Bulls on a downward slope, fall to Grizzlies

When people talk about this year's Chicago Bulls, the same names come up: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and Joakim Noah. None of them played in Tuesday's loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, 104-97.

Injuries and a suspension have all but whittled the Bulls' rotation to the backups. Noah was the first to fall in early March, due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Rose and Deng followed shortly after with a sprained left wrist and a strained calf, respectively. Hinrich was slapped with a one-game suspension after bumping a referee in a heated argument during the Bulls' last game.

With its four top scorers out, the Bulls' bench players needed to step up against the Grizzlies. Guard Flip Murray led the charge, dropping in 25 points and stealing the ball 5 times. Hakim Warrick performed well against his former team, recording 22 points and 4 rebounds. Acie Law chipped in with 18 markers, while Brad Miller tallied a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards.

In the end, however, the Bulls' depleted roster simply couldn't match up with Memphis' line of talent. OJ Mayo led his team in scoring with 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting (4-of-5 from 3-point range). His partner in the backcourt, Mike Conley, Jr., played outstandingly on both ends of the court, notching 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals. Zach Randolph also had a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins gave 2nd overall pick Hasheem Thabeet a vote of confidence, starting him in place of the injure Marc Gasol. The 7'3" center recorded 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks in his 4th game back from a stint in the Developmental League.

The Bulls started out strong, rallying behind an early scoring outburst from Acie Law in the first quarter. The Grizzlies appeared to be caught off-guard, as they found themselves committing 7 turnovers on the way to giving the Bulls a double-digit lead near the end of the first period.

Memphis found its stride, however, and stormed through the second quarter with a 17-0 run. The Bulls were outscored in the period 30-18, and the Grizzlies took a 55-44 lead into halftime.

The Grizzlies continued on their rampage after returning from the locker room. A high-octane offense extended the Grizzlies' lead to 20 before Bulls coach Vinny del Negro was forced to call timeout to re-strategize. The break didn't help, however, as Memphis eventually padded its lead to 25. The scrappy Bulls would make a run for the win, however, as they closed out the third quarter by bringing Memphis' advantage down to 18.

Chicago continued to fight, and a 3-pointer from Jannero Pargo brought the lead down to 4 late in the 4th quarter. The Grizzlies would eventually manage to hold on for the win, though, thanks in large part to consecutive baskets by Randolph.

The loss set the Bulls back on their quest to take the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs from the Miami Heat. They now fall a game and a half behind the team from Florida. The Grizzlies also remain a team that's on the outside looking in, as Portland stands four and a half games ahead of them for the final Western Conference Playoff spot.

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