutes. Al Zumwalt may need more time in his place. 3.24.86: vs LA Lakers (10-59). Ah, the remedy. The Bulls scored 46 first-quarter points, and won every quarter convincingly, as they destroyed the Lakers, 134-87. Jack had 29-11-12, while Cain added 24. Mims recovered with a 16-8-5 minute, and Creamer had 14 and five assists. Chuck Duckworth and Dwayne Padgett had 18 each for the Lakers. One takeaway from this, though...the Lakers only had eleven turnovers. Maybe Chicago's defense is starting to tire somewhat. They did accumulate 44 assists, though. 3.26.86: vs Dallas (36-33). Chicago rolled again, this time clubbing the Mavs, 110-90. Jack went for 38 and 15 boards, along with four assists and four blocks. Cain put up 27, while Mims had six points, ten boards, seven assists, and six blocks. Clemente Ellis scored 36 in the post for Dallas. 3.28.86: vs Phoenix (38-33). The Suns are headed in the wrong direction. The Bulls did nothing to redirect them, sending them to another loss, 122-101. Jack's 37-11-8 led the way, wtih Mims (19), Cain (18) and Escalera (18) doing the support work. Clarence Cassady scored 12 as well. Michael Matney's 27 led Phoenix. 3.30.86: at Boston (53-19). Boston has won four in a row since they fell to Chicago. This one, at the Garden, would be their fifth. Thomas Jones sank two free throws with 1:25 left, which proved to be the difference, as Boston held off a furious Chicago comeback. Jones had 32 points and 15 rebounds, while Dewitt Gilpin had 18-7-5 in a supporting role. Boston only had seven turnovers, compared to 21 for Chicago. Jack had 31-13-8, but seven turnovers. Cain added 20 for the Bulls, who are now five games ahead of fast-closing Boston for the top spot. 3.31.86: vs Cleveland (29-44). Solace comes in home against the Cavs. Or it doesn't. A 112-104 loss to Cleveland definitely puts the Bulls in the crosshairs of criticism. They went just 9-5 in the month, but have lost three of their last seven. This is not befitting of a champion. Luke Black torched Chicago again, hitting for 32 with eight boards and four assists. Jack's 33-12-11 was solid, of course...but everyone else was middling. Creamer scored 15, and Escalera 14. Cain was just 5-14 from the field, Mims (10 pts, 13 reb) 4-12. The Bulls look like they're in disarray at the moment. Talk about a punch in the gut...Chicago led 26-13 after one. Cleveland won the second, 41-25, and didn't lose either quarter in the second half. Standings Update: The Bulls (59-15) lead Boston (54-19) by five games. New Jersey and Detroit will likely sew up the other home-court spots in the first-round. After that, it's an absolute mess for the playoffs. In the West, Utah (54-19) leads Portland (49-23) by four and a half games. Golden State (46-26), Denver (46-28) and Seattle (44-29) are vying for top spots as well. The Lakers, at 10-63, are potentially the worst established team ever (they are). The Bucks, at 15-57, aren't much better. Better times ahead for them, though. That's guaranteed. Code:
Jack is back to averaging a triple-double, leading the league in points (32.6) and rebounds (11.7), and ranking fourth in assists (10.0). Richie Russell, the brilliant Milwaukee floor leader, is averaging 19.2 points and 11.2 assists per game. When that kid hits his stride, wow. Code:
The Bulls have the top offense in the league, at 110 ppg. They have the sixth-toughest defense. But they are not getting steals, not generating turnovers (20th in turning it over and getting them)...this team is not equipped to beat Utah. They may be a regular season beast, but when playoffs come...Boston can beat them, and Utah and Portland, definitely. Code:
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Last edited by Comey : 04-26-2018 at 06:06 AM. |
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04-28-2018, 11:57 AM
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#207 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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March GW Update: GW lost their final game, 98-92, to 13-15 Portland. They finish the year at 13-17, a far cry from the 69-2 they were the two years prior. In the NCAA Tournament, it became a somewhat surprising year. Clemson stumbled down the stretch, lost the South #1 seed to Duke, got shipped out to the West (where they were the top seed), and then got dumped by 13th-seed Colorado in the Sweet Sixteen. 15th-seed Hawaii got to the Sweet Sixteen as well, shocking #2 Kansas 78-77 to get started. What a way to win, too: Guard Nestor Wayne shot as the buzzer went off, was fouled by Ronny Montgomery, drilled the shot to tie it...then canned the free throw with nobody around him. The place erupted, and Kansas players fell to the ground in amazement. Hawaii ended up losing to eventual West champ, #3 Cornell. They beat Colorado 83-68.
In the Midwest, #1 Missouri also fell in the Sweet 16, losing to #4 Michigan State. The Spartants, who have no solid history in this dimension, reached their first Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four in the process. The 29-7 Spartans are having their best season by far. Coming into this season, they had a record of 0-4 in four appearances. They upended #2 TCU, 61-55, in the regional final. In the Midwest, #1 Duke held serve, beating #7 Southern Cal. The Trojans had their worst regular season since 1978, but their best tournament finish since they ousted Jack in the regional final in his freshman year. The Blue Devils reached their first Final Four since 1968, when they lost in the championship game to New Mexico, 84-82. They reached the Elite Eight three times in the last five years, only to be denied each time. In the East, top-seeded Penn got past third-seed Baylor, 71-68, to get to the Final Four for the first time since 1963, and only the second time in school history. They have reached 13 Elite Eights, but have only gotten to the national semi twice. Amazing. #15 seed Long Beach State took out #2 Maryland, while #4 Kansas State and #5 North Carolina were upset by #13 Arkansas and #12 LSU, respectively. Final Four: Duke took out Cornell, 85-71, behind 17 points from top prospect Joseph Tu. Michigan State's storybook season continued, as they survived a last-second gasp by Penn to advance, 61-58. Perhaps the most amazing name to come out of this game, point guard Elroy Glasscock, led the way with 18 for the Spartans. National Championship: The Blue Devils atoned for last year's loss to George Washington, beating upset-minded Michigan State, 84-73. The Spartans led 33-27 at the break, but wilted behind Duke's pressure and rebounding (Duke outrebounded Sparty, 47-26). Joe Tu had 18, 9 boards, and four assists, while Christopher Johnson scored 18, added five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Somehow, Carlton Sandberg's 15 and 8 boards got POTG honors. David Deans led the Spartans with 25 points, while Glasscock scored just two points, but dished eleven assists. He rates as a B/B, and is a senior, but is only the 14th-best prospect in the Big Ten. Oh well. Oddly enough, Armbruster was named first-team All-Independent at...small forward. Hawaii got three players on the first-team. Amazing. |
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04-30-2018, 05:21 AM
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#208 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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April 1986
4.2.86: vs Seattle (44-29). Jack's 43-8-12 led the Bulls on a 121-119 win over Seattle. The Sonics led by six going into the final quarter, but the Bulls won the quarter, 30-22. Jimmie Cain scored off a Landon Creamer pass with ten seconds for the game winner. Jared Genovese tried to tie it at the buzzer, but he missed...well, obviously. Cain added 23. Stephen Lewis had 26, Luther Culpepper 24 with 10 assists, and Genovese 22 for Seattle. 4.4.86: vs Indiana (38-36). The Pacers shocked Chicago, 119-118, on Marty Ginn's jumper at the buzzer. Andrew Edmiston paced the Pacers with 39 and 12 boards. Jack's 30-16-11 led Chicago, while Cain had 21-4-5. 4.6.86: vs Denver (47-29). The Bulls stonewalled Denver, 96-81, behind Jack's 22-10-10. Mims scored 17 with seven rebounds. Kevin Matherne scored 22 for the Nuggets, while Jim Burr had 16-8-6. 4.7.86: vs Detroit (41-35). The Bulls went off after a sluggish first quarter, whipping Detroit, 132-114. Jack had himself a game, with 49-21-7, going 16-23 from the field, and 15-15 from the line. Cain's 23, while Gregory Escalera had 20. Thomas Henderson scored 43, while Brian Crawford and Emile Manson scored 15 each. 4.11.86: at Atlanta (34-43). Jack continued his assault on the division, hitting up a 46-6-11 number, in leading the Bulls to a 111-88 win. Cain added 18, and Eddie Shank had 12 with 13 boards off the bench. John Lacroix scored 20 for the Hawks. 4.14.86: vs Cleveland (34-45). Chicago outlasted Cleveland at the Stadium, 108-105. Jack's 32-17-9, and Escalera's 22, led the way. Luke Black's 32 and 9 rebounds, while a few players scored 14 for the Cavs. 4.15.86: at Atlanta (35-45). The Bulls slipped out of Atlanta with a 116-115 victory in overtime. Jack's final two of his 35 points came with :23 left in the extra period, and proved to be the difference. John Whitman was forced to take a deep three at the buzzer; it clanged off the right side of rhe rim, and the Bulls got the victory. Jack had 35-14-12, while Cain had 27 for Chicago. Lacroix's 26 gave Atlanta a fighting chance. 4.17.86: Indiana came out and fought for a 118-112 overtime victory over the Bulls. Andrew Edmiston and Michael Thielen scored 24 each, and Marty Ginn had 22 and 13 rebounds. The Bulls erased a six-point deficit in the fourth, and actually held a 105-102 lead with six seconds left. But Thielen's three at the buzzer sent the game to the extra frame. Jack finished the season with 34-11-8 numbers, along with four steals and three blocks. Cain added 26, Escalera 17, and Mims 16-7-5. 1985-86 Final Standings Chicago's 65 wins are fourth-best all-time, behind the 1970-71 Bullets (68-14), the 1982-83 Nuggets (67-15), and the 66-14 NY Knicks of '66. Kansas City ('75, '77) and the '83 Trailblazers each had 65 wins. They are one of three teams with sixty wins in the league this season; both Boston and Utah went 60-21. Portland won the Pacific Division, at 56-25. The Lakers finished 13-69, and their fans are currently boycotting the team. All indications are that Joshua Berry is on the outs in Lakerland, and that they may trade him and take Duke forward Joseph Tu with the top pick, if they get it. Milwaukee went 18-63, but with Richie Russell leading the way, they should rise quickly, and prove to be the top rival to Chicago (along with Detroit and Boston). Code:
NBA Awards Jack, naturally, won MVP and Rookie of the Year. Furthermore, the GM of the Year award went to Gary Moore, who won the award to securing the #1 pick, entirely by random. Fellow rookie Richie Russell was an All-NBA second team selection. Stevie Michaelson of Philadelphia was an All-NBA 3rd league choice, though he finished second to Lionel Condon of Golden State, for Most Improved Player. It is a just decision. Joining Jack on the All-Rookie team are old nemesis Kermit Lee, now center for Golden State; Denver's Kevin Matherne, who displayed glimpses of stardom; Emil Andrae of Milwaukee, and of course, his teammate, Russell. Josh Berry was a second-team selection. Code:
Playoffs Eastern Conference 1. Chicago vs 8. Cleveland 4. Indiana vs 5. Detroit 2. Boston vs 7. Atlanta 3. New Jersey vs 6. Philadelphia Western Conference 1. Utah vs 8. Sacramento 4. Denver vs 5. Seattle 2. Portland vs 7. Phoenix 3. Golden State vs 6. Dallas Jack finished as the league's top scorer, at 32.9 ppg. He was also the league rebounding champ, at 11.8 a game. He finished tied for fourth, at ten assists a game. Yup, he averaged a triple-double. Unbelievable. Code:
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YOUR 1985-86 Chicago Bulls! Code:
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05-01-2018, 05:34 AM
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#209 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1986 NBA Playoffs - First Round
Chicago (65-17) vs Cleveland (34-48) Season Series: Chicago 5-2 The Cavs are led by Luke Black (27.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Joe Baker (17.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 8.1 apg). One of their best players, James Anderson (13.0 ppg, 6.1 apg, 9.8 apg) is out for this series with a stress fracture. Prediction: The Cavs are undermanned even with Anderson. Chicago in three. 4.19.86: Chicago opened the playoffs with a 125-90 blowout. Nobody thought Jack would have any nerves, and they were right. He had 41 points, six boards, and nine assists, along with four steals and three blocks. He was 17-23 from the field. In the regular season, he shot 62/95/43. This is ridiculous. Jimmie Cain had 18, and Richard Mims 10 points and 11 rebounds for the top seed. Renato Young's 19-14-6 led the Cavs. 4.20.86: Cain went for an outburst, scoring 41 on 16-23 shooting, and the Bulls went up 2-0 with a 118-109 victory. Jack, happy to take a backseat in scoring, went for 25-5-13, with four blocks. Landon Creamer had 16 points and seven assists. Black had 29 with 14 rebounds for the Cavs, while Baker registered 23 and eight assists. 4.22.86: The series switched to Cleveland, but the story remained the same. The Bulls, behind Jack's 40-9-12, romped to a 136-123 victory over the Cavs. Cain added 27-5-6, and Mims 20-5-4 with six blocks, as the Bulls win the series, 3-0. Black scored 40 of his own, with 14 rebounds, for the Cavs. Other Series: #4 Indiana over #5 Detroit, 3-2 #2 Boston over #7 Atlanta, 3-1 #3 New Jersey over #6 Philadelphia, 3-1 #1 Utah over #8 Sacramento, 3-1 #5 Seattle over #4 Denver, 3-1 #7 Phoenix over #2 Portland, 3-2 #3 Golden State over #6 Dallas, 3-1 Conference Semifinals #1 Chicago vs #4 Indiana #2 Boston vs #3 New Jersey #1 Utah vs #5 Seattle #3 Golden State vs #7 Phoenix |
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05-02-2018, 04:58 AM
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#210 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1986 NBA Playoffs - Conference Semifinals
1) Chicago (65-17) vs 4) Indiana (45-37) Season Series: Chicago 4-2 The Pacers have star forward Andrew Edmiston, who has been a top player since day one. He's averaging 25.0 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. Center Marty Ginn is scoring 19.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. Michal Thielen is scoring 14.0 points and 5.3 assists a game. They are fifth in the league in scoring, and first in turnovers...but 19th in defense, and 19th in points per shot. With the Bulls' offense, this has "bad news" all over it for Pacer fans. Prediction: Too much offense for Indiana. Chicago in five. 4.27.86: Well, this is a surprise. The Pacers came out and shocked the Bulls, 109-106. Edmiston had 25, Ginn 23 and eight boards, and Desmond Gendron, a reserve point guard, had 20 points off the bench. Greg Escalera's 24 led the Bulls, while Jack was relegated to 20-14-9 on the night. 4.28.86: The Bulls got back on track, 110-99, to even up the series. Jack had 36-17-13, and five others scored in double figures to support him. Ginn's 23, and Edmiston's 19 and nine boards, led Indiana. 4.30.86: Indiana gained the upper hand again, beating the Bulls, 125-119. Edmiston's 26 and eight boards, and Ginn's 22-12-5 led the way. Thielen had 17, as did Irvin Williams, who also had eight assists. Jack had 41-12-9, and Jimmie Cain 24, Landon Creamer 16...but that's where the help stopped. 5.1.86: Chicago battled back to tie the series at 2-2, beating the Pacers 118-113. The Pacers were up one going into the final frame, but Chicago outscored the Pacers, 33-27, to take it home. Jack had another triple-double, 32-10-11, to overcome seven turnovers. Escalera (23) and Cain (20) supported the cause. Edmiston had 23 and 8 boards, and Thielen 22-4-4 for Indiana. 5.3.86: The Bulls shot 60%, behind Cain's 34 (12-13 from the field), and Jack's 30-12-12, as the Bulls destroyed Indiana, 126-100. Clarence Cassady gave 25 efficient minutes, going for 12-4-6 on seven shots. Eddie Shank scored 12, and Joe Anderson 11, to led the Bulls romp. Ginn (27) and Edmiston (20) led Indiana, per usual. 5.5.86: In ememy territory, with five seconds left, the Pacers up by one, Jack went to work. He slipped off a screen, caught the ball, crossed Michael Thielen, and shot it over Edmiston at the buzzer. The ball dropped through, giving Jack the last of his 48 points, and sending the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals, in a 116-115 classic over Indiana. Chicago won the series, 4-2. Jack went for 48-14-14, with five blocks and three steals, while Escalera had 21. Thielen led Indiana with 26, Ginn had 21, and Edmiston (16) and David Neubauer (15) offering support. Conference Semifinals #1 Chicago over #4 Indiana, 4-2 #3 New Jersey over #2 Boston, 4-2: New Jersey stole Game 1, and held serve in Jersey to gain the upset. #1 Utah over #5 Seattle, 4-0 #7 Phoenix over #3 Golden State, 4-2: The Suns' miracle run continues. They debuted in 1968, and reached the league finals twice in their first four seasons. Since then, they have been absolute fodder for the league. They have only reached the playoffs four times in thirteen seasons, and never past the first round. Conference Finals #1 Chicago vs #3 New Jersey #1 Utah vs #7 Phoenix Through two series, Jack has upped his totals. He's averaging 34.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 2.2 steals, and 2.1 blocks a game. Code:
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05-03-2018, 05:42 AM
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#211 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1986 NBA Playoffs - Eastern Finals
#1 Chicago (65-17) vs #3 New Jersey (50-32) Season Series: Chicago 6-0 In their short history, New Jersey has made the playoffs more than not. This is their sixth go in the ten seasons of their existence. Before this year, however, they had never won a series. They are led by the league's best point guard, Tom Perez. He's averaging 16.4 points, 14.0 assists, and 6.6 rebounds a game this season. Ten-time All-Star PF Danny Smythe led the team in scoring, with 22.2 points a game. He also bagged 7.9 rebounds. The 36-year-old showed no real signs of slowing down, although his scoring was down two points a game. He shot 56% from the field, 41% from three (his best figure since 1981). Hugh Turnage (20.5 points) and Gabe Smith (16.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg) round out a solid core four. They do not have a good bench, though, and cannot seem to beat Chicago whatsoever. Prediction: They didn't do it in the regular season, so why start now? Chicago in 5. 5.9.86: The series started as many predicted, with the Bulls blasting the Nets, 115-84. Jack's 34-16-10-3-3 were all class. Jimmie Cain added 20. Smythe and Smith paced the Nets with 14 each, but the Nets shot only 41% from the field, and had 18 turnovers with just 18 assists. Chicago had 17 turnovers, but 36 assists. 5.10.86: New Jersey made their stand. In the end, it was not enough, as Chicago escaped with a 117-115 victory, taking a 2-0 lead in the series. Jack led with 32-16-15, Cain had 22, and Gregory Escalera had 16 on 4-7 shooting. Smythe had 30-8-3 for New Jersey, while Smith scored 24, Perez 18 with 14 assists, and Turnage 17. Smith had a chance to tie it at the end of regulation, but his attempt went left. 5.12.86: Chicago ran its record against the Nets to 9-0 on the season with a 123-96 victory. The win puts the Bulls one victory away from their first NBA Finals in over a decade. Jack continued his mastery of the Nets with 37-16-8 on 13-18 shooting. Cain and Landon Creamer had 17; Creamer added six rebounds and eight assists. Richard Mims had 16-8-4 in a solid effort. Gabe Smith's 17 led the Nets, who are struggling for answers against Jack and the Bulls attack. Tom Perez had just six points on 3-11 shooting, though he did manage ten assists. Chicago, once again, had 36 assists. They have had at least 33 assists in each game of this series. 5.13.86: New Jersey pushed through, beating the Bulls, 114-96. That sends the series back to Chicago for Game 5. Turnage had a game-high 26 for the Nets, while Perez added 19-5-10, and the Nets shut down the Bulls attack with a 42-20 opening quarter. Cain's 24 led Chicago. Jack had an off-night, going for 22-4-7 with three steals, on just 6-9 shooting. 5.15.86: Chicago closed New Jersey out, 120-110, to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since their miracle championship run of 1974. Jack had 23-6-14 with five steals to lead the way. Cain (23), Escalera (22), and Mims (18) were pivotal players in the victory. Smythe scored 31 for New Jersey, and hinted after the game that he might retire. Perez scored 23, and Turnage 20 in the losing effort. Western Finals: Phoenix looked to shock the world, taking a 2-1 lead against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. The Jazz, though, showed why they won sixty games during the season, winning the next three in games that were not close. The defending champs will return to the NBA Finals, where they will face the upstarts. Conference Finals #1 Chicago over #3 New Jersey, 4-1 #1 Utah over #7 Phoenix, 4-2 1986 NBA Championship: Chicago (65-17) vs Utah (60-22) Code:
Last edited by Comey : 05-03-2018 at 05:42 AM. |
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05-04-2018, 05:49 AM
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#212 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1986 NBA Champsionship
Chicago Bulls (65-17) vs Utah Jazz (60-22) Season Series: Utah 2-0 Life for Chicago has been too easy this year. This series will either serve notice to the rest of the NBA that Chicago is the dominant one, or serve notice to Chicago that the highest of recognition must be earned all the way. I brought up how their roster seemed more built for the regular season than the postseason. Here's where Chicago may meet their Waterloo. Utah has six scorers in double figures for the season. Harris Connors, the star power forward out of Baylor, leads the way with 25.9 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. After him is former Princeton star, C Royal Bryant (could you imagine a 6'11, 283-pound guy walking around Princeton?), he of over five blocks a game for three years running. Oh, and he scores (17.1 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg).. Sammie Snodgrass averages 15.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 7.3 apg. Albert Scott, the team's sixth man, puts up 16.3 points a game. Tommy Brown averages 10.2 points and 6.4 assists per game. Brian Mazza, who would be a star on almost any other team, averages a modest 12.7 points per game. They rank second in offense, fifth in defense. Their point margine is +11.5, best in the league. They are the second-best rebounding team in the league. They do most everything well. It is why they're the champs. Prediction: It is also why they'll repeat. It won't be easy, but they'll do it. Utah in six. 5.21.86: Utah showed their muscle when they waltzed into Chicago Stadium and shut down the Bulls, 92-89. Bryant and Scott evenly divided 44 points, while Bryant also registered 14 rebounds and seven blocks. Connors scored 16 with ten boards in a supporting cause. Jack's 24-9-3 led the Bulls, who could get no traction in the second half. They were outscored, 40-31. 5.22.86: The tables got turned swiftly in this one, as Chicago's defense took center stage. The team held the Jazz to 41% shooting, and more turnovers (16) than assists (11), as the Bulls romped, 109-79. Jack's 27-8-10 led the way for Chicago. Jimmie Cain scored 18, while Eddie Shank had 13 off the bench. Six players scored in double figures. The Bulls got out to a 32-22 first quarter lead, won every quarter, and outscored the Jazz, 53-34, in the second half. Mazza's 20 led the Jazz, who only had three players in double-figures. Sammie Snodgrass shot just 3-12. 5.24.86: Oh my. The Bulls, behind Jack's 35-8-6 with five steals, stole Game 3, 115-114. Richie Mims had 22 with six boards, and Gregory Escalera had his best game of the year, with a 21-9-8 line. Harris Connors put up a 30-14-8 line for the Jazz,. The Jazz only played seven players, and all of them scored in double figures. But nobody had more than Royal Bryant's 16. 5.25.86: The Jazz regained some momentum, beating the Bulls, 113-94. The win ties the series at two apiece. Bryant's 25 points, 14 boards, and six blocks led the way. Connors (24), Snodgrass (18) and Mazza (17) were key as well. Jack's 31-9-17 led the way for Chicago. Cain was the only help though; he had 20. 5.26.86: Utah took a 3-2 lead with a 124-108 win over the Bulls. Connors led Utah with 29, while Albert Scott scored 24 off the bench, in just 23 minutes. Bryant had 23 points, 11 boards, and a trio of blocks. Mazza scored 21, and while Snodgrass collected just five points, he had 12 assists. And seven turnovers. Jack's 29-9-16 led Chicago, as usual. Cain had 20, and Landon Creamer 16 for Chicago, who head home with their backs up against the wall. The Jazz gained the easy win with a 36-22 fourth quarter, putting the Bulls away behind crazy momentum devliered by their fans. 5.27.86: We will see a seventh game. The Bulls, behind Jack's 33-11-12, beat the Jazz, 92-87. Mims put up 22 points, ten boards, and five blocks to overcome Cain's 1-12, three-point night. Connors scored 31, but the Bulls pinched on everyone else. Scott came off the bench to score 16. Mazza played just ten minutes and fouled out. That didn't help matters. |
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05-05-2018, 12:34 PM
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#213 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1986 NBA Finals: Chicago vs Utah, Game Seven
The seventh game of this classic Finals should be done properly, no? Let's go GW old school, and give as much of the PBP as possible. Bryant wins the jump, but Brown misses the first shot. The ball is out on Chicago, and Mazza opens with a three. Jack finds Cain for the score...Bryant scores for Utah, but Jack answers with a dunk. Tommy Brown hits a three, and it's 8-4 Utah. Jack scores from the free throw line off an Escalera pass. Bryant scores from Snodgrass, but Jack finds Mims. It's 10-8. Jack has 4-1-2 so far. Mims ties it, but Connors scores his first points. Mazza fouls Escalera, who hits both free throws. It's 12-12 with 7:47 left in the first. Bryant nails a three. He has seven early points. Cain scores from inside...Mims fouls Scott. He hits both free throws. Escalera travels, and Mims fouls Scott again. It's 18-14, as Zumwalt comes in for Mims. Snodgrass charges into Cain, and Zumwalt hits. Clarence Cassady is in for Jack. It's 20-16 with 5:31 left. Snodgrass gets a steal, but they cannot hit. Connors scores inside. Jack has been missing for awhile. Escalera hits a three, but Brown finds Bryant. Zumwalt hits...it's 24-21. Jack is back. Scott hits a layup. He has five...Mazza with a steal, but he misses the layup. Joe Anderson is in, and he finds Zumwalt. He has six early points, and now Cassady ties it up with 2:21 left on a three. Cassady gets a steal and a layup to take the lead. Utah calls time, dwon 28-26. Scott hits, tying it up. Ferderigo Mora comes in and gives Utah a lead, but Jack finds Eddie Shank. It's 30-30 with under a minute left. Shank scores again, but Connors ties it in. Jack takes a three at the buzzer, and drains it! The quarter ends, 35-32. Jack has 7-2-4 numbers, as the Bulls shot 65% from the field. The Jazz hit 57%. Jack hits to open the second quarter. Scott misses, Jack gets the board. Shank goes 1-2 at the line off a Scott foul. Connors scores. It's 38-34; Jack finds Zumwalt for the hoop. Mora follows a Scott miss with a dunk. Chicago leads 40-36. Zumwalt fouls, and Mims comes back. He immediately gets a block. Bryant fouls Jack. Jack misses a jumper, but Snodgrass tosses it out of bouls. Mazza fouls Cain, who goes one of two from the line. He has 5-1-0. It's 41-36 with 7:50 left. Snodgrass hits a three. Cain misses a layup, but Utah gets a shot clock violation. Escalera hits two free throws, then forces a turnover on Mazza. Escalera hits, and Jack gets hit with a technical for taunting. Mmm. Mora hits, and it's 46-42, Bulls. Mims scores off a Cramer pass. Escalera hits. He has 12. Cain gets a steal, but Jack misses the layup. He has 9-6-6 so far, and it's 50-42 with four minutes left. Mims gets his third foul. Snodgrass finds Brown for a bucket, but Creamer counters. Mora scores. Jack finds Escalera for a bucket. Mora gets his tenth point, but Cain responds. It's 56-48, Bulls, with 2:22 left. Cain is called for an illegal screen, and Creamer fouls. Mora gets a tip-in of a missed three. Zumwalt hits. Mazza is fouled, and goes 1-2 from the line. 58-51, Bulls, with a minute left. Jack gets a layup, then a rebound off a miss. Mora fouls Zumwalt...he misses both. Connors gets a dunk, and that's the half. Chicago leads 60-53. Escalera leads all with 14, while Jack has 11-8-7 so far. Mora leads Utah with 12-6-0, while Connors has ten. Zumwalt has ten for Chicago. Snodgrass gets a steal to open up the second half. Braynt scores, and Mazza gets another steal. This one gets nothing, but Chicago comes out playing sloppily. The Bulls can't buy a basket early; Connors gets it to 60-57. Mims gets his third foul, and comes out. Bryant has three for the Jazz. Jack hits two free throws, and it's 62-57. Cain gets a strip, but Snodgrass gets another steal. Jack gets a block, and Zumwalt finds Cain. Utah has another turnover. And another turnover, this time Escalera dunks it. 66-57, and Utah has to call time. Cassady comes in for Jack, and Royal Bryant collects his fourth foul. Cain finds Creamer, but Scott scores for Utah. He gets another layup, and it's 68-61, Bulls, with less tahn six to go in the third. Connors scores, cutting it to five. He has 14-11-1. Connors gets a three point play, and it's back to two. Jack is still out. Brown gives Utah a 69-68 lead on a three. Escalera responds with a bucket. He has 18. Then he commits a foul, and Brown hits both free throws. Cassady misses a three. Jack is still out. Hmmm. Mora scores. 73-70, Utah, with 3:42 left. Connors scores, then tips in his own miss. It's 77-70, and this crowd is hushed. Scott hits a bucket. Cain goes 1-2 at the line, as Jack finally comes back. He misses a dunk. 1:54 left, it's 79-71, Utah. Mora hits a layup. He has 16-9-0, and it's a ten-point game. The mood on this one switched quickly. Mora heads to the line, and hits both. Chicago cannot get a bucket. Connors punctuates the third quarter with a dunk at the buzzer. It's 85-71, Utah, and the crowd is deadly silent. Connors has 23-15-1, Mora 18-10-0...Jack has 13-10-7 for the Bulls, while sitting for long stretches of the first and third quarter.s Escalera has 18, but there is little going on for Chicago. Mazza opens the fourth with a layup. Zumwalt gets called for a travel. Mora hits a jumper, but Escalera counters. Zumwalt gets his fourth foul; Connors goes 1-2 from the line. Jack misses another layup, and gets frustrated at the refs. Cain scores from inside. 90-75, Utah. Scott misses, but Chicago knocks it out. Bryant scores, and Chicago misses. Mora hits. The lead is nineteen. Jack scores his first points in forever. Jack hits again. 94-79, 8:30 left. Mora goes 1-2 at the line. Jack hits a three...95-82. Mora scores again. He has 25. Mora scores AGAIN. Cassady scores off a Jack pass. It's 99-84, just under seven minutes to go. Jack misses another layup. The Bulls have to make their run now. Joe Anderson gets blocked by Connors. Jack gets called for a travel, and he has to watch it. Connors scores. 101-84 Utah...this one feels over. The Bulls are shooting poorly. Bryant gets a steal, and Mims fouls out fouling Connors hard on a dunk. Connors hits both, but not before everyone gets into a little scrum. Mora heads to the line. He goes 1-2. He has 28-13-0. Jack is out, the scrubs are in...the fans are leaving. It's 104-86. Billy Alvarez scores for Chicago. Zumwalt scores. It's 104-90 with under two to go. Mora gets two free throws, giving him 30. Those thirty tied a career high. The final is 106-90, Utah. The Jazz celebrate, and the Bulls stand and watch. They feel their time is coming, and they'll get back to this spot again. Mora had 30, Connors 28. Jack had 20-14-8 for the Bulls. He only got to the line twice. Escalera had 20 as well. They really got no help, though. Cain shot 5-15. Zumwalt had 12 off the bench. While the loss feels hollow, the feeling replacing it is hope for all the things to come. Code:
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05-06-2018, 08:47 AM
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#214 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Here are the final playoff stats for the Bulls:
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05-06-2018, 08:51 AM
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#215 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Heading to the offseason...
The Bulls will have some interesting situations develop. Returning: Jack, Mims, Escalera, Shank, McBroom Free agents: Creamer, Cassady, Zumwalt, Anderson, Chris Henderson, George Penrod, Justin Ahn Options: Cain, Billy Alvarez, Marcus Tilton Cassady is the top priority; it won't be expected that he goes anywhere else. Creamer is not a good point guard, and is likely to be replaced. Cain has what appears to be an option, which will obviously be picked up. Zumwalt is a toss-up. He's cheap, but also not good. If the Bulls can upgrade the bench, they'll do it. 1986 Offseason Lottery: The Lakers, for the second year in a row, has the best chance of the top pick going into things. They are followed by Milwaukee and the Knicks, then Houston and San Antonio. Washington, as expected, will pick seventh. San Antonio dropped one spot, and then Milwaukee lost big time, falling to #5. The Lakers can cry again; they'll pick fourth. The Knicks are picking third. Houston, who went 29-53 last year, will get the #2 pick. At #1, the biggest disappointment last year, the LA Clippers. They were 32-50, but they will pick #1. Not only do the Lakers not get the #1 pick, they have to watch their crosstown rivals take their spot atop the list. Coaching Changes. The Bulls let assistants Jess Popovic and Vidal Quesado walt, along with scouting director Daniel Ramos. Popovic went to Dallas while Quesado, a long-term assistant with Chicago, is now unemployed. Ramos moved to Phoenix. Antonia Scott replaced Ramos as the scout. He started with Utah, then was in Detroit for the last four seasons. He is good at scouting potential ability, but not so much at current ability. Albert Harris, a post defense guru, comes to the team from Houston. He has been all around, with stops in Seattle, New York, and Detroit. He is okay (C+) at coaching other things, but excellent at post defense. This should help the bigs. He is horrible at perimeter defense. Ward Honea will get to break into basketball as an assistant. He is great at coaching shooting, awful at perimeter defense, and okay everywhere else. He can grow, though. Ward Garcia has been out of the league since his contract was not renewed by Utah after the 1979 season. He is a good ball-handing coach, mediocre elsewhere, and a dreadful perimeter defensive coach. Fortunately, the head guy, Alfonzo Alba is a guru of defense. Entering his second year in coaching, the 37-year-old boy wonder is also good at inside and ball-handling, while okay in shooting. So the Bulls have likely covered their bases. |
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05-06-2018, 08:53 AM
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#216 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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1986 Draft
This is a pretty deep draft, with ten players in blue potential, and seven others with yellow potential. Duke star Joseph Tu is expected to go #1, while Houston is expected to take UTEP star Michael Grossman. Kansas reserve David Sweatt wowed New York to the point that they are planning to take him third. If so, expect a backlash by their fans, especially with Rudolf McKinnie slated to be on teh board with the pick. Tu did go #1 overall, as expected, and Grossman #2. At #3, the Knicks selected Cornell forward Joshua Morris. He looks to be an offensive forward who is very weak on defense. The Lakers spent no time waiting to take McKinnie at #4. The National Player of the Year in the Season After Jack, McKinnie is considered the brightest star of this draft. David Sweatt went to Milwaukee at #5. Guys Jack would have known include C Roger Snelling of Yale, who saw Jack in the NCAA Tournament; he went ninth to Sacramento. Joey Deel of St. Bonaventure went 10th overall to Atlanta. Point guard Orville Ayer of Duke went to Wasihngton at #18. Boston selected Princeton forward Dennis Davis at #22 overall. With Chicago's first pick, they selected South Florida C Michael Hicks. He looks to be a force inside scoring, but not particularly good at anything else. With the final pick of the draft, the Bulls took David Deans, a point guard from Michigan State. He does not look like a person who will make any sort of impact. Code:
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05-07-2018, 05:08 AM
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#217 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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1986 Free Agency
Chicago kept Cain, who was a RFA, signed Cassady to a six-year, $7.375m deal (amazing), and added former Laker forward Kurtis Dowded. He's a G/G who looks like he can contribute. They are also keeping Ahn and Chris Henderson, and added veteran guard Joseph Joe. He started in Portland the last three years, averaging 9.1 ppg and 8.1 apg last year. He is not particularly good, but he may be a better fit for this offense. He'a also a solid defender. Detroit signed Al Zumwalt away. Elsewhere, the Lakers signed Tommy Brown away from Utah. That is a bit of a blow to the Jazz. Mora also left, going to Sacramento. That team looks pretty good, actually. |
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05-07-2018, 05:08 AM
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#218 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Season Predictions
Chicago is predicted to win the Central, ahead of Detroit. The only one who looks like they are regressing is Golden State, while the Clippers are moving up. Code:
The 1986-87 Chicago Bulls The majority of the team is back, but there are some moving parts. Eddie Shank is slated to move into the starting five, while Clarence Cassady is taking over as the starting point guard. That is not great news for the Bulls, as he is a great passer, but an awful ballhandler. Mims, Jack and Escalera return. Cain is now the sixth man, while 7'3 Chris Henderson will likely get a bigger role in the post. My Prediction: This is not an overly talented group. Jack makes all the difference, of course. But it can be reasoned that Detroit, not Chicago, is the class of the division. They have a better roster overall, and a lot more depth. So does Indiana. Chicago is easily a playoff team, and could win the division. But they are not as good as last year. Code:
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GW Update: George Washington is not ranked, of course. They actually have a decent roster; Armbruster is one of the top players around, and Kenny Frazier has become a rather good guard. Grayson has not improved, and neither has Denny Perez. Julian Thaxton, the guy who replaced Jack, has regressed and become a shooting guard. They are likely a .500 team. Armbruster, for the record, is the 44th-best prospect in the class. So, there's a small opportunity for a NBA career. Colorado State is the preseason #1, followed by Rice, Kansas, Baylor, and Southern Cal. |
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05-08-2018, 05:30 AM
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#219 |
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College Starter
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November 1986
Chicago went 6-0 in the preseason, if anyone was wondering. 11.5.86: vs Denver (1-0). The Nuggets won on Opening Night, but a back-to-back against a rested Jack? Pssh. The reigning MVP went for 48-8-10, on 18-24 shooting (11-11 FT), as the Bulls beat the Nuggets, 105-93. I always write Nuggest when writing Nuggets. Just wanted to point that out. Anyway, Eddie Shank added 16 in his first Bulls start. Jimmie Cain is having a tough adjustment to a bench role; he had just five points. Seven-time All-Star C Joe Curtis led the Nuggets with 24-7-4. Jim Burr had 18-6-8. 11.6.86: vs Washington (1-0). The Bullets come in...see, now I have no trouble writing Bullets. But Nuggets...well, I did it right that time...anyway, Washington is in, and get set out with a 124-105 Chicago win. Jack's 33-7-15 did the trick. Richie Mims had 20, and Clarence Cassady, the new point guard, had 17-9-9. Really, it's a 6'6 jumping bean who gives Chicago incredible advantages in the offensive game. Oh...Jack had fifteen assists, and just one turnover. Jon McElroy's 29, and Lamont Cioffi's 16 and 10 boards, led Washington. 11.8.86: at Indiana (1-1). The Bulls beat back The Pacers, 109-86, behind 28-15-10 from Jack. His 9-18 day is his worst so far; he also missed a free throw. Gregory Escalera put in 15 on 3-10 shooting, but 9-9 free throws; Richard Mims had 14 and 13 boards, with five blocks. Jack did commit nine turnovers in this one. Andrew Edmiston scored 14 to lead the putrid Pacer attack. 11.10.86: at Philadelphia (1-1). The Bulls are 4-0 after blasting Philadelphia at the Spectrum, 128-100. Jack's 42-10-8 led the way, while Cain had 23 and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. Shank added 20. Whitney Gooden had a 19-5-5 night for the Sixers. Woodrow Raber had 17, 7 boards, and 7 blocks. 11.11.86: at New Jersey (2-2). Chicago won its fifth straight, holding back the Nets, 115-94, in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals. Jack had 31-9-8 with four steals, leading six Bulls in double-figures. Escalera had 18, and Shank 14-6-6 to help lead the way. Danny Smythe's 15, and Tom Perez' 13-4-11 paced the Nets. Allen Moffatt had 15 off the bench. Quick sidebar: Cleveland is 4-0, half-game back of the Bulls. Just wanted to mention it. 11.13.86: at Washington (3-2). The Bulls embarrssed the Bullets, 90-64. Jack's 18-9-7 were modest, but he led four players in double figures. Shank also scored 18, with seven boards. Cain added 13 off the bench. CIoffi had 17, with 18 rebounds, to lead the Bullets...if you want to call it that. 11.15.86: vs LA Clippers (3-2). The Bulls return home from their four-game road trip to face the Clippers. The Bulls were not hospitable, blowing out the Clips, 119-99. It was worse...the Bulls were up by thirty heading into the fourth. In 28 minutes, Jack had 35-10-11, with four steals and a pair of blocks. Shank had 23, Escalera 19, and Cain 18 off the bench, helping the Bulls to their seventh-straight win to start the year. Sebastian Daniels, the Clippers' up-and-coming third-year star, had 20 to lead the way. Joe Tu, the first overall pick in this season's draft, had 19 off the bench. It is his high to date. 11.17.86: at Philadelphia (2-3). Back on the road for three more, this time at struggling Philly. The Bulls made sure they continued to struggle, whipping them 104-85. Jack had a clean game, going for 30-12-13 with two steals and zero turnovers. Mims added 20-11-4, Escalera 19 with seven boards, Shank 11-13-5, and Cassady an 8-9-10 day. David Lawson, the rookie out of Cornell (11th overall), led Philly with 20. Taber added 13-10-3 with five blocks. Elsewhere, the Cavs dropped their first, going to 6-1. The Bulls are 8-0. 11.18.86: at New Jersey (5-3). The Nets can't get over the hump; Chicago took them down, 105-96. Jack's 21-9-10 led the way, while Shank had a team-high 24. Mims added 19-7-6, and Cassady 10-5-12. Hugh Turnage had 25, and Perez 14-9-15 for the hosts. Gerrado Sand had 19-6-4 in a supplementary cause. 11.20.86: at LA Clippers (4-4). An odd back-to-back, as Chicago flies home after for a game against Detroit tomorrow night. The Bulls are 10-0 after they beat the Clips, 124-108. Jack's 43-11-12, and 20-22 from the line, led the way. Cassady is getting into a groove, going for 28-6-7, and Cain added 13-4-4. Preston Brown, another emerging star in the post for the Clippers, had 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers. Ian Rowland, a career Clipper who has seen the move from Buffalo to San Diego to LA, added 17. 11.21.86: vs Detroit (5-4). The streak is eleven, as the Bulls romped over Detroit, 118-94. Jack gave a well-rounded 37-8-12 night, with three steals and a pair of blocks. Shank's 17 led four others in double-figures. Brian Crawford went off for 40 points and 13 rebounds to lead Detroit. However, he got very little support, as nobody else scored in double figures. 11.23.86: at Cleveland (7-2). An early challenge from the Cavs, who are off to a great start. After being down 50-45 at the half, the Bulls came out for a 40-29 third quarter. They added a 37-28 fourth, drubbing the Cavs, 122-107. Jack's 43-13-17 was tops, while Shank had 20, and Cassady 18-5-7. Luke Black led Cleveland with 38 and 11 boards, while Joe Baker had 19-8-11 with four steals in a superb effort. 11.24.86: vs Cleveland (7-3). The return match, in Chicago, saw the Bulls take the Cavs' spirit. The final, 140-94, was much more than that. It was well-paced in every quarter. The Bulls won the first by 8, the second by 15, the third by 14, and the fourth by nine. Jack's 40-14-12 with four steals and four blocks (in just 32 minutes) was the star of the night. Shank had 24 in 24 minutes, and Chris Henderson added 22 in just 16 minutes. Joe Baker's 19 was the highlight for the Cavs, who went from second to distant in two nights. The Bulls are 13-0. 11.26.86: vs New Jersey (8-4). The Bulls outlasted the Nets, 113-105, to go to 14-0. Jack ruled again, going for 47-13-11. Escalera woke up with 19, and Shank 18, as the Bulls shot 55% from the field. Gerrado Sand's 21-11-5, and Tom Perez' 26-6-12, led New Jersey, who is 0-3 vs Chicago this season already. 11.30.86: at Phoenix (6-5). The Suns are losers of two straight. Three, actually, after the Bulls completed a perfect month, 112-89. Jack had 33-9-12, while Mims added 21 with seven boards and four blocks. Cain had 12, and Cassady 10-6-3. The Suns were balanced in their awfulness, with Michael Matney double-digit scorers with 14. Standings: Think the Bulls aren't on a mission? They're 15-0, wtih three wins coming against second-in-conference New Jersey (9-5). Boston is tied with the Nets, and Indiana and Cleveland are both 8-5. Denver leads the West, at 11-4. All teams mentioned have losses. Code:
The Bulls are first in most offensive categories, but also second in many defensive categories. They are first in many of the margin categories as well. All told, this is one of the most amazing months ever seen. The Bulls should destroy the all-time record for wins (68, Bullets, 1971). Kind of surprised they're doing it...but they're beating teams by 20.6 points a game. And they did it against a good opening schedule. Code:
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November GW Update: The team went 4-3, beating West Virginia 101-70 on the road, but losing a few games they definitely should have won. Grayson is leading the team, with 17.9 points per game. Armbruster is averaging 13.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. |
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05-09-2018, 04:52 AM
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#220 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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December 1986
12.1.86: at Utah (9-4). Things start with a bang, as a rematch of last year's NBA Finals kicks things off. Chicago's streak comes to an end with a thud, as they are crushed by the Jazz, 105-89. A 34-17 second quarter did the Bulls in. Last year's Sixth Man of the Year, now starting point guard, Albert Scott led the way with 26 points. Sammie Snodgrass had 17-9-11, while Royal Bryant (17-12-3, three steals) and Harris Connors (17 pts) led the way. Jack had 30-7-8 with three steals and two blocks, but shot a season-worst 8-19 from the field. Cain had 17 off the bench, while Shank had 16. The Bulls committed 25 turnovers. 12.5.86: at Detroit (8-8). The Bulls get back on track, routing the Pistons, 116-104 in Auburn Hills. Jack's 45-9-9 led the way. He has been missing more free throws this year, though. Cain had 26-5-5, while Greg Escalera added 18, and Clarence Cassady 11-10-6. Brian Crawford, who erupted for 40 against the Bulls last time these two played, had 24-6-5 this go round. 12.6.86: vs Philadelphia (6-8). The Bulls return home and whip the Sixers, 90-63. The Sixers look like a shell of themselves, and there may be worse times yet to come. They lost breakout All-Star forward Stevie Michaelson, who signed with Detroit (I missed that before). Regardless, Jack's 41-15-11, with four steals, nearly single-handedly demolished the Sixers. Cassady added 15-13-4, as the Bulls outrebounded the Sixers, 52-35, and out-assisted them, 28-13. Woody Taber had 10 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Sixers. He had half of their rebounds. The Sixers are in sad shape. The Bulls now have an odd five days off. 12.12.86: at Denver (15-6). The Nuggets (first time) are heating up and hot on Utah's heels. They continued that play with a 106-103 win over the Bulls in Denver. Jim Burr had 23-11-11 to lead the Nugs to the victory. Harris Hepburn (no relation) had 19 in 20 minutes off the bench. He's a four-time All-Star, now in his twelfth year, who was a beast in the post for years with Denver and Portland. His playing time is down this year, just 8.3 minutes a game. Good to see he can still do it. He's won three titles, was the 1981 Defensive Player of the Year, was a two-time All-NBA First Team selection. Not a bad guy to have on your bench. Jack had 36-7-7, with four steals and three blocks, for the Bulls. Escalera (19) and Cassady (18-4-10) were contributors. 12.13.86: at Boston (13-6). Rough back-to-back. The Bulls get it done though, winning 100-96. Jack's 39-9-15 were the difference. Eddie Shank, who had disappeared in the last few games, showed back up with 17 and 7. Richard Mims had 12-9-3, and Escalera had 12-4-4-. Jules Howes had 27-6-6 with four steals, and Dewitt Gilpin had 16-7-8 for the Celtics. 12.17.86: vs Indiana (12-9). Back home against a familiar foe. The Bulls like that, as they cruise to a 122-102 win. Jack had 49-15-7 in the win, while Shank added 15-8-3, and Cain added 15. Chris Henderson showed up, too, with 13 in 13 minutes off the bench. Andrew Edmiston had 34 and 9 boards for the Pacers; Michal Thielen had 23. 12.18.86: vs Dallas (15-5). The surprising Mavs come to town, and get turned away by the Bulls, 113-107. A 32-24 fourth quarter was the difference for Chicago. Jack went for 37-16-14, and 18-18 from the line. Cassady's 16-5-7, and Mims' 16 and 10 rebounds, were the main supplements. Clemente Ellis had 36-9-4 for the Mavs. 12.22.86: vs Milwaukee (4-20). The Bucks are struggling due to experience. The starting backcourt of star Richie Russell and Emil Andrae has a combined age of two. Gary Fisher, the team's starting SF, is only in his fifth season. They have a bunch of kids off the bench, including first-round pick, David Sweatt. They played admirably, though, getting off to an early 29-24 lead. A 35-22 second quarter sealed their fate, though, as the Bulls win it, 109-99. Jack's 32-14-8 and three steals led the BUlls, while Escalera had 24-7-7, and Mims 16-9-4 and four blocks. Russell had just ten points, but 16 assists. Adrian Mathison had 25-9-4 to pace the Bucks. Sweatt had just four points (2-2 FG) in eight minutes. 12.24.86: at Boston (16-8). A tight, intense affair saw the Bulls take an 83-82 lead with :17 left. The C's calmly came down the floor, found Jules Howes off a screen, and watched him hit the last of his 33 points at the buzzer. That gave the Celtics an 84-83 win over the Bulls at Boston Garden. The game was see-saw throughout, and had a definite playoff intensity to it. Howes had 33-6-5, while Brian Deese had 15-13-3 with seven blocks and three steals. Jack's 31-8-4 with six blocks and four steals led Chicago. Cassady placed a 12-11-6 night. 12.26.86: vs Cleveland (13-13). The Bulls got back to romping behind Jack's 41-13-11, which saw off the Cavs, 113-85. Henderson had 15 in 17 minutes off the bench, while Billy Alvarez added 11 points off the pine. Escalera had 14-4-5 in just 21 minutes. Luke Black's 26 and six boards led Cleveland. 12.28.86: vs Indiana (13-13). The Pacers sit in second in the Central, who shows you how much the division is struggling...outside of Chicago, of course. The Bulls hammered the Pacers, 125-96. Jack led seven players in double figures with 32-8-12. Cain added 17 off the bench, while Shank had 15-10-4. Timmy McBroom, the other player taken in by Chicago's '85 class, scored 10 points and nabbed four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Cassady had 13-4-8. Andrew Edmiston had 20, and Desmond Gendron 19 off the pine, to lead the Pacers' futile effort. 12.30.86: vs San Antonio (15-10). The Spurs, who have been in the lottery the past few years, have turned things around. It didn't look that way on Tuesday, as the Bulls blasted the Spurs, 128-83. Eddie Shank led all scorers with 31 points, on 15-18 shooting. Jack went 12-13, but didn't attempt a free throw. Regardless, he had 26-12-13. Cain added 16, as did Mims. Henderson, who is getting more playing time, had 11 in 20 minutes. Isidro Brainard had 19 for the Spurs. 12.31.86: at Milwaukee (4-24). What better way to spend New Year's Eve than with a night in Milwaukee? The Bulls ended the year on a high note, destroying the Bucks, 110-95. Jack put up 38-7-10 with three blocks and two steals. Cassady added 18-11-4, and Mims scored 18. Adrian Mathison had 29 and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, while Richie Russell added 17 points and 13 assists. Standings: The Bulls still sit pretty, at 25-3, 10.5 games up on Detroit. Boston is the closest competition, at 19-8. Utah (22-6) leads the West, just ahead of Denver (21-9) and Dallas (17-9). Golden State's 16-10 leads the Pacific. There is an aura of mediocrity hitting the lead. The bottom of the standings are horrific, and the Bucks may prove to be worse than the Lakers of the past few years. The Lakers may prove to be worse than the Lakers of the past few years, too. Code:
The Bulls are slipping a bit, and now sit third in total defense. They still have the league's best offense, and are now winning games by just 17.3 points a game. Code:
Jack's numbers are still rather amazing. He's shooting 62.5% from the field, and 51% from three. His free throw percentage is down, though, from 94.7% to 91.6. These are the nitpicks we have about his game now. Code:
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December GW Update: Well, they're 6-10. Outside of Brown and La Salle, they didn't play anyone that was any good, either. Nationally, Clemson is 13-0, and atop the polls. Kansas State is second, followed by Southern Cal. Colorado State is 9-2, and 12th. Last edited by Comey : 05-09-2018 at 04:55 AM. |
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05-10-2018, 05:42 AM
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#221 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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January 1987
We're into 1987, the year that brought us Margaret Thatcher, Alan Greenspan, Talking Alf, Jim Baker's scandal, The Simpsons (in TV short form), Three Men & A Baby, Prozac, Bad, and nobody putting Baby in a corner. It also brings Jack as the king of the basketball world. 1.4.87: vs Detroit (14-14). The Bulls open the calendar year with a 99-78 drubbing of the Pistons. Jack starts off with a 44-12-6 night, with three steals. Eddie Shank nets 14, while Jimmie Cain scores 11. Brian Crawford scores 19, on 8-21 shooting, for the humiliated Pistons. They shot just 37% from the field. 1.5.87: at Houston (8-22). The Bulls may be a little full of themselves. That should end after the laughingstock Rockets beat up the Bulls, 95-86. Del Scholl scored 20, and Douglas Leduc 18 with 10 boards, to lead the way. Jack's 30-12-7 was Chicago's pacesetter, but nobody else could keep up. Clarence Cassady went for 13-7-10, and Gregory Escalera for 18, but nobody else was effective at all. 1.9.87: at San Antonio (17-13). The team stayed in Texas for the week, and the trip paid off. They beat the Spurs, 108-93. Jack's 35-17-13 was the leader, of course. Shank scored 17, while Richard Mims had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Marco Fortier had 22-9-6 for the Spurs; Joshua Jones had 19 points and 7 boards. 1.11.87: vs Philadelphia (11-20). The Sixers' freefall continues, as they are tied with the lowly Knicks for the basement in the Atlantic. Things don't get better in the Bulls' 95-74 win. Woodrow Taber and rookie David Lawson got into it, and Whitney Gooden left without talking to the media after his seven points on 3-6 shooting day. The 11th-year vet has been frustrated, sure; his numbers are way down this year from his career totals of 19.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.3 points a game. This year, they're 13.6/6.9/5.0. Jack, meanwhile, had a 24-15-12 day, though he was 10-22 from the field. Cain added 20, Shank 16, and reserve center Chris Henderson 14. Taber's 17 points and nine rebounds were Philly's highlight, though they did get 15 points and 12 rebounds from second-year man Chris Wise. He has taken over the PF spot from Stevie Michaelson, the breakout All-Star who left for Detroit in the offseason. So far, the Colorado State product is averaging 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a game, having started all thirty-two contests. Maybe the Sixers were onto something in letting Stevie walk. 1.13.87: vs Boston (24-10). The Bulls routed the Celtics, 115-104. They outscored the C's 36-15 in the second quarter; Boston played +16 hoops in the second half, just to get the margin to eleven. Jack led the way, of course, with 36-10-11 and seven blocks. Cassady had 19, and four others contributed double-digits. Jules Howes, who has finally become recognized for his star talent (21.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 6.4 apg in his 5+ year career) had 27-3-5. Brian Deese had 17 points and 11 boards in support. 1.15.87: at Washington (17-20). The Bulls marched into Washington and destroyed the Bullets, 101-67. Washington never scored more than 19 in a quarter. Jimmie Cain had a 21-6-4 night, with five steals and two blocks. Jack only had 18-8-7, with three steals, in 25 minutes. Richard Mims had 15, while Billy Alvarez showed up with 14. Gregory Escalera only had one point, and four fouls, in 24 minutes. Jon McElroy's 15 led Washington. Chance McCutchen someone had a 2-9-7 night. Where he found seven assists is beyond me. 1.16.87: at New Jersey (23-14). The Bulls continued their dominant ways with a 112-87 win over the Nets. Jack's 42-16-10 led the Bulls. The Nets simply have no answer for him. Mims had 21, and Cain 17. Tom Perez led the Nets with 27-6-12 and a pair of steals. 1.20.87: vs Atlanta (14-21). The Bulls upended the Hawks, 97-83, behind 41-19-10 from Jack. He was 15-16 from the line. Mims, Shank, and Cassady combined for 40 points. Rex Smith had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Joseph Johnson had 18 points and 14 boards--nine offensive. 1.21.87: at Milwaukee (6-32). Oh, the stories from New Year's Eve. Happy, fuzzy memories. The Bulls did not forget how to win in Wisconsin, though, crushing the Bucks, 111-92. Jack's 38-13-8 paced the Bulls, while Escalera got off the milk carton with a 22-5-5 night. Andrian Mathison had 22 points and eight boards, while Richie Russell was held to just six points and six assists. 1.23.87: at Atlanta (14-23). The Bulls ran their record to 34-4 with a 100-74 thrashing of the Hawks in Atlanta. Jack had a 38-10-5 night, with three blocks and two steals (and five turnovers). Shank's 15 also did damage. Rex Smith led Atlanta's shallow and pedantic efforts with 14 points and six rebounds. 1.25.87: at LA Lakers (13-26). The Bulls went west to face the fans who believe they should be the rightful fans of Jack. They turn on Joshua Berry every chance they get. They had ample opportunity here, as Jack shut down his drafted companion. Jack put up 36-19-6; Berry 8-7-4. The fans have gotten to Berry, who is shooting worse than last year (40.9%, down from 44.7). His free throw shooting is amazing (93.2%), and he's averaging 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Shank (14-9-5), Henderson (14) and Escalera (11-4-9) were the main contributors for Chicago. Rudolf McKinnie, the #4 pick many thought was the best player in the draft, had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. He is averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds. Be patient, Laker fans...that team is closer than you think. Oh, Joe Anderson, who I had hopes for with Chicago, but never found his footing, is now the starting point for the Lakers. He had 10 points and four rebounds. No assists. He's shooting 11% on threes this year. How's that working out, Joe? 1.27.87: vs Washington (19-25). Oh, this was ugly. The final was 107-55, and that doesn't even describe it. The Bullets shot 27.9%, didn't make a three (0-6), and were 7-12 from the line. The Bulls shot 58.2% from the field, which is better than they were at the line (12-22, 54.5%). They outrebounded Washington, 54-36 (though the Bullets out offensive boarded them, 12-8). Chicago had 31 assists and 15 blocks. Washington and ten and three. Jack led the way, with 28-9-10, three steals and two blocks. Mims had 14 points, six boards, and six blocks. Cain had 18 and nine boards off the bench. Jon McElroy managed to score 15 with eight boards for Washington. 1.28.87: at Portland (16-23). Talking about falling on hard times. The Blazers are not hot this year. The Bulls, and Jack in particular, kept that going. He had himself a 50-12-10-2-2 night. The single game record for points, by the way, is 62, by John Roseman of Syracuse, back on 1.28.61. So, 26 years ago this very night (very interesting coincidence, as I just looked that up). Jackie Davis has two 60+ point games, with a 62 and 61 point effort. Andrew Edmiston also has a 61-point effort, scoring 61 for Indiana on 12.17.85. I will have to look that up. Eddie Avina led Portland iwth 31 and 11 rebounds. 1.30.87: at Washington (19-26). The Bullets made this more respectable, but Chicago ends the month on a twelve-game winning streak, and 13-1 for the month. They closed it out with a 105-93 win in overtime. Jack reached a new level, going for 40-22-14; that may be his best triple-double yet. He added a pair of steals and a block. Cassady went for 21-4-7, and Cain had 21. McElroy's 30 and 19 rebounds, and Lamont Cioffi's 26 and 10 boards, led Washington. Chicago outscored Washington 14-2 in the extra frame. Cioffi got a steal on an inbound and a dunk with one second left to force free basketball. The standings are pretty straight forward...Chicago, Boston, Utah, Golden State. MIlwaukee is legendarily bad. Meanwhile, the Bulls are #1 in offense and defense, as well as point margin, and many other categories. They are turning into a historic team, if they are able to keep this up. Code:
January GW Update: The Colonials are now 12-12 after a five-game win streak. They don't have a tough schedule, so they should finish with a winning record. Of course, they're also with Grayson for the remainder of the season. He was their leading scorer, with 17.7 ppg. Armbruster is putting up 11.3 points and 9.1 rebounds. Nationally, Southern Cal is 20-0, and atop the poll. Yale is 20-1, and ranked fifth. Code:
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If the season ended today, Jack's 35.9 ppg would be second all time. Only Orval Dingess of Portland, in 1975, outscored him (36.4 ppg). As it stands, his 32.94 ppg last year is fifth all-time. This year, he should be all that much better. He's averaging a ridiculous 47.7 PER. Last year, his PER was 44.7. He has nineteen triple-doubles; he had 31 last year. The single-season record is 42, set by John Hutchinson of Philadelphia back in 1960. Code:
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05-11-2018, 05:33 AM
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#222 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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Here's a look at the stat leaders heading into February and the All-Star Break:
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05-12-2018, 05:53 PM
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#223 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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March 1987
3.1.87: vs Indiana (33-22). The Bulls blasted Indiana, 129-96, rolling in every quarter. Jack finished with 45-8-5 for the hosts, and Gregory Escalera had 25 points, six assists, and four rebounds. Four others scored at least ten, and Eddie Shank had 13 rebounds. Indiana got 29 and seven rebounds from Andrew Edmiston, but little else from anyone else. 3.2.87: vs Atlanta (17-37). The Bulls, and Jack, kept up their dominant ways, destroying Atlanta, 110-83. Jack’s 40-13-9, with five blocks and two assists, led an otherwise pedantic effort. Shank’s 19 was the only other figure in double-digits. Hawks’ point guard Landon Creamer led Atlanta with 19, while Miles Burdett had 14 and 10 rebounds off the bench, as starter Joe Kujawa played for just seven minutes, due to foul trouble. 3.4.87: vs Milwaukee (10-48). Chicago got out to a 44-19 lead after a quarter, and led 76-41 at the break. The final, 130-85, doesn’t even feel indicative of the final score. Chicago shot a blistering 64% from the field. Jack shot 13-17, 12-12 from the line, to lead with 38 points. He added six rebounds, ten assists, six blocks, and three steals. Chris Henderson added 22-7-3, with three blocks, off the bench (he shot 10-12). Jimmie Cain added 21, while Shank scored 15 with nine boards. Jack Ostrowski had 18, and Elpidio Fernandez scored 16 off the bench for the Bucks. Richie Russell had just three points (0-3 shooting) with seven assists, while this year’s first rounder, Emil Andrae, had 13 points on 4-14 shooting. 3.7.87: vs Boston (42-16). A game between the two elites proved to be a one-sided affair. Chicago methodically sliced apart the Celtics, distancing themselves each quarter. Jack, with 37-16-13, was the catalyst in Chicago’s 118-90 victory. Clarence Cassady also had a triple-double for the Bulls, making it the first time I have ever seen two players for the same team achieve that feat. Cassady went for 15-10-12. Escalera scored 17. Thomas Jones had 25 points and nine rebounds, while Brian Deese contributed 19 points, 11 boards, and six blocks. The win puts the Bulls at 54-5. 3.8.87: at Seattle (20-38). No rest for the weary, as the Bulls head to Seattle immediately following the game. They also have four road games next week. This was their closest game in awhile, as Seattle held a one-point lead after three quarters. However, they tightened their defense, and road Jack’s 37-14-10, with five blocks and three steals, to a 96-89 win. Escalera added 17, while Richard Mims scored 14. Stephen Lewis led a balanced Seattle effort with 15, while Orlando Mancilla scored 12 and picked up ten rebounds in a reserve role. 3.11.87: at Milwaukee (10-51). The Bulls defense tightened severely, holding Milwaukee to 13 in the first quarter, and just EIGHT in the fourth, winning easily, 97-69. Jack had another triple-double, with 27-10-11, and three steals and blocks each. Shank and Cain split 32 points, while Shank added 11 rebounds. Mims had 13-5-4 with six blocks. Adrian Mathison had 23 points, while Richie Russell had 13 assists. The Bucks were out-rebounded 56-38, and shot just 33% from the field (0-10 from 3). 3.12.87: vs Seattle (21-39). The Bulls come home to face Seattle now, and win comfortably, 104-83. Jack did NOT get a triple-double…but it was close. 41-9-11 for Jack. Escalera added 18, while Shank had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Cassady took just one shot in 34 minutes (he made it), but dished out eight dimes. Jose Thomson had 22 points and six rebounds for the Sonics. Quickly looking at Jack, he is leading the scoring race by seven points a game, at 36.0 ppg. He is the league’s second-leading rebounder, at 11.4, and third in rebounds, at 10.0. It is doubtful he will ever win the triple crown of sorts…but averaging a triple-double so far in his career is amazing. 3.15.87: at Dallas (39-23). A big road test for the Bulls is one passed with flying colors. Jack is simply an unstoppable force now, going for 46-12-8 with four steals. Shank added 18 and 10 boards, while Mims had 14, and Cassady nearly another triple-double, at 12-12-9. David Brenneman, the third-year player who has regressed in his offense somewhat, scored 36 in this game, along with six boards and five steals. Clemente Ellis, the league’s leading rebounder, had 24 points and eight rebounds. 3.16.87: at Indiana (38-24). Tough back-to-back for the Bulls, who head to Indianapolis. They still come out with a win, and Jack was why. He scored a NEW CAREER-HIGH with FIFTY-SIX POINTS. That came on 20-35 shooting, 15-15 from the line, and 1-4 from three. He added 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Unbelievable game. Cassady added a 4-8-9 line, while Cain had 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Andrew Edmiston scored 30 to lead the Pacers. A 37-21 third quarter for the Bulls doomed Indy. 3.19.87: at Boston (44-20). This is easily the most difficult stretch of the season, but the Bulls have yet to lose in the month. Their unbeaten run continued, as they beat the Celtics, 109-88. Jack had 40-15-13, and this run is simply unbelievable. A handful of others scored in double figures, with Cain and Shank’s 14 each leading the supporting effort. Korey Bradley had 16 off the bench to lead Boston, while Jules Howes added 15, and Elliott Bragg 13 and 12 rebounds. The Bulls are now 60-5. Sick. 3.20.87: at Cleveland (36-28). The Bulls are treating the league like a red-headed stepchild. Jack’s 44-12-12 led the Bulls in a very comfortable 107-82 win over the Cavs. Shank added 20, and Cassady 10-6-9 for the visitors. James Anderson’s 22-7-5 led the Pacers on their way towards a loss. 3.24.87: vs Cleveland (36-30). Much to Cleveland’s dismay, they have to head to Chicago. The result was essentially the same: 113-89 for the Bulls. Jack had 45-12-11, while Escalera and Shank had 16 apiece. Henderson showed up with 14 off the bench. Joe Baker’s 22 and Luke Black’s 21 lead Cleveland. 3.26.87: vs Phoenix (25-41). The Bulls ripped the Suns, 123-101, with 39-8-16 from Jack leading the way. Cassady (20-7-11) and Cain (20-5-3) were big in support. Larry Cockrell had 21 to lead the sad-sack Suns. 3.28.87: vs New York (24-43). The Bulls won 109-78, as Jack came back to earth on his scoring binge. He had 26-11-14 for thegame. Shank had 23 and eight rebounds, while Escalera had 14 and ten rebounds. John Jennings’ 25 led the Knicks, who have technically improved from a year ago. 3.29.87: vs Sacramento (39-29). The Bulls finish off a perfect month with a 98-88 win over Sacramento. Jack’s 39-10-10 led the way. Cassady finished off a great month with 20-7-7, while Cain had 11. Keenan Sweet scored 25 and grabbed 13 boards, while Charlie Hansel scored 23 for the Kings. So the Bulls are 65-5, making Utah’s 57-12 look pedestrian in comparison. Boston is the closest competition in the East, at 48-21. But, let’s face it. Right now, there’s no comparison. Milwaukee (13-55) is the bottom-dweller. The Lakers, right now, are at 20-50. Code:
The Bulls are first in offense and defense, first in rebounding margin, third in block margin, and first in field goal percentage, both for and against. They are third in three point shooting, and first in preventing it. The one thing they do not do well…well, two things…they do not generate steals, and they turn the ball over too much. Code:
Right now, Jack is on pace for the highest-scoring season anyone has ever had. Orval Dingess averaged 36.4 ppg; Jack is at 36.7. Code:
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March GW Update: Well, they're done. Southern Cal entered the NCAA Tournament at 30-0, but fell to the 4-seed Baylor, 88-76, in the Sweet Sixteen. The Bears would beat Colorado, 79-57, to win the West. Top-seeded Kansas beat 15th-seed Kent State, 81-67, to win the Midwest. Kent State upset #2 TCU, #7 Missouri, and #6 Nevada to get a shot at Kansas. In the South, Rice held serve, as the top seed beat #7 LSU, 66-63, to take the region. Colorado State, the preseason #1, took the East as the #2 seed. They defeated top-seed Yale, 85-76, to get to the Final Four. Final Four Baylor, 74, Rice 70 Kansas 77, Colorado State 73 National Championship: Baylor won their first title since 1963, ripping Kansas, 60-38. The Bears, who have gotten so close in the past, but only came away with one title in four tries, get the second title. The Jayhawks were trying to get their first title since they won back-to-back titles in 1973-74. |
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05-13-2018, 07:58 AM
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#224 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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April 1987
4.1.87: vs Golden State (41-29). Jack went for 31-11-9, as Chicago played the Pacific-leading Warriors for a fool, 103-88. Five others scored in double figures, led by Eddie Shank’s 18. Clarence Cassady had 10-6-12. Kevin Dominick led Golden State with 20 points. 4.2.87: vs New York (24-45). The Bulls failed to get to triple-digits, but the Knicks failed to get to 75. Jack’s 26-4-4 with four steals and two blocks helped give Chicago a 97-74 victory over the New Yorkers. Billy Alvarez had his tri-annual, “Hey, remember me?” nostalgia trip with 13 points in a whopping 40 minutes. Shank and Richard Mims had 12 each, while Shank also had 11 rebounds. For the Knicks, Randall Karr led the way with 12 off the bench, in just 17 minutes. 4.6.87: at Atlanta (24-48). Atlanta was game, leading by 17 after one, 33-16. But the Bulls didn’t care, demonstrating to the Hawks who the dominant aviary spokesman is, in a 117-106 win. Jack went for 31-10-18, as well as four steals. Shank added 22 and 12 boards, while Mims had 20, and Cassady 17-7-4. Joe Kujawa’s 26 and 12 rebounds led the way. But both he and Dusty Catron (12 points) were a -30 on this night. That metric really hated those two. 4.7.87: at Golden State (42-31). The Bulls continued their run, now at twenty wins in a row. Jack’s 34-14-7 led the Bulls to a 101-94 win. Richard Mims’ 17-9-4, and Cassady’s 12-5-11, were instrumental in the win. Lionel Condon went for 24, and center Marlin Cross put up 14 points and 16 rebounds. 4.10.87: vs Houston (18-56). The Rockets flat out stink. The Bulls illustrated that with an easy 116-84 win. Jack put up 36-12-9 with four steals, while Jimmie Cain added 21, and Chris Henderson 12 and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. Douglas Leduc’s 27 led the Rockets, who only had one other scorer in double figures (Del Scholl, 16). They only had 18 assists for the game. The Bulls are now SEVENTY and FIVE 4.11.87: at Atlanta (24-50). They won’t write home about this one…the Hawks ended the Bulls’ win streak at twenty-one, beating back Chicago, 99-95. Joe Kujawa, who came over from Golden State earlier this year in exchange for 10th overall pick, SG Joey Deel, is averaging 15.4 points and 6.5 rebounds a game in his first season as a full-time starter (third season overall). On this night, his 24 points and nine rebounds were the big key. Joe Johnson added 20 and 10, Rex Smith 18 and 9, and Miles Burdett 15 off of 17 bench minutes. The Hawks are an up-and-comer; Johnson, Kujawa, and Smith are all young. Jack’s 35-20-14 led the Bulls; Escalera had 19, but there was little help elsewhere. 4.14.87: vs New York (26-50). The Bulls rebounded with a 101-74 win over the Knicks at Chicago Stadium. Shank’s 27 points and six boards led the way. Jack had 20-8-10 and four blocks, for an astounding +40 on the evening. Escalera added 21…Cassady had a +40 too, on a 5-8-6 night. Weird. The biggest New York could muster was 13 from Allan Keene (he had a +5…Joel Derman’s 10 points, on 4-16 shooting, was good for a -34. 4.15.87: at New York (26-51). The return tilt at the Garden saw a better game, but still one won by the Bulls. This time, it was 107-92. Jack’s 30-11-8 paced the team, while the big men contributed big: Mims had 18 and 10 boards, with four blocks, Cain added 17, and Henderson 16 in 15 minutes. Derman, who is starting again after a year of not, led with 21. John Jennings added 16. 4.18.87: vs Portland (43-35). The Bulls outlasted Portland, 112-104, on the strength of a 33-18 fourth quarter. Jack went for 39-11-12, while Cain added 23. Shank had 12 points and 11 rebounds. James Pilgrim scored 23 off the bench, while Robby Ritz had 19, and Frank Padgett 17-6-5 for Portland, which has rebounded after a porous start. 4.19.87: vs Boston (54-25). The C’s have a great record, and they’re 19 games behind the Bulls. They reminded Chicago just how dangerous they could be, though, as they marched into Chicago Stadium and got the win, 103-94. Jules Howes had 29-5-7, and Brian Deese 27 points, 8 boards, and four blocks. Jack’s 26-6-10 with four blocks was the boss for Chicago. Mims added 14 and 11. 4.22.87: vs Milwaukee (14-66). Here’s the remedy. Or was it? Chicago got the win, but needed a 44-31 fourth quarter to pull just far enough away, 117-110. Jack had 40-18-9, with four blocks and three steals (and ended up +3). Shank added 28 and 11 rebounds, and Cassady 13-6-8…five of his rebounds were offensive. Adrian Mathison had 28-12-4 for the Bucks. The kids, Richie Russell (23 points, 15 assists) and Emil Andrae (20 points, 3 assists, 3 steals) are coming into their own quite nicely. Jack “Don’t Call me Mike Ostrow”ski had 13-6-3. 4.23.87: vs New Jersey (45-36). The Bulls finish the regular season with their 75th win, rolling up New Jersey, 105-84. Jack added in style, going for 40-15-10. Shank added 21, while Mims had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Hugh Turnage had 24-6-4, while Gerardo Sand added 20, and Tom Perez 16-5-12 for the Nets. Standings: Chicago (75-7) set records this year, but they aren’t the only great team. Utah finished 67-15, and is ready to defend their title. Boston is 56-26, and won’t be an easy out. Indiana had a good year, at 53-29. Milwaukee was awful, at 14-68, but other than Houtson’s 20-62, everyone was reasonably respectable. Even the sad sack Lakers won 26 games. Code:
Here are the playoff matchups: Eastern Conference 1) Chicago (75-7) vs 8) Washington (36-46) 4) New Jersey (45-37) vs 5) Detroit (44-38) 2) Boston (56-26) vs 7) Philadelphia (38-44) 3) Indiana (53-29) vs 6) Cleveland (43-39) Western Conference 1) Utah (67-15) vs 8) LA Clippers (33-49) 4) Dallas (49-33) vs 5) Sacramento (45-37) 2) Golden State (46-36) vs 7) San Antonio (33-49) 3) Denver (57-25) vs 6) Portland (45-37) The Bulls were 27-1 against the Central, 55-3 against the East (those two losses were to Boston...the lone divisional loss was to Atlanta). This is, by all metrics, the greatest regular season team in history. Code:
Jack did not get the single-season scoring record, posting just 36.0 points a game. That led the league by over seven points, though; Detroit’s Brian Crawford finished tied with Indiana’s Andrew Edmiston, at 28.8 points a game. Dallas’ Clemente Ellis took the rebounding title, at 11.7 boards a game; Jack was just off the mark, at 11.5. New Jersey’s Tom Perez comfortably took the assist title again, averaging 13.3. Richie Russell, the guy known as “The Pick After Jack” averaged 11.5, while Jack racked up 10.2. Yup. Jack averaged another triple-double. Code:
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05-13-2018, 08:00 AM
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#225 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1987 Awards
Jack, of course, took MVP and First-Team All-NBA Honors. In fact, all five members of last season's All-NBA First Team return. Jack has a ways to go to catch Gregg Kilpatrick and Kelley Myers in MVPs, though. Both have six. Brian Deese successfully defended his Defensive Player of the Year award. He has won it three times in five seasons. Former Bullet C Fredric Burton won it nine straight times, from 1971-79. Code:
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05-13-2018, 08:02 AM
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#226 | ||
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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Quote:
Just to shed light on this, Mims makes the most on the Bulls, at 1.358m. He'll make $1.5m in two years, which I think is an option year. Jack makes the fifth-most on the team, behind Mims, Cain ($1.13m), Escalera ($1.125m) and Cassady (936k). Denver's Joe Curtis, and Philly's Whitney Gooden, make the most, at $1.715m. Curtis' deal goes through 1991...1992 is an option year, where he could make $3m. |
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05-14-2018, 05:54 AM
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#227 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1987 NBA Playoffs: 1) Chicago vs 8) Washington
The Bullets went 36-46 on the year. The Bulls were 6-0 against them this year, though they have not faced off since Valentine’s Day, which was a 96-89 win for Chicago. That may give confidence to the Bullets that they can hang with the defending Eastern Conference champions. The Bullets are still led by the power combo of five-time All-Star C Jon McElroy (20.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Lamont Cioffi (20.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg), who is a two-time All-Star in his three years. He was also the 1983 Rookie of the Year, a year in which he also garnered All-NBA First Team honors. The Bulls lack in their backcourt, however. And they do not have a bench to stack up with the Bulls. PICK: Bulls in 3 Game 1: The Bulls were off, scoring just 81 points. But they held Washington to just FIFTY. Jack led the way with 27-14-10, while only Chris Henderson (10 points) added double figures. The Bulls, though, held Washington to just 19.5% shooting (15-77). The Bulls were 1-12 from three (Jack went 1-3). Consider this a morale-exploding defeat for the Bullets. Cioffi went for 17, McElroy 10, but they combined to go 7-31. Nobody else scored more than six. Bulls Lead 1-0 Game 2: This was a more traditional game, and ended with a traditional Bulls win. Jack’s 39-9-13, and Eddie Shank’s 18-8-7, were the hallmarks of this 108-95 win. Clarence Cassady added 12 assists. Cioffii scored 33 for the Bullets, while McElroy added 30. Like Game 1, they got no help. Bulls Lead 2-0 Game 3: The series shifts to Washington, but the song remains the same. Jack gets another triple-double (26-11-13), and the Bulls win again, 90-73. Richard Mims added 15-13-5, while Jimmie Cain had 13, and Cassady 12. Cioffi had 22, McElroy 19…but, once again, the Bullets found no help from anyone. They shot 33% as a team in this one (29-87). Bulls Win Series, 3-0 Elsewhere: Second-seed Boston and third-seed Indiana swept Philly and Cleveland, respectively. New Jersey needed five games, but defeated #5 Detroit, 3-2. In the West, the only upset was Portland taking out third-seed Denver in four. Everything else played to chalk. Eastern Conference 1) Chicago d. 8) Washington, 3-0 2) Boston d. 7) Philadelphia, 3-0 3) Indiana d. 6) Cleveland, 3-0 4. New Jersey d. 5) Detroit, 3-2 Western Conference 1) Utah d. 8) LA Clippers, 3-1 2) Golden State d. 7) San Antonio, 3-2 6) Portland d. 3) Denver, 3-1 4) Dallas d. 5) Sacramento, 3-2 Conference Semifinals 1) Chicago vs 4) New Jersey 2) Boston vs 3) Indiana 1) Utah vs 4) Dallas 2) Golden State vs 6) Portland |
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05-14-2018, 03:43 PM
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#228 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Chicago
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Not one other all-league player (1st, 2nd, or 3rd team) on a 75-7 outfit. Jack is so, so sick.
Last edited by hoopsguy : 05-14-2018 at 03:44 PM. |
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05-15-2018, 06:33 AM
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#229 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1987 NBA Playoffs, Conference Semifinals – 1) Chicago vs 4) New Jersey
The Bulls were 6-0 against the Nets this year, including a 105-84 thrashing of the Nets on the final day of the regular season. The Nets still have point guard Tom Perez, now in his prime (16.3 ppg, 13.3 apg, 6.4 rpg), Gerrardo Sand ascending (21.5 ppg, a team-high) and Hugh Turnage (20.1 ppg). But Danny Smythe scored a career-low 16.7 points per game; the career leader may still hit 30,000 this year—he’s 53 points short—but they need him to be better overall if they’re going to have a chance. Prediction: He won’t, and the Nets will fall to Jack and the depth of the Bulls. PICK: Chicago in 5 Game 1: The defense of the Bulls is taking center stage. They held the Nets to 30% shooting in Game 1, blowing them out, 97-68. Jack had 25 and 11 assists, but just one rebound. Interesting. That’s okay; he forced Gerrado Sand into 4-14 shooting, for just ten points. Unfortunately for New Jersey, only Smythe’s 15 was better. Perez was 2-9 for five points, seven boards, and five assists. Gregory Escalera scored 18 to help pace the Bulls. Bulls lead 1-0 Game 2: Following the first-round script, Game 2 was much more difficult. Jack had a career-low nine points. I believe this is the lowest point total he has ever had. He was 2-8 from the field. However, he had ten boards, and NINETEEN assists. Escalera held the scoring load, going for 27, while Eddie Shank had 19 in the Bulls’ 100-94 win. It was pretty tight the entire way, actually. Smythe’s 22 puts him just six points away from the 30k milestone. Sand had 19, while Turnage scored 17. Perez added 15 points and 17 rebounds. Still, though, it’s a Chicago-controlled series, as things shift to Jersey. Bulls Lead 2-0 Game 3: The Bulls put the Nets on the brink in a 103-92 win. Jack rebounded with 29-13-8, while Clarence Cassady added 21-6-6. The game was gone for the Nets at halftime, after the Bulls held them to ten points in the second quarter. Turnage had 25, while Perez added a 15-9-10 day. Still, though, the Bulls are one win away from a sweep. Smythe reached 30k early in the second quarter. Overall, though, he had a rough go, shooting 9-28 from the field. Bulls Lead 3-0 Game 4: Chicago got their sweep, as Jack is proving to be utterly fantastic in close out games. His 37-11-10 paced the Bulls to a 103-94 victory, eliminating the Nets from the playoffs. Richard Mims had 20 points and nine rebounds, while Shank added 17. Tom Perez had a triple-double as well, going for 11-10-13 to pace the Nets. Turnage had 20, while Smythe and Richard Loveless scored 16 each. The Bulls move onto the Eastern Finals for the second consecutive season. Bulls Win Series, 4-0 Elsewhere, everyone will finally get that Chicago-Boston series that should have happened last year. Indiana almost got the Celtics again; however, Boston rallied to take the series, 4-3. In the West, Dallas shocked everyone by eliminating Utah in six games. Portland, meanwhile, upset #2 Golden State in seven. Conference Semifinals 1) Chicago d. 4) New Jersey, 4-0 2) Boston d. 3) Indiana, 4-3 4) Dallas d. 1) Utah, 4-2 6) Portland d. 2) Golden State, 4-3 Conference Finals 1) Chicago (75-7) vs 2) Boston (56-26) 4) Dallas (49-33) vs 6) Portland (45-37) |
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05-15-2018, 06:50 AM
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#230 | |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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Quote:
Agreed. I speculated that building around Jack would be more difficult, because, unlike Utah, who had a wealth of high draft picks, Chicago had just the one...that being Jack. And they immediately became great, so they were now drafting at the end of each round. |
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05-16-2018, 05:27 AM
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#231 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1987 NBA Conference Finals: 1) Chicago (75-7) vs 2) Boston (56-26)
The Celtics own two wins over Chicago this season. Just for the record, Chicago’s losses this year: 12.1.86: at Utah (105-89) 12.12.86: at Denver (106-103) 12.23.86: at Boston (84-83) 1.5.87: at Houston (95-86) 2.25.87: vs Utah (101-93) 4.11.87: at Atlanta (99-95, the most inexplicable loss I’ve seen so far) 4.19.87: vs Boston (103-94) The last loss, with three games to go in the season, offers the most information. In that game, both Jules Howes and Brian Deese went for 29 and 27, respectively. They also shot 20-20 from the line combined. Boston, in fact, was 33-37 from the line. The Bulls were just 22-27. The C’s also seemed to have more energy than the Bulls in the second half, outscoring them 57-47. Jack was also held to “just” six rebounds. I put it in quotations because you can’t hear me inflect or use air quotations with my fingers. Regardless, I hate anything that has to do with the quotations here. I just want to emphasize that. It would appear that the key is to keep Jack off the boards, and frustrate Jimmie Cain. He is the Bulls’ spark off the bench; in the loss, he was held to just nine points, on 2-9 shooting. One interesting move I have noticed…last year’s starting power forward for the Celtics, Thomas Jones, has come exclusively off the bench this season. Hasn’t started one game. The team signed Elliott Bragg from Washington; he’s a G/G guy who is a prime post defender (A-/A). He’s also a fantastic defensive rebounder. He’s awful offensively, but Jones offers a spark off the bench, much like Cain. In Bragg, Boston has two excellent post defenders (Deese is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year). Jones, who averaged 19.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game a year ago, is at 12.0 and 4.1 in just 19.6 minutes this season. This move was made directly with Chicago in mind. In the end, it probably won’t matter. The Bulls were 4-2 against the Celtics. We believe that will hold true to form here. PICK: Chicago in 6 Game 1: Chicago’s defense lost itself in the first half, letting Boston get out to an early 31-26 lead after one. They cut it to 51-48 at the half. The third quarter was all Chicago, winning it 27-16. They won the fourth, too, and took Game 1, 109-97. Jack took top honors for the game with 31-11-14 and three steals. Gregory Escalera scored 22, while Clarence Cassady offered 16 points and 11 assists. (For the record, Cain scored just two points.) Howes scored 25 for Boston, but on 9-19 shooting; Deese offered 19-5-4, with five blocks. They got very little help, outside of 14 from Jones (6-7 from the field). Bulls Lead 1-0 Game 2: Everyone saw this coming. The Bulls trounced the Celtics, 108-83. They won every quarter. Jack, in particular was ready to smash the Boston outfit to ittle bits. He posted 47-8-7-3-3 numbers. Escalera scored 17, while Cassady notched 11 points and 12 rebounds. Howes scored 30, while Elliott Bragg was an unexpected source of offense, putting up 16 on 8-9 shooting. Deese, though, was 3-12 for eight points and four rebounds, an unexpected dud for the top center. Bulls Lead 2-0 Game 3: Boston got one back, beating the Bulls at Boston Garden, 97-86. Deese got back on track, scoring 26 with 10 rebounds, and Howes’ 22-6-8 paced the Celtics. Jones scored 14 with six boards off the bench. Jack’s 34-9-5-4-3 was wonderful for the Bulls, but he got little help. Escalera scored 18, but Cassady was held to 6-5-6 with six turnovers, and Shank scored just five points, while adding six assists. Cain has largely disappeared in this series, scoring just ten points in twenty minutes. Bulls Lead 2-1 Game 4: Chicago got the one they needed, getting out to a big lead, then holding off a furious Boston comeback for a 102-96 win. Jack’s 46-14-8, with four blocks, wowed the Boston crowd. They couldn’t help but give him an ovation at the end of the game. Escalera was the primary support once again, as he has been, scoring 20 points (8-10 shooting) and adding seven assists. Howes led Boston with 24 points and 12 rebounds; Deese, again, came up empty on the big stage, scoring 16, but on 5-16 shooting. He added just six rebounds. Jones scored 16 in just 19 minutes; at least that plan is working for Boston. Bulls Lead 3-1 Game 5: With a rowdy crowd rocking at Chicago Stadium, Jack put on a dazzling show. He scored 52 on 23-30 shooting, adding eight rebounds and seven assists, as the Bulls took out the Celtics, 114-86. The Bulls got off to a 38-21 lead after a quarter, with Jack scoring 23. Yes, Jack outscored the Celtics by himself. The Bulls never lost a quarter; they also welcomed back Jimmie Cain to the fray. He scored 19 on 9-12 shooting. Eddie Shank had a 10-9-8 day, though he shot 2-8 from the field. Deese led Boston with 18, 12 boards, and six blocks. It was Howes’ turn to come up short, scoring 16…but on 7-21 shooting. And Dewitt Gilpin, a dependable 15-point scorer (he has averaged between 14.7 and 18.5 points in each of the last eight seasons) was 1-10 from the field. He had two turnovers. He crunched a Gatorade cup against his head as he sat on the bench. That became the front page picture on the next day’s copy of USA Today. Bulls Win Series, 4-1 In the Western Conference, it was thought that Portland’s best days were behind them. After winning sixty games in three of the last five years, and reaching the conference finals three straight years, they fell in the first round last year, and then to 45 wins, and the sixth seed in the playoffs this time around. So, naturally, they upset fourth-seeded Dallas, 4-2, to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. The Bulls won it the previous year. But Portland has a much more storied history. More on that soon. Conference Finals 1) Chicago d. 2) Boston, 4-1 6) Portland d. 4) Dallas, 4-2 1987 NBA Championship: Chicago (75-7) vs Portland (45-37) |
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05-17-2018, 05:36 AM
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#232 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1987 NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls (75-7) vs Portland Trailblazers (45-37)
Whereas Chicago has a miracle title, but a largely unimpressive history, the Trailblazers have been amazing since joining the league in 1970. Check this out: Code:
Once season to get acclimated, and then six conference finals in a row, two NBA finals, and one NBA title. They have eleven division titles. It is a remarkable run. Jimmie Cain was part of those early 80s teams, along with Utah center Royal Bryant, and current Trailblazer star Robert Ritz, who is an interesting story. He was the 19th-top recruit back in 1975, but walked on to Louisiana Tech, to be close to his family. In 1984, he earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Now, they are led by SF Ritz (22.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg), PF Frank Padgett (15.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg) SG Eddie Avina (17.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg). C Daniel Jones averages 12.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg. They are second in the league in total defense, allowing just 91.9 ppg. But they don’t score a lot (94.0; 22nd), which is the reason they won only 45 games. They rebound, keep you from rebounding, and frustrate you when shooting (5th in adjusted FG%). Of course, the Bulls are #1 in those categories, and many others. The confrontation between Jack and Ritz will be spectacular to watch, though. The two teams met just twice in the regular season, with Chicago winning both. Prediction: Easy. Portland has enough holes, and Chicago enough depth, to see the Bulls to their first title of the Jack era. PICK: Bulls in 5 Game 1: Chicago came out and destroyed Portland, 116-91. They led 74-48 at the half. Jack’s 35-13-14 led the way, while Jimmie Cain scored 23 on 11-15 shooting. Oddly, Richard Mims and Eddie Shank played just twenty minutes combined. Clarence Cassady added 19 and seven assists. Avina led Portland with 16, while PG Gary Calvillo had 11. Ritz scored just ten, on 4-10 shooting, and secured eight rebounds. Bulls Lead 1-0 Game 2: The Bulls whipped Portland again, 116-98, to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Jack’s 35-15-14, and Cain’s 16-3-5, led the way. Cassady went for 10-7-7, while Mims added a 10-5-5. Avina hit up for 22 for the Blazers, Ritz scored 15, but on 7-22 shooting. Daniel Jones scored just six points, on 1-10 shooting. Once again, a fast start got Chicago going; they were up 35-24 after a quarter, and 63-47 at the half. Bulls Lead 2-0 Game 3: Jack had a cracking game, going for 49-15-15-4-3, and the Bulls are one win away from their first title in thirteen years. The 112-103 final was a gradual win for Chicago. Gregory Escalera, long quiet in this series, scored 13 and added five assists. Cain added 12, while Shank added ten and eight rebounds. Ritz got going with 23 and seven rebounds. Avina scored 20, but Portland failed to much any dent into Chicago’s building lead, and eventual victory. Bulls Lead 3-0 Game 4: When Portland was held to 19 points in the first quarter, the local fans knew this was going to be a rough go. When Chicago built a thirteen-point lead midway through the second quarter, Portland fans began to lose hope. And when Chicago won the third quarter, 33-22, to take a 80-59 lead after three quarters, the celebration in Chicago began in earnest. The Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trailblazers, 98-75, and are the NEW world champions. Jack’s 25-6-7-4-4 led the way, while Billy Alvarez provided an unlikely 18 in 23 minutes off the bench. He was relieving Escalera, who got himself into foul trouble. He still managed to score 13, while Cassady offered 12-8-6. Avina scored 23, on 8-19 shooting, while Ritz, who had a bloody awful series, scored 14 on 6-18 shooting. There really wasn’t any more help. Bulls Win Series, 4-0 1986-87 NBA Champions: Chicago Bulls Regular Season Record: 75-7 Postseason Record: 15-1 Code:
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05-18-2018, 05:48 AM
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#233 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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The 1987 Offseason
Retirements: Two players, Earl Moore and Jimmie Allen, retired and were inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 1982, Moore became the NBA’s all-time assists leader, a record he keeps as he hangs them up. Overall, he racked up 12,525 dimes over his 15-year career. The Maryland grad was drafted #5 by the Lakers in 1973, before signing with Buffalo in 1977. He was traded back to the Lakers in 1980, and stayed there until he was dealt to Atlanta in ’84. He closed his career with the Celtics as a veteran presence in the locker room. He was a seven-time All-Star, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times, though just once as a member of the First Team. He was also a two-time all-defensive team (second team). He was the embodiment of solid and steady. In college, he was the ACC Conference Player of the year his senior year, and a 2nd Team All-American. Allen, meanwhile, was the rock of the Kings in the 70s. Drafted third overall in 1968 by Cincinnati, he moved with the team to KC. With the Kings, he won two titles, in 1976 and 1977. He was the NBA Playoff MVP in each of those seasons. In 1974, he became the NBA’s all-time assists leader, though his stay would not hold for too long. A nine-time all-star and eight-time All-NBA Team selection (three First Team), Allen was named to the All-70s team. The former Clemson star was the National Freshman of the Year in 1964, and won a national title two years later. His senior year, he was a 2nd Team All-American pick. Draft Lottery: Milwaukee (14-66) has the best chance, while Houston, the Lakers, Knicks, and Hawks round out the top five. Seattle and Phoenix also have chances at the top pick. In the end, it would be the Lakers ousting Milwaukee for the top spot, which is small consolation for them, considering that this class is a bit weaker than the one that found Jack in it. The Bucks are second, while Houston, New York, and Atlanta round out the top five. Chicago is, of course, at #23. Staff Hire: The Bulls signed Michel Robinson, an assistant with Detroit, to its staff. A four-year veteran is considered fantastic at shooting and perimeter defense. He is good at ball handling, while dreadful at post defense. He could be a boon to Jack’s three-point abilities. The Draft: The mock draft is absurd. The Lakers are rumored to be taking Nebraska forward Brian Loeffler with the top pick. Except…they have Rudolf McKinnie, who is the reigning Rookie of the Year. The Lakers will probably take Leland Mancini, a shooting guard out of Kansas State. He was a first-team All-American. Rice forward Joshua Shriver, the National Player of the Year, is considered the third overall pick. Well, don’t bother trying to find logic in the Lakers, who took Loeffler #1. Or with Milwaukee, who took Cornell PG Robert Withrow #2. I guess they like his defense and good shooting ability, while his ball handling will add to what Richie Russell already does. Houston took Mancini #3, while the Knicks got a steal with Shriver at #4. Going out on a limb here…Shriver, like #4 McKinnie a year ago, will win Rookie of the Year. Atlanta chose Kansas forward Jeffrey Adam fifth overall. Rice guard Maximo Joseph, who readers may remember from his clash with Jack in the NCAA Tournament Jack’s senior year, was drafted eighth by San Antonio. Chicago took SMU forward Sheldon Maurer with their first pick. He is a very skilled inside scorer and offensive rebounder, a gifted ball handler, and a decent jump and free throw shooter. Defensively, he’s a nightmare. Still, he’ll be an excellent offensive weapon, especially with Jack. The Lakers may have gotten a steal in the second round, taking 6’11 Erasmo Schillder. The Morehead State star has good scoring ability, and plays a solid post defense. He also has excellent stamina, and rates as a Y/G. The Lakers may have a win there. The Knicks may have found a similar player with their next pick, taking Clemson forward Efrain Robins. He, too, has Y/G specs, and good defensive potential. With the last pick, the Bulls selected guard Harvey Melanson. A former Mr. Basketball of Texas, he won 1st Team all SWAC honors last year (which is no small feat). The big thing for this four-year starter is, he can shoot threes. He finished with 396 in his career, shooting nearly 40% from distance. The problem with him is, he is a strict catch-and-shoot player. He can play defense, but he is nothing more than roster filler. That’s even if he makes the roster. Brian Armbruster, Jack’s former teammate at GW, was not drafted. Free Agency: The Bulls signed one interesting player. They signed Ivory Perez, a G/G forward, away from Cleveland. He looks like a decent outside shooter, and a willing defender. He has zero passing ability. They also signed former Jack nemesis, Maximo Benson, formerly of VMI, to a two-year deal. He played with the Spurs for the first three years of his career, mainly as a bit player. He has potential. Denver resigned Jim Burr to a five-year, $13.56m contract. League officials were surprised it was not a seven-year deal, but given his age, Burr traded years for money. He is the first player to make $2m in the first year of a contract in league history. He averaged 15.0 points a game last year, his lowest since 1983. He also averaged 8.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists, along with 2.0 steals a game. In his ten years, he is a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, and a five-time All-Defensive Team selection. He has also won two titles, and was named Playoff MVP in both of those seasons (1982-83). Lionel Condon, who has been an All-Star all four of his seasons, and an All-NBA 1st Teamer in the last two, signed a seven-year deal worth nearly $15m. He is one of three players to sign such a contract; Clippers C Preston Brown, and Detroit star Brian Crawford, are the other two. Utah illustrated how difficult it was to keep a nucleus together. Former Sixth Man of the Year PG Albert Scott left Utah to sign with Indiana. He averaged 21.9 points and 5.2 rebounds a game last year. Luther Culpepper left his Seattle home of the last ten years to play for Dallas, while Gerardo Sand left New Jersey to play for the Kings. He averaged 21.5/5.0/4.0 in his first year as a starter. Sand got Sactown money, because Keenan Sweet spurned it to go to Phoenix. The 7’1, 290-pound center has averaged 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds a game for the last three seasons. GW Recruiting Update: Well, Jack’s presence may have finally been felt. GW pulled in the 39th-best recruiting class this year, led by seven-foot center, Brian Flowers. He is ranked 112th overall, and, defensively, is an absolute beast. He’s also a top rebounder. Offensively, he’s bunk. But wow, defensively, he should make the League. To add to that, they got 6’11 center, Brian Hines. The Brian Twins are both defensive wizards-in-training. Neither can really play offense. To this, they add German George Ubelmesser. Yup. That’s his name. He’s a 6’0 guard who is a capable passer, and a very solid defender, but can’t play a lick of offense. So, GW is going defensive, it would appear. There is a good amount of general talent in the system now…perhaps more than when Jack was there. It will depend on whether it all comes together. Hines and Flowers end up redshirting. Perez, now a senior, is the man in the post. Kenny is the senior leader now. They did not receive a vote in the polls, which is understandable. Kansas sits atop it, followed by Maryland, Baylor, USC, and UNC. |
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05-20-2018, 08:18 AM
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#234 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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1987-88 Season Preview
Not much has changed. Chicago is considered the favorite to win the Central, and is a 2-1 favorite to win the NBA title. Most feel that Atlanta is on the way up, while Indiana is falling. Milwaukee is still in the basement, though that's going to change within two years. Dallas is now projected to overtake Utah in the Midwest; most feel that the Jazz have lost too much in the past two years to continue their run. In the Pacific, Portland is projected to take the division once again, while Golden State, the division winner last year, is picked to finish third. Nothing has changed with the All-NBA Preseason Team. It is the same five it has been. For the Bulls…not sure if there are changes or not. There are a lot of shifting pieces in the preseason…a possibility of 7’3 Chris Henderson taking the starting role from an aging Richard Mims, who is entering his 14th season…Jimmie Cain sliding down the depth chart, and Ivory Perez perhaps stepping into a starting role, with Clarence Cassady going back to a super-sub. Right now, it’s too early to tell. Two bold predictions: 1) Chicago will not win 75 this year. They may win 65, but won’t win seventy. 2) Jack will average 38 points a game. Code:
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05-21-2018, 05:30 AM
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#235 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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The Preseason (Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On)
The Bulls went 5-1 in the preseason, but were having trouble getting going. That’s when GM Gary Moore decided to make a big change. He traded Clarence Cassady (a personal favorite) to San Antonio for power forward Joshua Jones. Jones is a scoring wizard inside, and a top-notch rebounder. He averaged 20.7 points and 7.5 rebounds a year ago. This changes the Bulls tremendously…more on that in a moment. Those weren’t the only deals. New Jersey traded the league’s all-time leading scorer, Danny Smythe, and a #1 pick, to Cleveland, in exchange for forward Luke Black. Black is a top-notcher, going for 26.7 and 9.2 rebounds a game last year. He is a four-time All-Star. Cleveland fans get to reunite with Smythe, who spent the first half of his career as a Cavalier. The first-rounder may not be a particularly great pick, but it will help with the rebuild. Smythe, now 37, is still productive, averaging 16.7 points a game last year. Milwaukee traded #2 overall pick, Robert Withrow, to the Knicks, for fourth-year forward, John Barnum. He rates as a B/B, and is a very solid two-way threat. He may be what Richie Russell needs to help lead this team. He averaged 12.5/5.5/2.9 a year ago, but may just be coming into his own as a professional. Back to the Bulls. Henderson is the starter to open the year, while Mims is coming off the bench. Jones is the new forward; Shank has moved into a reserve role. Jack is, of course, the starting small forward. He is also just 23…wow. Perez takes over at shooting guard, while Escalera is now the point guard. A veteran team a year ago, this team is now retooled with youth. Escalera is now the old man of the starting five, at 29. Jones is 28, while Henderson and Perez are 25. Jimmie Cain, who appears to be battling an arthritic hip, is way down on the depth chart. He appears to be a bit player now. Frankly, I don’t know what to make of this team. But, where there’s Jack, there’s a winner. YOUR 1987-88 Chicago Bulls Code:
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05-22-2018, 05:35 AM
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#236 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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November 1987
11.3.87: vs Phoenix (0-0). The Bulls opened their championship defense at home with a 117-95 thrashing of the Suns. The new-look Bulls got out to a 35-19 lead, and never looked back. Jack’s 30-10-9-3-3 led the way, while Joshua Jones debuted with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Chris Henderson, in his first start, had just four points. Ivory Perez scored 10 on 5-9 shooting, while Escalera, the new point, had three points, three rebounds, and four assists. Stalwarts Mims and Shank had 10 points each, while Mims had 10 rebounds. Cain didn’t play, and looked rather perturbed. Rumor has it he may ask his way out via trade. Keenan Sweet, the big 7’3 acquisition by the Suns in the offseason, led the Suns with 15 points. Michael Matney had 13 and eight rebounds. Record: 1-0 11.5.87: vs Houston (0-1). The Bulls continued their demolition of Southwestern opponents, laying waste to the Rockets, 116-95. Jones led the Bulls with 29, while Jack had 21-8-16. Perez scored 18 on 7-10 shooting, and Shank had 19 and 9 rebounds off the bench. The efficiency is working for the Bulls. William Gaudet scored 30 off the bench to pace the Rockets. Record: 2-0 11.7.87: vs Philadelphia (1-1). The Sixers came into Chicago Stadium and shocked the Bulls, 108-96. David Lawson, the 11th pick in last year’s draft, has been a revelation so far this year. He torched the Bulls for 45 points. Whitney Gooden added 19, while point guard Irvin Williams, who signed from Indiana in the offseason, has been reborn. He put up 16 and 10 assists. Jack scored 26-9-8, while Jones had 21…on 9-21 shooting, with 12 rebounds. Right now, Jones is taking more shots than Jack. I wonder if this dynamic is going to hurt Jack. Record: 2-1 11.10.87: vs Dallas (2-1). An early circle-the-date against Dallas, who may be the frontrunner for the West this season. The Mavs made a statement behind Clemente Ellis. The 6’11 center scored 35, picked up 16 rebounds, and blocked six shots, as Dallas stormed back from a six-point deficit with five minutes left, defeating Chicago, 104-101.David Brenneman scored 24 and picked up nine boards, while Dom Winkler (who comes into this season rated P/P), added 16. Jack’s 30-12-14 led Chicago, while Perez scored 25 on 12-14 shooting, and garnered seven boards. Jones, though, was 4-16 for ten points. He got five boards and seven assists, but fans booed him as the game ended. The bench was no help. The Bulls find themselves searching for answers and chemistry. Too many pieces shifted this offseason. This will take time. Record: 2-2 11.11.87: at Milwaukee (0-3). Here’s the remedy. The Bulls get out of town and go thrash Milwaukee…though it didn’t start that way. The Bucks led 23-19 after a quarter, and you could see the frustration on the Bulls’ faces. Then Jack and Jones got started, and a 69-43 middle quarters run ended things. Jack had 33-11-10 on 15-18 shooting, restoring some order to the universe. Furthermore, Jones had 33, on 15-24 shooting, along with seven rebounds and six assists. Jack is going to have to adapt to this black hole of a forward, and find him easy buckets. Richie Russell had 18 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, while Elpidio Fernandez also scored 18. John Barnum scored just four points, and Adrian Mathison, such a powerful scorer in his career, had just eight. He’s averaging just 13.3 points so far this season, down from 19.3 a year ago, and 25.7 three seasons ago. He is rated as a Y/Y, and is in a steep decline in his tenth season. Record: 3-2 11.15.87: at LA Clippers (2-4). The Clips are disappointing so far. One thing I found funny…PF Sandy Moody is unhappy. The fans were quite unhappy with the team, who got pasted, 127-96. Jack’s 28-10-12 led the way, while Jones scored 33 with 8 boards, and Perez put up 19 and 8 assists, against just one turnover. Not a bad game for him. Henderson added 12 points and 10 rebounds. For all of his issues, scoring was not one for Moody; he scored 20 to lead all Clippers. Joseph Tu, last year’s #1 pick, had 18 points. Record: 4-2 11.16.87: at Detroit (6-1). The Pistons are off to a flying start, winning six of seven. That, though, includes three wins against the Pacers, as well as a loss. They are 4-1 against the Pacers in the first seven games. The Pistons are almost relieved to see the Bulls…it is an early measure of their progress. It turns out, progress is good; The Pistons outlasted the Bulls, 125-122. Brian Crawford scored 37, and Stevie Michaelson 30, to lead the way. PG Michael Drake added 17 and 11 assists; former Rookie of the Year Thomas Henderson scuffled hard, too, scoring just one point on 0-5 shooting, with five fouls in 13 minutes. Jones scored 29 with 15 rebounds, and Jack had a 28-6-9-3-2 game, but they got little help elsewhere. Record: 4-3 11.18.87: vs Boston (5-3). The Celtics are struggling, making this game even more intriguing. It turns out that the C’s are struggling more, as they were never in this one. The Bulls got out to a 34-16 lead, and crushed Boston, 106-79. Jones had 29 points and 13 rebounds to lead the way. Jack went just 6-10 from the field, en route to 15-7-12. Escalera had a 13-5-5 night, while Shank scored 10 off the bench. Efren Melson, signed from the Nets and inserted into the starting lineup, led Boston with 14 points. Jules Howes had a quiet night with nine, while Brian Deese was a loud 4-18 from the field, en route to 11 points and six boards, and five blocks. The 7’1 center is struggling on the offensive end right now, shooting just 46% from the field. Record: 5-3 11.20.87: at New Jersey (6-2). It seems like every game is a big one for the Bulls right now. (I like it.) They visit Atlantic leader New Jersey, and fall late, 92-85. Hugh Turnage scored 21, while newly-acquired Luke Black had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Tom Perez went for 12-6-13, without a turnover. Jones had 32, while Jack went for 19-13-11 and four blocks. So far, the early returns on this squad are pretty rough. Record: 5-4 11.21.87: at Atlanta (3-5). The Bulls alleviated some issue, blasting Atlanta 97-83. Jack led with 18-15-15, while Jones had 22 (on 26 shots) and 13 rebounds. It is starting to see why San Antonio was so quick to part with him. Chris Henderson scored 14, on 5-6 shooting, to help out. Joe Kujawa led Atlanta with 18-12-7, as well as four blocks. Record: 6-4 11.25.87: vs Washington (5-4). The Bullets are playing reasonably well to start the year. Still, a game in Chicago will be difficult. In the end, it proved too tough for Washington, who were gradually run out of town by the Bulls, 115-98. Jack’s 34-15-9 and five steals led the way, while Jones scored 27 (13-26) and registered 10 rebounds. Perez had 15-4-6, while Escalera provided 13-4-8. The old stalwarts for Washington, Jon McElroy (28 pts, 5 reb) and Lamont Cioffi (27 pts, 15 reb) led the way for Bullets. Record: 7-4 11.27.87: vs Atlanta (4-7): The Hawks close out the Bulls’ November by coming to town. The Bulls close it out by destroying them, 114-85. Escalera fractured his nose, and will be day-to-day. Jack went for 32-10-13 to lead the way. Jones scored 18, on 22 shots. Is it obvious I’m not a fan? Mims and Shank contributed for 20 points, 9 rebounds, and four assists. Dwayne Padgett led Atlanta with 17-7-6. Record: 8-4 The Bulls are definitely not going to go 75-7 this season. They finish the month a half-game back of Detroit. The rest of the division stinks. Utah finished with the best record, at 11-2. Code:
Jack is definitely being affected by Jones. He is still averaging a triple-double, but his scoring is down (26.2 ppg, fifth in the NBA), as is his rebounding (10.5, t6th). He is second in the league in assists, at 11.5 apg. Tom Perez is putting up 12.3. Jones is sixth in the NBA in scoring, at 25.7. This team, while scoring mostly efficiently (fourth in FG%), is fractured. It will take time to gel, I believe…but Joshua Jones may be the worst player available to play with Jack, in terms of complementing what Jack does for the team. Who knows, maybe I’ll eat those words come April. But this doesn’t have the feel that they can do something special. This doesn’t feel like a championship team. The dynasty, in my view, got a lot harder. Code:
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In November, GW didn’t go home. Five games on the road. They started in the Coaches Invitational, beating St. Mary’s, then upsetting ranked Indiana. Baylor beat them 73-62 in the semifinal. They also lost at Richmond and at #1 Maryland, 79-56. Forward Brian Eck leads with 14.4 ppg. Perez is averaging 10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds, while Kenny is averaging just 8.4 ppg. He has 2.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game…but, offensively, he is a bust. |
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05-23-2018, 05:14 AM
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#237 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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December 1987
12.1.87: vs Detroit (11-4). A return date with the Pistons, who are currently a game and a half up on the Bulls, has Chicago motivated. That is evident in their 40-23 first-quarter rout. They don’t let up, and roll, 120-101. Both Jack and Jones had 33 each, Jack doing so with 11 assists and five steals, Jones adding nine rebounds. The big man, 7’3 Chris Henderson, added 16 with five rebounds. Maximo Benson, starting in place of the injured Gregory Escalera, didn’t score (0-4), but had four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block in 31 minutes, and did not commit a turnover. Escalera added 10-5-5 in 23 minutes off the bench. Thomas Henderson, who played so poorly in the first go-round (a Detroit win), led the Pistons with 27. Stevie Michaelson added 18, while Brian Crawford had 21 and seven boards. Record: 9-4 12.5.87: at Milwaukee (6-8). Don’t look now, but the Bucks look resurgent behind their youth. I honestly don’t recall them beating Chicago during Jack’s career. They almost did it here…Richie Russell’s three from the corner rimmed off as time expired, giving Chicago a 100-98 win. Russell stole a pass from Jack with sixteen seconds left to give Milwaukee one last chance. Jones followed a Henderson miss with a tip-in with 1:17 left to give the final scoring. He led with 31 points and six rebounds, while Jack had a 26-14-15-2-3 night. Escalera, back in the starting lineup, added 17-4-5. The Bucks, who played only eight players and moved Russell to the off-guard spot because of an injury to Emil Andrae, got 21 from Russell and Elpidio Fernandez, and 17-10-6 from John Barnum, who has turned it on as of late. Adrian Mathison’s corpse added 18 and seven rebounds. Record: 10-4 12.6.87: vs LA Clippers (6-11). The Clippers continue to disappoint, something that did not get better with the Bulls’ 113-101 win. Jack had 27-15-16 with four steals, and Jones added 33-10-4. Ivory Perez scored 14 (on 14 shots). Sebastian Daniels had 22 and eight boards, while Joseph Tu added 20 with five assists. Glenn Davis, fresh off the Houston Astros, scored 14 on 5-6 shooting. (Can you imagine 1987 Glenn Davis, with that ridiculous mustache, showing up and playing ball?) Record: 11-4 12.8.87: vs Detroit (11-7). The Pistons have lost three straight, and the Bulls started that. That streak ran to four after Chicago whitewashed Detroit, 110-87. Jack was vintage, scoring 41 on 14-17 shooting (11-14 FT), with 12 boards and 11 assists. Jones added 22 with nine boards, two assists, three blocks, and two steals. Perez had 14, while Escalera had nine assists. Stevie Michaelson led Detroit with 24, though he led the putrid; only Brian Crawford scored in double figures, and he had 11, on 5-23 shooting. The win puts Chicago 2.5 games up on the Pistons. Record: 12-4 12.10.87: at Boston (10-11). If you had said Boston would be last in the Atlantic, there would have been several reasons to boggle. Still, there they are, a game and a half behind 10-8 New York. That entire division is surprising at the moment. The Celtics evened their record by beating Chicago, 116-105, snapping Chicago’s seven-game winning streak. Brian Deese, who had been playing better of late, had a stellar night, with 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and three steals. A night ago, he had 29-13-5 and FIFTEEN blocks, but Boston still lost to the Bucks. Jules Howes added 30 with nine assists, and Elliott Bragg put up 20-6-7. Jack had 23-8-14, while Jones had 29-6-3, and Perez 12 points and 10 boards. Record: 12-5 12.12.87: vs Utah (14-5). Life does not get easier for the Bulls, as the league-leading Jazz come to town. Had the Bulls won in Boston, this would be for the league’s top record. As it is, Chicago handed Utah another loss, beating them 108-98. Jack’s 30-13-14 with five steals and a pair of blocks were key. Jones added 23-10-4, while Escalera chipped in 19-5-6. Harris Connors, the yearly All-NBA pick at PF, had 26-16-7, while Royal Bryant added 10 points, 15 boards, and 12 blocks. Sammie Snodgrass had 19-7-6, while Richard Lara added 18, and PG Craig Cooper 17. The Jazz were without starting forward Brian Mazza (15.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg), who is out with a sprained knee. They have lost three of four. Record: 13-5 12.13.87: at Philadelphia (11-7). Oh, the Bulls have payback in Philly. And they got it, smashing the Sixers, 109-89, behind 32-9-4 from Jones (15-21 FG). Jack had a pedestrian 23-7-7, while Perez added 12-8-6. Kurtis Dowden added 12 off the bench. Second-year SG David Lawson led Philly with 28, while Woodrow Taber scored 19. Record: 14-5 12.16.87: at Denver (15-4). The hits just keep on coming, don’t they? A win against the league-leading Nuggets would put the Bulls atop the mountain. Of course, winning in Denver is no small feat. However, that is exactly what they did, despite an off game from Jack…at least scoring-wise. He had 24-16-13-2-2, but on 5-16 shooting. His 13-14 from the line saw him through. Jones went 33-14-4, while Escalera scored 16, and added two rebounds. Part of the reason for Denver’s fall was Jim Burr’s uncharacteristic 1-9 from the field, leading to four points. He would end up fouling out, playing just 18 minutes. Ivory Perez got credit for the top-flight defense, alongside Jack. Joe Curtis led Denver with 19-10-6 from the post, while SF Murray Hale added 18 and six boards. Record: 15-5 12.17.87: at Atlanta (8-12). The Bulls lost an inexplicable game to the Hawks on the road last year. There would be no such thing this time around, as they easily dispatched the Hawks, 103-84. Jack’s 27-12-13 led the way, while Jones added 24 and six boards. Escalera scored 18 and added four assists, while his replacement, Maximo Benson, scored 8 on 4-9 shooting in just 14 minutes. Yow. First-round pick Jefferey Adam scored his average, 18 points. Rex Smith and Joe Kujawa added 16 each, while nobody else did anything of note. Record: 16-5 12.21.87: vs Cleveland (8-14). The Bulls rolled the Cavs, 125-114, behind 35-15-12 from Jack, and 31 and eight boards from Jones. Perez added 16 and six boards, and Escalera scored 15. Eddie Shank added nine points in eleven minutes…really, though, the bench has become a quiet group. Their core four has been set. Cleveland got 23 from reserve center John Kress, last year’s first-round pick (#8 overall, North Carolina). Kress is scoring 16.4 points, with 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game; he is an early contender for Most Improved Player. Henry Martin had 16 and 10 rebounds, while future Hall of Famers James Anderson and Denny Smythe combined for 28. Anderson added nine assists; Joe Baker had 14 and eight dimes for the Cavs. Record: 17-5 12.23.87: vs Washington (15-7). The still-surprising Bullets come to town, and get sent out with a loss, 96-86. Jack’s 25-7-12 with three steals worked well with Jones’ 22-13-4. America, who always wants to put some catchy ditty to make people marketable, are working with “Jack and Josh, oh my gosh”. It likely needs work. Chris Henderson, the big man in the middle, added 19-8-5 with three blocks, to be this game’s third contributor. As usual with the Bullets, Jon McElroy and Lamont Cioffi led the attack; McElroy had 24 and six boards, with Cioffi picked up 20 on 11, though he was 7-18 from the field. SF Douglas Toscano, who was the leader of the Duke team that ended Jack’s sophomore season in the Sweet Sixteen, has been getting steadily better over the past couple of seasons. This is a game he’d like to forget, though…Jack forced him into a 3-21 shooting day; his 6-6 from the line got him to 13 points, but woof. Record: 18-5 12.25.87: at San Antonio (10-14). This was before the NBA was big on Christmas; however, there is something to this game, as the Spurs and Bulls had a big trade before Opening Night. A quick look at that deal now… Joshua Jones: 27.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 56% FG, 54% FT Clarence Cassady: 7.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 7.7 apg, 1.1 bpg, 41% FG, 69% FT So far, it looks like a win for the Bulls, though Cassady did a lot of the things the Bulls needed. Jones takes the ball out of Jack’s hands a lot, though they seem to have found a balance. The Bulls kept rolling, beating the Spurs, 106-86. A 35-19 third quarter proved to be the distance for Chicago. Jack’s 24-13-6, and Jones 22-11-4, was supplemented by Henderson and Perez equally splitting 32 points. Benson added 10 off the bench, as Escalera was plagued with fouls. Cassady was quiet, scoring six points with five assists. Marco Fortier had 16-9-5 from the point for San Antonio, while PF Michael Tetreault had 16 and four rebounds. First-round pick, SG Maximo Joseph, scored 12. Record: 19-5 12.26.87: at Milwaukee (9-16). The Bucks are proving streaky. They started 1-6, then were 6-7, and since have lost nine of twelve. For the second time, the Bucks had a chance at the Bulls, before falling short. This time, Jack’s 35-18-16…truly awe-inspiring numbers…were the key in Chicago’s 125-121 win. One thing that is concerning is Jack’s free throw shooting…he’s still a 92% career shooter, but he’s shooting 84% this year. He was 3-5 in this game. His 3-point stats are down too, quite a bit, from 47% to 36%. That’s a big reason he’s down from 36.0 points a game, to 27.5 this season. Joshua Jones, of course, is the other reason; he scored 24 on 11-26 shooting, with 5 boards and 7 rebounds in this one. Chris Henderson scored 19, with six rebounds and three blocks. Escalera had a 15-9-6 game, while Richard Mims showed up with 16 in 22 minutes, as Henderson was riddled with foul trouble. They were 15-22 combined for 35 points and 11 rebounds. Not bad from that spot. Richie Russell, who is getting tired of playing second fiddle to Jack, had 31 and 10 assists to lead the Bucks. Emil Andrae, who missed the last game against the Bulls. Record: 20-5 12.30.87: vs LA Lakers (6-23). Ah, the bitter Lakers come to town. They haven’t let the “Oh, if it were one year sooner, we’d have had Jack” thing. They’re slowly getting better…but on this day, they were soundly beaten, 111-74. Jack’s night: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 16 assists, four steals, five blocks, zero turnovers. That’s a complete evening. Two small quibbles: he was 10-21 from the field, and he did not shoot a free throw. You know who did? Josh Jones. He shot nine of them; made one. But he was 10-12 from the field, and scored 21 to lead all scorers. Escalera had 19, while several others scored in high double-digits. Jimmie Cain’s carcass got off the pine for a minute, and he played quite angrily, before coming back and sitting down angrily. Reserve center Carlos Guerrero, who has found a bit of a niche as a high-shooting, sometimes-scoring option off the bench, went 6-17 for 16 points. That led the Lakers, who got pitiful efforts from Jack’s replacement in Lakerland, Joshua Berry (3-11, 7 points), Charles Duckworth (4-13, 11 points), and Elisha Simpson (3-12, 8 points, 8 rebounds). Brian Loeffler, the overall #1 pick in this past draft, was 2-3 from the field in 12 minutes, scoring five points. Record: 21-5 12.31.87: at Portland (13-15). 1987 ends with a NBA Championship rematch, as the Bulls go from Chicago to Portland. The Bulls, and Joshua Jones in particular, seemed a little too eager to go party, and the struggling Blazers beat them, 105-87. Jack’s 28-10-9 led the way, while Jones led a cavalcade of bad shooting with a 5-17 performance. Mims went 4-10 off the bench. Perez went 6-14 for 13 points. It appears that they caught whatever the Lakers had. Robert Ritz, who started in Boston (could you imagine THAT team if they had him?) led the way with 22 and 11 rebounds. Eddie Avina had 19, and Lowell Eveland had 14 and seven blocks from the post. Record: 21-6 Last edited by Comey : 05-23-2018 at 05:15 AM. |
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05-23-2018, 05:15 AM
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#238 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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December 1987 cont'd
Despite the loss, the Bulls end the month with the best record in the league, at 21-6. New Jersey and Golden State are both 21-8, while Boston has won nine in a row to get to 19-11. Denver (19-8) sits half a game ahead of Utah (19-9), and a game ahead of Dallas (19-10). It is a top-heavy NBA, but what a top-heavy league it is. Code:
Jack is currently second in the league in scoring, at 27.2 ppg. He’s behind only Brian Crawford of Detroit, who is putting up 30.2 ppg. Jones is 7th, at 25.9. Second-year Sixer scoring God David Lawson sits fifth, with 26.3. Nobody saw that coming. Harris Connors leads the league with 12.2 rebounds; Jack is tied for third with Lamont Cioffi, at 11.1. And Jack’s 12.0 assists per game are second, behind Tom Perez’ 12.7. Detroit’s Michael Drake has blossomed in his third year, and sits third in the league, at 10.1. Richie Russell, who has had to play more shooting guard this year with the injury to Emil Andrae, is tied for fifth, at 9.1. Jack's PER rating, at 40.6, is twelve higher than the man in second, Golden State's Lionel Condon. Code:
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GW December Update: GW went 6-2 in the month, winning four in a row at one point. They beat ECU, which is impressive, as well as Hofstra. They’ll have a real chance to get a solid record next month, as only Drexel gives GW some difficulty. In the polls, USC (13-0) is #1, followed by 14-1 Maryland, Rice (11-0), 12-1 Baylor, and Princeton’s usual rise after an 11-0 start. |
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05-23-2018, 06:23 PM
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#239 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Porter Ali will never have to buy a beer in DC ever again.
This all 100s experiment would be interesting to do in some version of DDS. I expect the blocks and steals would be much higher there on a maxed out player (seem awfully low to me here - 100 STL/BLK and just 2.2 steals and under 2 blocks? Should be more like 3+ and 2-3+)
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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05-23-2018, 08:15 PM
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#240 | |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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Quote:
When I finish this up, I have a couple DDS dynasties I want to do...one along these lines, and another trying to craft the superteam. Either way, I have a few ideas. That said, this one is probably another year or so from being finished. Writing-wise, I'm early into March 1997 (and very much enjoying some non-Jack developments). So, there is much that has yet to be created. The story is still being told. |
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05-24-2018, 04:59 AM
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#241 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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Small sidebar...this was written by an old friend through my leagues over the years, Mike (miral on various boards). He's had some amazing dynasties, and was the impetus for this dynasty (as he did this same thing, but in FM).
How Great Thou Art! - by Bernie Biggleswort Jack Dawkins. Jack Dawkins. Once upon a time, nobody knew who that was. Just like with Babe Ruth, Richard Petty, Jim Brown and Pelé, there was a time in his life when nobody knew his name. And then as an athlete he burst onto the scene one day, and just like that they did know his name. Now Jack Dawkins’ name has grown so large and so quickly that people who don’t even follow the sport he excels in know him, and even know him on a first named basis: Jack. Ask someone, did you see what Jack did last night? And they’ll know exactly who you’re talking about. Sure, Jack Dawkins of the Chicago Bulls, the guy who put up 37 points and pulled down 15 boards while blocking half a dozen shots. That Jack. His name has grown so big, there’s only one Jack now that matters. There’s even a commercial with kids saying “I want to be like Jack”. Considering the impact he’s made on the sport, it’s amazing that he’s still only a 24 year old, with but two years of professional basketball under his belt. Yet between his four years of college ball at George Washington U and two years of pro ball with the Chicago Bulls, he has already proven himself as the best ball player in the world, bar none; and he’s on an almost certain trajectory to attain the title of greatest basketball player of all time. That is neither exaggerated speculation or wild fan-boy boast to declare such a thing. Nothing he has done in his short pro or college career suggests anything other than the best player of all time. Not only his incredible stats, titles and trophies back that up. It is how he has almost single-handedly transformed horrid programs like GWU and Chicago into the best team in their sport as soon as he joined their team as a freshman or rookie. I first heard of Jack Dawkins from an old friend in Pennsylvania. With my being a sports writer, he knows I like searching for the next big story to come along. His son’s high school basketball team had just lost a game to some school from Camp Hill, just across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg. A kid named Jack Dawkins played for Camp Hill. To say the least, Dawkins’ performance that night blew everyone in the stands away, including my amazed friend. Listening to him go on with such zeal about Dawkins, I found it amusing that he was more excited about how this Jack kid had played for the other team than his own son’s performance. A few months later I received another call from my friend, and he urged me to check out the box score from the first day of college basketball. He shocked me by what game he wanted me to look at: George Washington U versus Georgia Southern, two nothing teams on the college landscape. I thought he was joking. But he implored me to check it out, to see if a certain name looked familiar. It took a second to register, but a true freshman in his first college game named Jack Dawkins scored 35 points on 13-19 shooting, with 13 boards, 9 assists, a block and 3 steals. One assist away from a triple double in his first college game. Impressive! A few days later, another great result from the kid. And just like that, as if a genie came along and bestowed a wish upon GWU, this team that had done nothing in college basketball for ages was instantly transformed into one of the very best in the nation, all because of one shy, pimply freshman. For six years now, we’ve enjoyed watching him ply his trade on the national stage, embarrassing the best in the business on a nightly basis. Perhaps the most incredible fact regarding Jack is not his talent, his productivity or domination. It is that he was completely ignored by all the big colleges out there. All of them. In his senior year of high school, TCU beat North Carolina for the national title, and yet neither of those schools even heard of this kid who in six months time would become the most dominant collegian in the land. Not a single school that made the NCAA tourney or NIT that year offered him a scholarship. Quite simply, this was the most enormous snafu in the history of sports scouting. And so, passed over by anyone in the college scene that mattered, Dawkins found himself in Washington, DC playing for a perennial also-ran, George Washington University, in aptly named Foggy Bottom. So what makes Jack Dawkins so incredible? In short, everything. He can shoot, he can dunk, he can dish, he can block, he can steal, he can out-hustle, intimidate, play mind games, read minds – yes, read minds. I’ve seen it. Stick me in a sound proof room for a month with video of every game he’s ever played to fully focus on Jack, and I’m not sure I could pick any one thing he’s not excellent at when it comes to basketball. He is perhaps the most all around talent out there in any sport. He does it all well, and has versatility second to none. He’d be a Hall of Famer at point guard, power forward or center if he played those positions regularly; though he’s known mainly as a small forward. His armor has no chinks. Well, perhaps someone might claim the following chink: He’s not the most physically gifted player in the galaxy. I concede, he’s not the biggest, not the strongest, doesn’t have the biggest biceps, and is not the most physically intimidating of persons if you met him on a dark street. He’d lose a foot race to Jesse Owens in his prime, and lose a wrestling match to Samson. Yea, he’s got a ton of all the good things in his frame, he’s 6'-8" and 242 pounds, and the rest of us are envious beyond words. But I don’t think his physical attributes are what makes him so incredible. He won’t win the Mr. Universe competition as body builder. What sets him apart is his intelligence, instincts, intuitiveness and innate decision making ability. There is no I in team, except when it comes to Jack. Those four I’s - intelligence, instincts, intuitiveness and innate decision making ability - are what separate him from everyone else. Nobody reads the game better, or faster. Think about it. Say the ball comes your way and you have a split second to make a decision. Do you drive to the lane, take an outside shot, pass the ball off, juke left, juke right, stutter step? When the shot goes up, do you rush to the board for the rebound, or go back on defense knowing you won’t get it? Do you try to make the steal or block, or pick up a foul trying by not timing it right? Jack seems to always make the right decision, immediately. Because of his basketball savvy, he takes full advantage of every ounce of his physical abilities. I can think of many guys who’ve had the physical “tools”, who were the perfect “specimens”; guys who turned heads at the NFL Combine. But they could never dominate the game because they couldn’t put it all together for maximum effect. This Jack Dawkins does to brilliant effect. And that is why he is the greatest player in the land today. He can read the play long before it happens. Jack instinctually knows what the other guy is going to do. And with his quick decision making, can act on it before the poor guy even realizes what just happened. If this were Chess, he’d have checkmated his opponent before they even sat down to the table. After a game in which the Bulls defeated the Bucks by 45 points, where Dawkins went for 38 points, ten assists, six blocks and three steals, veteran Jack Ostrowski said after the game, “It’s almost as if Dawkins is living one second in time ahead of the rest of us. He was responding to everything we did before we even did it. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Maybe we should just call him The Future. But enough of what he has done ball-wise. What effect has his play had on the teams he plays for? I’ve always believed you should measure just how good a player is by how bad the team was before he arrived, how dominant they were once he arrived, and how they reverted back to nothingness when he left. Nobody in history, that I’m aware of, has had such an overwhelming effect on the results of a team than Jack has. Observe. When Jack came to George Washington U, the team from Foggy Bottom hadn’t made the post season in five years. It had only made the NIT twice in the past 28 years, and never made the NCAA tournament even once. A true freshman arrives named Jack Dawkins, and they shock the world with a 28-5 record, make the NCAA tournament for the first time ever, and even make the Elite Eight. GWU followed that “fluke” season, as some cynical reporters at the time called it, by going 28-3 in his sophomore season, making it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen again. Doubters almost all silenced, he then led this little known basketball team to the ultimate glory: 35-1 record followed by a 34-1 record, and back to back NCAA national titles as the best team in the land. The school managed an incredible 125-10 record while he played for them, with two national titles, an Elite Eight, and a Sweet Sixteen. Unparalleled glory. And then he graduated and moved on to the pros. GWU fans were distraught and got drunk more than college students normally would. Overnight, the two time defending national champions, without Jack Dawkins, plummeted back to mediocrity as if he had never been there at all. They went 13-17 and 15-14 without him, and didn’t make the post season either year. On to the pros. The Chicago Bulls were one of the worst teams in the league, which is how they landed Jack with the first overall pick in the draft. They were dreadful. And yet, just by joining this ragtag band who could do nothing the previous year, the top rookie in the draft led the Bulls to two straight NBA Championship Finals, winning one of them. Before Jack, nothing. Two years with Jack, two Championship finals and one crown, with a stellar 140-24 record. I am pretty much convinced that for the rest of his lengthy pro career, the team he plays for will never get a lottery pick again, because they’ll be going deep into the playoffs every year, as winners. That is the true sign of a player’s impact. And between his four year college career and his two years in the NBA, no player in basketball has ever made a greater impact on his team than Jack Dawkins. Through six years of covering his performances, sportswriters have pretty much run out of inventive new ways to describe him. Thesauruses have already been worn out. New ones are on order. At just 24 years of age, and with his unequaled talent, they’ve likely got at least 14 more years of trying to come up with new superlatives for him after each game. Forget the record books as we know them. Shred ’em. When Jack Dawkins finally hangs up his shoes, he will likely dominate nearly every stat. His trophy room will likely be the largest on the planet. Oh, and it appears that Chicago fans, coaches and management have become incredibly religious ever since Jack stepped through their door. Why? They pray three times per day fervently that he remains a Chicago Bull for the rest of his existence. Their worst fear, quite understandably, is that he winds up with another team, and the Bulls will have to be humiliated by him just like all the other teams have been humiliated by him for the past six years. |
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05-25-2018, 05:22 AM
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#242 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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January 1988
1.3.88: at Boston (20-11). Here’s a way to ring in the new year...visit a team that started a ten-game win streak by beating you. That’s why the 112-76 thrashing by the Bulls was so shocking…six players scored double figures, led by Joshua Jones’ 27 and 12 rebounds. Jack went for 16-11-13 (shot 7-16), while Kurtis Dowden scored 14 off the bench. Jules Howes had 17-8-5 (6-15 FG), while Brian Deese scored 16, but was held to five rebounds. Chicago controlled the glass, 54-34, and held a 31-18 assist edge. Truly stunning. Record: 22-6 1.5.88: vs Milwaukee (11-18). The Bucks are winning a bit again, though that stopped with Chicago’s 104-81 win. Jack scored 28 points on just 11 shots. He was 16-17 from the line. He had another triple-double, with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, along with four blocks. In 29 games this year, Jack has 19 triple-doubles, including in four of his last five games. Jones had 27 on a very efficient 13-18 from the field. Ivory Perez scored 13 on 5-9 shooting, while the rest of the cast did their usual small contributions. Richie Russell, playing shooting guard again, had 18 points, but just three assists, to lead Milwaukee. Elpidio Fernandez, whose name translates to “The Pitiful” in English, was 7-18 from the field, scoring 17 but registering a -26. Record: 23-6 (5.5 games ahead of Detroit) 1.6.88: vs New York (16-16). The Knicks are still on their way up, but the way this Bulls team is playing, just facing them is a step back. The Bulls got out to a 43-24 lead after one, and added throughout; the final, 124-89, is not indicative of how the game was played. The Bulls shot 60.2% from the field in this one…Jack led the way with 40-10-5 and three blocks, going 13-18 from the field. Jones went 12-16 for 24. Dowded added 12 off the bench, while Shank had 10-7-4. This is an incredibly deep team. John Jennings led New York with 32, but only second-year SF Josh Morris had more than eight; he put in 12. Record: 24-6 1.8.88: at New York (16-17). A return tilt, this time at MSG, saw much the same result…Jack went for 40-6-12 this time, while Chris Henderson’s 22 offset an off night by Josh Jones, in a 116-108 Bulls win. Jones took just ten shots in 21 minutes, as he was in foul trouble thorughout. Henderson had 22 on 9-12 shooting, and added 8 rebounds. Jack had six steals as part of his line, and went 10-10 from the line. Shank had 14-4-3, while Escalera had a goose egg…in fact, he didn’t attempt a shot in his 13 minutes. Dylan Hough played 22 minutes off the bench. Josh Morris scored 28 for the Knicks, while Jennings added 24, and acquired first-rounder Robert Withrow had 13 and five assists. Record: 25-6 1.10.88: at New Jersey (25-9). So far, it’s the Nets, not the Celtics, that are proving to be the Bulls’ key rival in the East. The Luke Black trade has proven to be a fruitful one for the Nets, as well. His layup with fifty-two seconds left gave him the last of his 34 points, the Nets the last of their 103, and the difference in a one-point win. The Nets had to sweat three last chances by the Bulls on the game’s final possession. Jones missed a three, but Jack got the board. Jack missed a three, and got his own rebound, found Ivory Perez in the corner…but he missed. Gabriel Smith secured the ball, and the Nets secured the win. This game was back and forth throughout; the Nets raced out to a 34-23 first quarter edge, only to see the Bulls outscore the Nets, 55-37, over the next two quarters. That gave them a 78-71 lead after three…but the Nets obviously erased it. Black led all scorers with 34 points, along with 13 rebounds and six assists. Hugh Turnage had 19, while Tom Perez had a 13-7-9 line. Jack’s 25-17-9 with five steals led the Bulls, while Jones added 29 and five rebounds. The Bulls need to win fifty straight games to match last year’s win total. Record: 25-7 1.12.88: vs Atlanta (10-20). The Bulls beat Atlanta, 112-105, but it wasn’t the kind of blowout win one would expect. The Hawks jumped on the Bulls, actually, leading 32-20 after a quarter. The Bulls stormed back with a 38-23 second quarter, and pulled away from there. Jack’s 35-8-16 led the way, while Jones had 25 and eight boards, and Perez 19 and six. Gregory Escalera showed up too, having 16 with six assists. Jefferey Adam, who is building his own star in his second year, led with 30 and eight boards. Rex Smith, whose name I always spell Red Smith, after the legendary sportswriter, had 14-11-5. Miles Burdett, cousin of Tom, left the light on with 17 and seven boards off the bench. Record: 26-7 1.14.88: vs Washington (19-15). Again, the Bulls got off to a rough start, losing 30-24 at the end of the first quarter. They would win every quarter thereafter, however, and beat the Bullets, 125-113. Jack’s 36-8-16-2-2 led things, while Jones had a quality 31-8-7 game. Perez had 24, while Escalera had one of his best point guard games to date, scoring ten and dishing out nine assists. Lamont Cioffi, the venerable Bullets’ star, had 32 and seven boards, while Douglas Toscano scored 22, and post star Jon McElroy 20 and eight boards for Washington. Record: 27-7 1.16.88: vs Portland (17-18). You can feel the revenge coming. It isn’t that Chicago won the championship over Portland last year; it’s that Portland beat the Bulls on NYE. It wasn’t pretty revenge, but it was a 84-72 Bulls win. Jones had 23-6-4, while Henderson scored 16 and had six rebounds, with seven blocks. Jack was uncharacteristically quiet, shooting 6-9 from the field for 14-7-9. Robert Ritz scored 21, on 10-23 shooting, to pace the Trailblazers. Record: 28-7 1.18.88: vs San Antonio (15-21). The Bulls, once again, got off to a rough start, losing 37-31 after a quarter. Then they got going, besting the Spurs in every quarter to win 116-100. Jack had 27-9-10 and four steals (15-16 FT) to lead the way, while Escalera had 26 points and four assists. Jones had 20-7-6 as well, while Perez scored 16. The Spurs were led by Marco Fortier’s 38 points and eight boards, which is great…except, he had just one assist from the PG spot. Clarence Cassady, who received a standing ovation in his return to Chicago, was 0-5 from the field, but had nine assists and six rebounds. Michael Tetreault scored 22, with eight boards and five assists, as his breakout in his first year with the Spurs continues. He was a former first-round by Atlanta (#9 overall), who left after two years. He is averaging 17.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Isidro Brainard, a future Hall of Famer, is dwindling on the Spurs bench now, averaging just 6.4 minutes per game, after being a starter for most of the last ten seasons. He has a 21.7 ppg average in his career. He was 1-3 in seven minutes in this one. I’d love to see Chicago trade for him. He’s still a G/G and has a lot of usefulness to him. Record: 29-7 1.19.88: at Golden State (27-11). The Bulls immediately boarded a plane and headed for the Bay Area, for a tilt with the Pacific-leading Warriors. Even though they were weary, they managed an impressive 89-76 win over Golden State. Jack led with 24-15-9, adding EIGHT steals and three blocks. Jones had 23-8-4, while Perez had 17-8-2 and Henderson added 14 and five boards. Lionel Condon, considered the best overall guard in the game today (which pisses Tom Perez off to no end), had 15-8-10, but shot 5-23 from the field, and had seven turnovers. Jeffrey Abel had 12 and 10 rebounds. Record: 30-7 1.23.88: vs Seattle (13-26): The SubparSonics come to town, and leave a 111-99 loser. The Bulls never really put them away, but the Sonics also never really felt like they were in the game. Jack was especially deadly, going for 39-16-13 with four steals. Jones added 22-10-8 in a rather wonderful game from him. Maybe Jack is rubbing off on him. Perez and Escalera added 15 each. Jose Thomson led Seattle with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Stephen Lewis had 19 and 7. Record: 31-7 1.25.88: vs New Jersey (32-9). The behemoths in the East get together again. This time, it’s Chicago’s turn to take victory, using a 39-27 third quarter to gain a 101-93 final. Jack had 27-11-12, on 13-15 shooting. Jones had 25 (11-26), 12 boards and five assists (and five turnovers). Perez and Escalera scored 14 each, with Perez adding ten rebounds and four assists, Escalera eight assists and five boards. Luke Black had 24 points, six boards, and six blocks, while Hugh Turnage added 21. Tom Perez was rattled into a 4-11 shooting night (9 points), with 11 assists and six rebounds. This gives Chicago the unquestioned best record in the league. Record: 32-7 1.27.88: at Washington (20-20). The Bullets have been slumping, having lost six of their last seven. Make that seven of eight, after Chicago trounced them, 112-95. Jack’s 32-12-16 lead the way, while Jones and Perez, who has been hot as of late, had 23 each. Chris Henderson scored 14 and added seven boards. Jon McElroy took the turn as Washington’s big man, scoring 32 on 13-20 shooting; Douglas Toscano had 22, while Lamont Cioffi was off, going for 16 on 8-20 shooting, though with 11 rebounds. Chance McCutchen, one of the best shooters in the game, only had six (3-4 shooting), but had 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Record: 33-7 1.28.88: vs New Jersey (32-10). A quick return date, again in Chicago. Nobody wants these Bulls right now…Jack’s 41-12-14 led the defending champs to a 116-109 win. Jones added 29-10-5, while Escalera (24-4-4) and Perez (13-4-4) also contributed to the win. The big news, though, was the debut of John Jennings. The Nets are going for broke, sending next year’s first-rounder and Hugh Turnage for the Knicks’ star. They already traded this year’s first, along with Danny Smythe, for Luke Black. Jennings, a sharpshooting guard, led the Nets with 31, while Black added 24-10-4 and three blocks. Gabe Smith had 17, while Tom Perez, still in a shooting slump, scored just three, but with 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Record: 34-7 1.30.88: The month ends with another game in Washington, their second in four days. This one ended closely, but Chicago pulled out the 110-108 win. Jack’s 40-11-10 led the Bulls, while Jones’ 25-11-4 played solid second fiddle. Henderson added 12, and Escalera 10. Lamont Cioffi led the Bullets with 25 and 13 rebounds, while Jon McElroy had 24 and 11. Chance McCutchen, who I wish the Bulls had, had a 13-6-9 night. The Bulls now have a 35-7 record, which is decidedly the best mark in the league. They are 21-2 at home, and now have a nine-game lead over Detroit. The Nets, at 32-12, have the second best mark in the league. In the West, there is a huge fight over the top spot in the Midwest, where Utah (29-15) holds a half-game lead over Dallas, and a one-game lead over Denver. Golden State (28-15) is in play for the top seed in the conference. Code:
Jack is still second in the league in scoring, at 28.5 ppg. Brian Crawford is at 30.8 for Detroit. He is second in the league in rebounding with 11.1 rpg, behind Utah’s Harris Connors (12.4) and Seattle’s Cortez Strong (11.3). And he is second in assists, with 11.9 apg. He trails only Tom Perez, who has 28.8. Last edited by Comey : 05-25-2018 at 05:24 AM. |
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05-25-2018, 05:24 AM
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#243 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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January 1988 cont'd
The Bulls, meanwhile, are the highest-scoring team in the league, at 108.6 ppg. They are also first in assists, at a whopping thirty per game, and in field goal percentage. They are seventh in points per game, but they keep opponents off the glass. They are getting better defensively, so this team has become, in my view, the favorite to win the title…though it’ll be interesting to see what New Jersey’s Big Three do. Perez, Jennings and Black rival anybody. And Gabriel Smith is no joke. Here is Jennings' career: Code:
The Bulls may have proper competition. Code:
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GW January Update: GW did not have a good month, going 5-5 in January. They now sit 13-10 overall. They lost to 8-10 Delaware and 8-12 Howard, which didn’t help. 15-8 may have had them sitting well for the NIT. Now, they’ll have to win out. Thankfully for them, only Colgate has a winning record going forward. VCU and the Bonnies have fallen apart, as has Georgia State. The offense has gotten better, with four scorers in double-figures, led by Perez’ 11.7. Julian Thaxton, who has stopped getting hate mail this year for following Jack, is averaging 11.4/5.2/2.6 with over a steal per game. All in all, not bad. |
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05-27-2018, 10:21 AM
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#244 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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February 1988
2.1.88: at New York (23-23). Another barnburner, this time at MSG. The Bulls escaped with a 102-100 win over the surging Knicks. Jack went for 32-10-5-4-2, while Jones had a rough 9-23 outing, for 24 points. Ivory Perez had 13. New Knick Hugh Turnage, who is rather upset about his move into the city, led the way with 22 and six boards. Second-year forward Joshua Morris was held to just ten points, on 3-12 shooting, while Efrain Robins had 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Record: 36-7 2.3.88: at Indiana (22-21). The Pacers are trying to stay relevant in the Eastern conference, floating just above water. They’re back on an even plane after Chicago destroyed them, 110-93. They put them away with a 28-17 fourth quarter, after Indy threatened to make it a game late in the third. Jack’s 26-9-14-2-2 led things, while Jones and Perez each scored 20. Jones, oddly, had just one rebound, while Perez snagged eight from the SG spot. Chris Henderson has been steady in his two February games, scoring 13 points and 7 boards in each. Albert Scott led Indy with 23 points and six rebounds, while steadfast Andrew Edminston had 22-5-2-3. Record: 37-7 2.4.87: at Dallas (28-18). The final game before the All-Star break is a whopper, as the Bulls travel to the suddenly struggling Mavs, who lost their last three heading into the game. The Bulls added a fourth straight L heading into the break, behind Jack’s 32-10-13 with three steals. Jones added 17-6-3, while Henderson had 12 points, four boards, and a pair of assists and blocks. Gregory Escalera scored 10. Center Clemente Ellis, one of the game’s greatest, had 27-10-4 with five blocks. He got little help, though. Dom Winkler, a P/P player like Jack, shot 3/10 for ten points, with a pair of boards, four assists, and five steals. Luther Culpepper, a big signing in the offseason, has been relegated to a reserve role in his first year in Dallas. He’s averaging 4.2 points in 15.1 mpg. In this, he played 17, and scored 9. So, he exceeded his marks. Record: 38-7 All-Star Weekend: Naturally, the sophomores trounced the rookies, 116-102. Joseph Tu of the Clippers was named the MVP, for his 21 points in 8-17 off the bench. Joshua Shriver of the Knicks (21-10-4) and #1 pick Brian Loeffler of the Lakers (19 pts) had strong showings for the rookies. In the dunk contest, it was Shriver, the Knick rookie, who shocked the crowd by winning. He and Phoenix’s Ronny Payne both scored perfect fifties, which edged out the crowd favorite, Jack (49.8). Shriver won with a skywalk from the foul line. Hmmmm. Seems cliched. In the three-point contest, Tom Perez won the first round…but in the final. Efren Melson of Boston hit his final shot, giving him 19 to Perez’s 18. Hugh Turnage, Perez’s former teammate in Jersey, also made the final. John Jennings, the man Turnage was traded for, was fifth. Many say Turnage was quite happy about besting the man who took his place on a top contender. In the All-Star Game, there were a lot of gaudy numbers, of course. In the end, though, it was a man who took only seven shots that gained MVP honors. Jack’s 14-8-12, on that 4-7 shooting, won the MVP in the East’s 140-137 win over the hated West. The West came back strong, outscoring the East 36-28 in the fourth quarter…but they couldn’t finish the job. There are too many players to list, so here’s the boxscore. Josh Jones went 6-13 for 12-6-4 in his 20 minutes. Code:
2.9.88: at Cleveland (14-32). The Cavs are building for the future, and rightfully so. On this day, they held the Bulls to 88 points. But they scored only 71 for themselves. Amazingly, nobody scored more than Jack’s 19 in this game. He had 19-7-7 with five steals, but shot just 6-16. Perhaps he was spent from all the festivities over the weekend. He played just 33 minutes, as the score was 69-45 after three quarters. The Cavs scored just five in the third. Jones added 18 and 11 rebounds. Danny Smythe keeps scoring, albeit erratically these days. He led the Cavs with 15, on 7-20 shooting. Record: 39-7 2.10.88: vs Cleveland (14-33). Another home-and-home…going to predict the final as 117-96. I was close; 119-91, favor Chicago. Jack is back, going for 35-11-14 with three steals. Jones had 24 and 11 boards, while Chris Henderson scored 17 with five rebounds. Smythe led Cleveland with 24. Record: 40-7 2.12.88: vs Boston (30-19). The Celtics come in, and go out a 103-90 loser. Jones led the way with 25 and seven boards, but the story is Jack. He scored just 15, on 4-11 shooting. This is the first real shooting slump of his career. He added 13 assists and eight rebounds, along with three blocks. But that scoring…Henderson and Ivory Perez added 13 each. Jules Howes went 6’18 from the field, but 12-12 from the line for 25 points for the C’s, while Brian Deese had 22, with 12 boards, 3 assists, two steals and four blocks. Record: 41-7 2.14.88: vs Sacramento (22-27). You wouldn’t think the Kings would be a team to knock Chicago from its long winning streak. You’d be right; Jones’ 36-9-4 led the Bulls to a 103-88 win. Jack had 18-5-9, and there are whispers that he’s suffering from an injury to his shoulder. Ivory Perez had 17 and 7 rebounds, while Gregory Escalera put up 5-7-6 numbers (on 2-12 shooting, ick). Roger Snelling, the second-year seven-footer from Yale, is excelling since moving into the starting role (ten starts on the year now). He scored 20 and registered 14 rebounds. Grant Crites, who was the star on the Maryland team that lost to Jack’s GW team in the 1985 national championship, is also excelling in his first year as a starter (20.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg). He was held to 14 and 11, on 7-18 shooting. Gerrado Sand, the former Nets’ scorer, had 18 on 9-31 shooting. Clearly, he is not a veteran leader. Record: 42-7 2.15.88: at Phoenix (29-21). Chicago took a red-eye to Phoenix, and managed to outlast the Suns in a tight, 122-116 ballgame. Jack was 14-21 from the field, ending with 35-9-12-5-2. Jones continued his hot hand, going for 30-13-3. Escalera showed some scoring with 17. Keenan Sweet had 31-7-4 from the center spot for the Suns, while Michael Matney had 21 and 8 rebounds. Record: 43-7 2.19.88: vs Indiana (25-25). The Pacers continue to flouder, falling under .500 as the Bulls pound them, 110-94. The signing of Albert Scott has damaged the chemistry of their team. It took him 24 shots to get 25 points. Meanwhile, scoring machine Andrew Edmiston scored 17 on just 11 shots. Jack, meanwhile, put on a show. He was 15-24 from the field, 11-11 from the line, for 42-12-12 numbers. Jones went for 28-9-3, while Perez added 19 and six boards. Jack hates the Pacers because of their hard fouls and presence of Tod Whitlock (2 minutes, no stats). Record: 44-7 2.20.88: vs Philadelphia (27-24). The Sixers got everyone’s attention early on by beating the Bulls in the first week of the season. They were not so fortunate this time, as Jack’s 36-11-12 were the key to a 106-96 victory. Jones went for 24-12-5, while Perez (14) and Henderson (12) were key contributors. Woodrow Taber scored 24 with 13 boards, while Irvin Williams had 23. David Lawson, the brash second-year star, had 21 on 8-24 shooting. And Whitney Gooden, the long-time star of the Sixers, had just four points on 2-3 shooting, with six boards, five assists, and six turnovers, along with four fouls, in 37 minutes. Rumors are that he is on his way out. Record: 45-7 2.23.88: at Indiana (26-26). Remember how I said that the Pacers lost their identity with the signing of Albert Scott, and that Andrew Edmiston was being wasted? He scored 45 points, on 18-30 shooting, in the Pacers 129-117 win over the Bulls. Refugio Runyan (who names their kid this?), who is playing well in his first year as a full-time starter, scored 25 to help lead the charge. Scott, himself, had 19-6-4. Jack had 32-11-12-3-7 in the loss, while Jones scored 33 with six boards. Perez scored 15 on an efficient 6-9 day. So now, it is guaranteed they will not have the same record as last year. They did, however, just win nineteen straight games. Record: 45-8 2.24.88: at Detroit (32-22). On my eighth birthday, the Bulls head to Detroit. They also lost their second straight, falling 112-107 to the Pistons. The NBA’s scoring leader, Brian Crawford, led the way with 33-10-3. Stevie Michaelson had 24 (10-26 FG), while Vicente Williams had 13 and 18 rebounds. Jones went for 42 (19-35), while Jack had 19 on twelve shots, along with 15 assists, six boards, and four blocks. There were reports that Jones was openly disregarding plans to funnel through Jack. Hmmm. Escalera had 14-6-9 in a very efficient game for him (7-8 FG). Record: 45-9 2.26.88: at Utah (37-18). Sweet, a two-game losing streak with a trip to the West leaders. That ends up with the Bulls’ third-straight loss, 104-98. This wasn’t even close, as Utah pounded the Bulls from the start. Harris Connors thoroughly outclassed Joshua Jones in this, going for 36-8-4-3-3, while Jones was 5-22 from the field, for 13-10-7. Jose Sokol, the rookie plug-in at point while the team waits for Craig Cooper to return from injury, added 15-5-5 in the win. Jack had 31-12-10 for the Bulls. Perez went for 14-6-4, while Escalera had 13-7-3. Record: 45-10 2.29.88: vs New Jersey (40-17). A leap-year game against the Atlantic leaders…fantastic! The Bulls also pulled out of their losing streak, though it wasn’t easy. Jack’s 27-10-12-2-3 led the Bulls to a 102-98 win. Jones was 9-23 from the field (19 points), while Perez shot 3-12 from the field, for ten. Jack kind of dragged the Bulls to the win by himself. Luke Black led the Nets with 23, while Tom Perez had 11-10-13. Gabe Smith had 19-7-4, while John Jennings had 16. Record: 46-10 Last edited by Comey : 05-27-2018 at 10:23 AM. |
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05-27-2018, 10:23 AM
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#245 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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February 1988 cont'd
Standings: The Bulls still control the East, leading New Jersey by seven full games. The Nets (40-18) have the league’s second-best record, a game and a half ahead of Utah, and two full on Golden State. There isn’t really much of a race in any of the divisions at the moment. Code:
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GW February Update: The Colonials went 6-1 in the month, and now find themselves at 19-11. They are, as of now, the first team out of the NCAA Tournament. That’s a step up from the past two years. They finished their season on a five-game win streak, and should be assured of the NIT. As of now, Maryland (28-1) is the #1 team in the nation, while Rice (25-1) and USC (27-1) aren’t too far behind. |
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05-29-2018, 05:10 AM
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#246 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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March 1988
3.1.88: vs Cleveland (19-37). The Bulls are off and running, demolishing the Cavs, 111-72. Jack had 27-14-15 with three blocks, and Joshua Jones added 33 on 16-22 shooting. Ivory Perez offered 13 with eight boards, while Eddie Shank gave 12, and Dylan Hough 10. Joe Baker scored 14 to lead the Cavs, while Danny Smythe added 12, on 5-16 shooting. Record: 47-10 3.4.88: vs Denver (35-22). The Bulls run through March was immediately stopped, as Denver came into Chicago Stadium and stopped the Bulls cold. The Nuggets picked up their second win over Chicago this year, winning 108-99. Jim Burr had 34 points and 14 rebounds, while Kevin Matherne scored 28 with 10 rebounds. Joe Curtis, the future Hall of Fame center still going dependably strong in his 12th year, scored 23. Jack’s 35-12-7-3-5 led the way for Chicago, while Jones added 21 and 12 boards, and Perez 17. Record: 47-11 3.5.88: at Cleveland (19-39). The Bulls are now 2-0 vs Cleveland in March, as Jack’s 37-9-10 gave the Bulls a 116-100 win. This was even after the Cavs outscored the Bulls 24-14 in the fourth quarter. Jones added 30, Perez 13, and Chris Henderson 11 and eight boards. Danny Smythe’s 19 led the Cavs; reserve center John Kress added 18 off the bench. Record: 48-11 3.7.88: at Detroit (34-26). The Pistons have been struggling, having lost four in a row, but are still firmly in second place in the division. They ended that streak by beating the Bulls, 104-95. The inside-out combination of Stevie Michaelson (30 points, 13 rebounds) and Brian Crawford (26 points, 7 rebounds) was too much for Chicago to handle. Jack went for 38-12-11, while Jones had 21 on 10-17 shooting. Perez was 3-14 for just seven points, and the third contributor on the night was Eddie Shank’s 11 on 5-7 shooting. It was that kind of night for the Bulls. Record: 48-12 3.9.88: vs Indiana (31-29). The Bulls beat the Pacers, 112-94, behind a balanced effort on offense. Jones led with 28 and 10 boards, while Jack had 25-8-12 (and six turnovers). Chris Henderson added 16 on 8-9 shooting, while both Perez and Gregory Escalera had 10 each. Shank continued his productive run with 12 points on 6-7 shooting in 18 mminutes. Andrew Edmiston scored 22 for the Pacers, while Refugio Runyan, which is still a really weird name to write, had 15 on 6-14 shooting. Albert Scott had 13, but shot 4-18 to get there. Record: 49-12 3.11.88: vs Boston (37-25). The Celtics come in for a critical battle, as Detroit is breathing down their neck for the third seed. They lose said critical battle; Jack’s 32 (10-12 FG; 12-13 FT), 17 rebounds, and 11 assists (zero turnovers), 19 from Jones, and 17-6-5 from Escalera gave the Bulls their win. They out-rebounded the Celtics, 51-35. Brian Deese had 35 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way, but without Jules Howes, who has a stress fracture and will miss another week and a half, they struggled to keep up with Chicago’s Jack and Jones. Thomas Jones added 16 off the bench, while fill-in point, Michael Chambers, had 15 points and seven assists, a pretty good night. Record: 50-12 3.13.88: at Philadelphia (34-28). Seems like all they face is good teams nowadays. They continued to hold the Sixers win over them back in October against them, as they smashed the Sixers, 110-89. Jack went for 39-17-7-3-3, while Jones added 25-7-5. Kurtis Dowden had 12 off the bench. Ronald Brehm led the Sixers with 18 off the bench, in just 19 minutes. David Larson seems to be hitting a wall; he scored 15, but on 5-17 shooting, and 4-10 from the line. He was frustrated by Perez and Jack all night. Record: 51-12 3.14.88: at Cleveland (19-43). Forget what I said about good teams, though Cleveland should be better than they are. The Bulls, behind 31 from Jones, 29-15-14 from Jack, and 26 from Escalera, beat the Cavs, 109-98. SF Henry Martin led Cleveland with 20 and 10 rebounds, while Renato Young (17 pts, 13 reb), James Anderson (17-7-5) and Joe Baker (16-5-15) played wonderfully, despite the loss. Record: 52-12 Just to check the standings, the Bulls have a six-game lead on the Nets for the top spot in the East. So, it’s a reasonable lead, but not an overly comfortable one. Jack, meanwhile, is creeping up on the scoring title. He’s up to 29.1 ppg, while Brian Crawford is at 30.7. It’s not likely Jack catches him…but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Jones has settled into his role of deferring to Jack, but scoring more efficiently. He’s seventh in the league in scoring, at 25.4 ppg. One other thing, just as I glimpse around the league…the Clippers are 22-41; they were picked to finish second in the Pacific. The Lakers are 16-48. Seems like basketball in Los Angeles is in total dumpster fire mode. 3.18.88: at Atlanta (23-40). Last year, the record-setting Bulls had an odd hiccup in Atlanta. Not so this year; Jack’s 24-12-11-6-2 led the balanced Bulls to a 112-91 win. Jones added 22 and eight boards (9-22 FG), while Henderson had 19 and 9 boards, while Perez added 17. Joe Kujawa had 25 and 10 rebounds, while Rex Smith, who kind of reminds me of Rex Chapman for some reason, had 20 on 5-9 shooting. Record: 53-12 3.19.88: at New Jersey (47-18). Here we go…a likely Eastern Conference final preview. Another chippy game led to the loss of Ivory Perez to a broken cheekbone, and a 99-84 loss to the Nets. A brawl broke out after Perez was fouled hard by Gabriel Smith. Nobody was ejected, but Perez broke his right cheekbone, and will be out a few weeks. As far as the game, John Jennings scored 27, Luke Black 19, and Tom Perez had 8-9-14 to lead the Nets to the win. Jack’s 28-11-7-2-2 was the pacesetter for the Bulls. Jones had 18, and was the only other scorer in double-figures. Record: 53-13 3.23.88: vs Milwaukee (15-50). The remedy for an ugly loss is a home date with the sad-sack Bucks. The youth movement is struggling in Milwaukee. This was never as evident as in the Bulls’ 105-74 shellacking of the Bucks at Chicago Stadium. Jack’s 22-15-9 led the way, while Jones and Maximo Benson, starting at the point in place of Ivory Perez (Escalera slides to his natural SG spot) both scored 17. Escalera and the ancient Richard Mims scored 14, while Shank scored 12. Elpidio Fernandez led Milwaukee with 20, while Emil Andrae had 12, and the regressed Richie Russell scored 11 with six assists. His numbers are down across the board…in part because he had to play SG while Andrae was out. Record: 54-13 3.24.88: vs Detroit (41-27). The Pistons have been hot since beating the Bulls, winning seven of their last eight, including beating Boston at The Garden last night. Then they walked into Chicago Stadium and came from behind late to beat the Bulls, 105-102. That’s one of the more impressive back-to-backs I’ve seen. Brian Crawford told Jack to zip it, regarding the scoring title, by putting up 34 to lead all scorers. Stevie Michaelson had 19 and 11 rebounds, and Vicente Williams had 18-14-6 from the post. Jack’s 25-11-9 led the Bulls, though Jones’ 24-6-3 was more efficient. Benson is showing he is deserving of more time, scoring 18 with nine assists, and just one turnover, in 42 minutes. Record: 54-14 3.26.88: vs Golden State (43-24). The Bulls welcome the Pacific leaders to town. The Warriors were sent away with a 107-84 loss as a parting gift. The win was not without a loss; Benson went down with a broken jaw, and will be out for three weeks. He will return in time for the playoffs. Perez is still out for the next week and a half. Jack had himself a night, going 13-15 from the field, delivering 31-10-18-4-2 on the night. Jones added 28 and 9 rebounds; Dylan Hough, called in to play for Benson, delivered 7-6-3 in 44 minutes. There may be a bit of a slide after Benson. Lionel Condon, who continually wins the Player of the Month in the Western Conference, had 25-8-8 with four steals to lead the Warriors. Marlin Cross added 16 points, while SG Joey Deel, an old Jack nemesis, scored 11 with five assists. Record: 55-14 3.28.88: vs Milwaukee (16-52). Well, they don’t have to worry about the point too much in this one. The Bucks were once 6-7. They are 10-45 since. Wait; 10-46, after Chicago slaughtered them, 129-102. Jack…34-20-14. Wow. Jones added 28-9-3, while Chris Henderson offered 16 and 13 rebounds. On the night, Chicago outrebounded Milwaukee, 53-28. Holy cow. Dylan Hough played 26 minutes at shooting guard, while Escalera moved back to the point. Hough added 11 points and four boards in 26 minutes, while Escalera scored 10 and dished nine dimes. Jimmie Cain showed up! He had 14 in 17 minutes. Emil Andrae led Milwaukee with 23, while Richie Russell had 21 and 11 assists. Record: 56-14 3.30.88: at Boston (41-30). Right now, the C’s are three games behind Detroit for the third spot. That would make this a conference semifinal preview. The Bulls continued their mastery of the Celtics, winning at The Garden, 92-84. Jack had 26-7-10, while Jones added 23. Escalera had 12-7-7 as Chicago tightened their bench; only eight players played. Jules Howes, who missed the last game between the two, had 24-11-5 to lead the team. Brian Deese had 13-12-3-4-5, while Elliott Bragg had 11 poitns and 16 rebounds. Sportswriters in Boston continue to find the sky to be falling, and keep calling for head coach Eli Pierce’s head. This despite a 309-173 record, three division titles, three ECF appearances, and one conference championship. The Celtics have not missed the playoffs since he came aboard (five years), and, yet, he’s without a contract for next year. Record: 57-14 Last edited by Comey : 05-29-2018 at 05:12 AM. |
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05-29-2018, 05:12 AM
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#247 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CT via PA via CA via PA
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March 1988 cont'd
Standings Update: The Bulls are seven games ahead of the Nets for the top overall seed. Detroit leads Boston by 3.5 games for the third-seed. Meanwhile, in the West, Utah (45-24) leads Golden State and Phoenix (44-25) for the top spot in a very competitive (re: down) Western Conference. The Bucks and Lakers are still bringing up the rear. Code:
The Bulls are tops in offense, which is understood. Their defense, sixth, may be good enough to win a title. They do keep teams off the boards plenty, dish out the most assists in the league, and are the most efficient in scoring. The remind me of the current Spurs, actually, in how they go about their way. Code:
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GW March Update: The Colonials got into the NIT, where they were smashed to bits by Long Beach State, 86-47. No matter. The team was a success for the first time since Jack left. And bigger things are ahead. Not national championship big, but potentially NCAA big. In the NCAA Tournament, Duke won the West Region by blowing out #1-seed Rice, 88-58. The defending champs, Baylor, won the Midwest by taking out successive Cinderellas, #12 Colgate and #11 Miami-OH, in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. Southern Cal outlasted upset-minded Nebraska, sending the top-seed Trojans to the Final Four out of the South. And overall top seed Maryland rolled to the Final Four, crushing second-seed Penn, 73-54, to win the East. There were no real upsets in this tournament. In the Final Four, USC rolled Duke, 80-60, while Baylor thumped the Terrapins, 64-49. The Trojans denied Baylor’s attempt to become back-to-back champs, 83-82. It wasn’t as close as the score indicated…the Trojans led 83-79, after Wilfred Brown hit two free throws with nine seconds left, icing the game. The nation’s top senior prospect, James Matz, hit a three at the buzzer, and thought he drew a foul…but no, no whistle. Brown is the #3 prospect in the junior class. Matz is considered to be a special talent. He could be the rival to Jack, at least offensively. Baylor has two of the top six seniors in the class, in forward Arnaud Delecluse and SG Russell Davidson. |
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05-30-2018, 04:57 AM
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#248 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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April 1988
The Bulls lead the Nets by seven games with eleven to play. So, things look good. 4.3.88: at Houston (22-50). The Bulls visit one of the league doormats, and come out a comfortable 112-99 victor. Jack’s 26-8-15, on 6-11 shooting (14-15 FT), and Joshua Jones’ 34 and nine boards, gave the Bulls the comfortable win. Dylan Hough offered 15 in support. Del Scholl, the Houston statesman, scored 28 and procured nine rebounds in the loss. Record: 58-14 4.4.88: at Sacramento (34-39). The Kings are in a dogfight for the seventh playoff spot, and avoid getting Utah in the process. They got a big one here, as they upset the Bulls, 116-113. Grant Crites, the former Maryland star, won the day with 29 points, while former Net Gerardo Sand put up 28-7-5. Charlie Hansel added 22. Jack went for 43-16-11, on 15-20 shooting. Jones added 24, while Gregory Escalera had 15-7-6, but on 18 shots. He also had five turnovers. Record: 58-15 4.6.88: at Seattle (33-40). The Sonics currently hold the eighth spot in the playoffs, and hold it relatively easily. They, too, upset the Bulls, 111-104, spoiling Ivory Perez’s return to the court. PG David Jarrett went off for 34-6-6 with three steals, in addition to humiliating Escalera (1-8, 2 points, seven turnovers). Stephen Lewis added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Cortez Strong had 16 points and seven boards. Jack’s 24-10-14 led Chicago, while Jones added 25. Perez scored 17 and contributed seven rebounds in his return. Record: 58-16 4.7.88: vs Philadelphia. The Bulls return home, seeking to escape their West Coast troubles. They find solace in the Sixers, thrashing them, 118-96. Jack’s 38-5-7, on 14-19 shooting, was the key. Jones added 25, and Escalera, having escaped David Jarrett, offered 15-7-6, on 5-6 shooting. Nobody was more relieved to be away from the West than him. Shank and Hough both scored 10 off the bench. David Lawson rebounded from his previous poor outing against Chicago with 36 points, on 14-23 shooting. Record: 59-16 4.10.88: vs Indiana (37-38). The Pacers come to town, and promptly get routed, 118-101. Jack’s 41-9-8, and Jones’ 39 and 8 boards, were the pacesetters, of course. Escalera scored 12 and offered four assists. Albert Scott scored 22 with seven rebounds to lead the Pacers. Marty Ginn scored 16 off the bench. Record: 60-16 4.11.88: at Indiana (37-39). A back-to-back, this time in Indianapolis. This one required a Bulls comeback, which they managed to do with a 29-20 fourth quarter. That gave them a 103-100 victory. Jack’s 31-9-11-3-4 was the top runner, while Jones added 21-8-4, Perez 12, and Henderson 11 points and six boards. Albert Scott had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers; however, four turnovers and two assists typically do not work for a point guard. Andrew Edmiston scored 18 with 8 rebounds; his attempt at a game-tying three at the buzzer fell off the rim. Record: 61-16 4.15.88: at LA Lakers (20-58). The Lakers have twenty wins! They did not get a 21st, as Jack seems to want to stick it to the Lakers for complaining so much every time. He forced Jack-Lite, Joshua Berry, to foul out; as we all remember, Berry was the Lakers’ consolation prize in the Jack draft. As far as Jack goes, he shot 17-24 from the field, going for 41-3-8, with a pair of steals and a block. Jones had himself a 21-5-7 night, while Escalera had 15-6-5. Rudolf McKinnie, the second-year postman who fell to the Lakers in last year’s draft, had 33 and 9 boards. Chuck Duckworth scored 16 with nine assists, while Berry managed 10-8-3 in his 34 minutes. Record: 62-16 4.16.88: vs New York (36-42). The Knicks are the likely first-round opponent for the Bulls in the playoffs; they are two games behind Indiana for the seventh seed. They would get no closer, and see their fate laid out before them. Chicago rolled, 101-79, with Jack going for 30-8-8 on 11-16 shooting. Perez scored 19, offsetting an off night by Jones (3-9 FG, 10 points). Hugh Turnage led the Knicks with 26, while Josh Morris’ 13, on 4-11 shooting, was the next-best effort. Record: 63-16 4.18.88: at Washington (42-37). Chris Henderson’s bucket with :45 left in overtime gave the Bulls a 103-102 win over the Bullets. Chance McCutchen had a chance to win the game at the buzzer in regulation, but he missed. Obviously. Jack won POTG honors with 22-9-19. Jones got back into the scoring act with 28-13-5. Henderson, who had the game winner, scored 14 with five boards. The Usual Suspects, Lamont Cioffi (29-10-5) and Jon McElroy (26 pts, 9 reb) led the Bullets. Douglas Toscano, who has become a solid third banana, had 17 and five rebounds. Record: 64-16 4.20.88: vs Atlanta (27-53). The Bulls almost threw another late-season game to the Hawks, blowing a big lead late in the fourth. Joshua Jones hit a three at the buzzer, giving the Bulls a 106-105 win. However, they were outscored 25-17 in the final frame, and looked all out of sorts. Jones had 31-10-4, while Jack had 27-9-10-5-2, and Perez 17 on 6-10 shooting, pacing the Bulls. The Hawks had a balanced attack, led by reserve forward Miles Burdett’s 21 (10-11 FG). The man he replaced, Joseph Kujawa, still managed 18 points in 21 minutes, despite five fouls. Joe Johnson, Jefferey Adam, and Dwayne Padgett each had 16. Record: 65-16 4.21.88: at New York (37-44). The Bulls close with the Knicks, who get themselves prepped for a playoff trip to Chicago with an 89-87 victory at MSG. Josh Morris went for 18-5-7, and Randall Karr, one of those guys who plays without much distinction (he kind of reminds me of Olden Polynice) scored 16. Jones had 23-9-5, while Jack had an off-night, going for 18-13-16, shooting 8-20 in the process. Record: 65-17 This is ten wins less than last year. Panic, Chicago. Panic. Last edited by Comey : 05-30-2018 at 04:58 AM. |
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05-30-2018, 04:58 AM
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#249 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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April 1988 cont'd
Standings Code:
Team Summary Code:
Team Stats Code:
Jack Code:
Awards Code:
Playoff Matchups 1) Chicago (65-17) vs 8) New York (38-44) 2) New Jersey (57-25) vs 7) Indiana (40-42) 3) Boston (51-31) vs 6) Philadelphia (42-40) 4) Detroit (50-32) vs 5) Washington (43-39) 1) Utah (53-29) vs 8) Seattle (39-43) 2) Phoenix (52-30) vs 7) Sacramento (41-41) 3) Golden State (50-32) vs 6) Portland (44-38) 4) Dallas (50-32) vs Denver (46-36) (this one should be an amazing series) |
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05-31-2018, 05:37 AM
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#250 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
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1988 Playoffs – First Round vs New York
The Bulls were 5-1 against the Knicks this year, losing only the final game of the season after everything was already locked in. Even when the team had John Jennings, the Knicks weren’t particularly good. They are a team on the rise, though…could see them getting Game 3, though. Prediction: They get one. Bulls in four. Game 1: Jack’s 23-14-11-4-2 paced the Bulls to an easy 102-79 victory. The defense held the Knicks to 36% shooting. Joshua Jones scored 19, while Ivory Perez scored 15, and a host of others scored in the high double-digits. Hugh Turnage led the Knicks with 23, on 10-12 shooting. He also raged at Joshua Morris, who shot 3-14 from the field (10 pts). Most of his shots were hero shots, and ill-advised. Bulls Lead 1-0 Game 2: Jones’ 26, and Jack’s 25-11-10, were too much for the less-experienced, less-talented Knicks. The Bulls ran away with a 44-21 first quarter, then rested all of the starters in the fourth, which the Knicks won 25-19. Perez added 13, while Gregory Escalera added 8-6-8. Eddie Shank (11) and Chris Henderson (10) helped in the post. Hugh Turnage again led the Knicks with 16 points (on 5-15 shooting). Joshua Morris, the object of a massive cursing tirade by Turnage, was muted, going 3-8 from the field, with eight rebounds. Bulls Lead 2-0 Game 3: The Knicks got one back at MSG, beating the Bulls with a 97-92. They turned back the Bulls late comeback attempt. Robert Withrow’s 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Randall Karr picked up 17 points and eight rebounds, while Richard Mertens scored 16 with eight boards. Jack’s 29-9-11 led the Bulls; Jones scored 17 with seven boards, while Henderson scored 15. The rest of the team stunk. Oh, Turnage seems to have destroyed Joshua Morris’ spirit; he scored just two points, on 1-7 shooting. Bulls Lead 2-1 Game 4: The Bulls ripped through the Knicks, 108-84, winning the series. Jack was vintage, going 12-15 from the field, 10-10 from the line, for 35-7-11 numbers. That helped overcome Jones’ foul trouble; he finished with just eight points in 20 minutes. Richard Mims and Eddie Shank turned back the clock, combining for 29 points. With Hugh Turnage out for the series with an ankle sprain, Joshua Morris came back to the forefront. He scored 18 points, on 7-19 shooting, with eight rebounds and five assists. Robert Withrow was held to nine points, on 2-10 shooting. Randall Karr scored 14. Bulls Win Series, 3-1 Elsewhere: New Jersey needed five games, but outdid Indiana, 3-2. Sixth-seed Philadelphia upset Boston, 3-1. On the other side, Utah rolled Seattle, and will face Dallas in what should be a wonderful showdown. Of course, I thought Dallas-Denver would be, but the Mavs swept the Nugs. Golden State swept Portland, while seventh-seed Sacramento upset Phoenix in five games. 1987-88 NBA Conference Semifinals 1) Boston vs 5) Washington 2) New Jersey vs 6) Philadelphia 1) Utah vs 4) Dallas 3) Golden State vs 7) Sacramento |
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