Too Much Zach Randolph Dooms Bulls

Anthony Hamilton

It was a festive atmosphere inside the Fed Ex Forum, as the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies prepared to square off. The Grizzlies came in having lost 6 straight games. The Bulls were 2 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls were severely short-handed, missing starting power forward Taj Gibson, and key reserve E’twaun Moore. It wouldn’t take the Grizzlies long to exploit the absence of Taj Gibson, as Zach Randolph would have his way with Bulls rookie Bobby Portis. Derrick Rose returned from his elbow injury, but his shot wasn’t falling, and all-star shooting guard Jimmy Butler was held to 5 points, all in the 4th quarter after the game was out of reach.

The game appeared as if it would be competitive as the Bulls trailed 23-21 at the end of the first quarter. Then the wheels fell off. Over the course of the next 2 quarters, turnovers and missed shots led to the Bulls being out scored 60-44. Down 16 points at the start of the 4th quarter, the Bull trimmed the Grizzlies lead to 11, but that was as close as they would get, as the Grizzlies, led by Zach Randolph with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Vince Carter with 17 points, would go on to defeat the Bulls 108-92. The Bulls were led by Nikola Mirotic with 20 points, and Pau Gasol with 17 points and 10 rebounds. For Grizzlies fans, this night was festive indeed.