All Falls Down
Tyreke Evans (photo. Nicky Woo)
In all honesty, we’ll be surprised if Vinny Del Negro still has a job by the time the Dime crew makes it up to Madison Square Garden tonight for Knicks vs. Bulls. Just when you thought the Bulls were getting their act together and had put together some well-played games, they went out on Monday and — whatever you want to call it — did something that deserves a new word other than “collapse.” If it doesn’t ultimately cost Del Negro his job, it at least has the hot seat burning a hole in his drawers. (And remember, this is the same organization that fired Scott Skiles on Christmas Eve a couple years back. Don’t think Del Negro can use the holidays as a stay of execution.) … Here’s the scene: Coming off an impressive win over the Hawks, the Bulls were up THIRTY-FIVE on Sacramento, at home, midway through the third quarter. The announcers were running out of ways to call it an ass-whoopin’. Moments before, when Luol Deng hit Joakim Noah for an alley-oop that pushed the lead to 33, Stacey King laughed, “They’re opening up a can.” … Then Tyreke Evans and Ime Udoka (yes, Ime Udoka) took over. ‘Reke (23 pts, 8 rebs) got buckets all over the place like usual, and Udoka couldn’t miss from deep; he scored 15 in the fourth quarter. (The Bulls also had 20 turnovers in the second half, by the way.) A personal 9-0 run by Udoka followed by Tyreke’s three-point play pulled the Kings within one with about two minutes to go. Tyreke — who Stacey King compared to Michael Ray Richardson — later tied it with a layup, gave Sacto the lead with a free throw, then drained a fadeaway pull-up over Deng that scraped Scottie Pippen’s jersey in the rafters before coming down. The Bulls weren’t technically done at that point, but the Kings had basically taken their heart by then. Down two with 15 seconds left, Derrick Rose (24 pts, 7 asts) had a chance to tie, but missed a short hook in the lane … Not saying the loss was all Del Negro’s fault, or that Chicago’s disappointing start is entirely his fault. But you know how the game works: Coaches are the first to go … And since any mention of Tyreke has to go next to a mention of Brandon Jennings, Young Money was also witness to a sorry late-game display on Monday. Milwaukee was up three on the Pacers with 19 seconds to go, and with Michael Redd at the line, you assume he’ll hit at least one and it’s over. But Redd bricks both freebies, and BADLY. Like, front-of-the-rim, damn-near-airball badly. Pacers rebound, and Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Troy Murphy never touch the ball while T.J. Ford and Dahntay Jones play a two-man game, leading to Ford bricking a wide-open three. (Indy’s play-by-play guy pointed out that Dunleavy looked “disgusted” at that sequence.) Andrew Bogut (31 pts, 18 rebs, 3 blks) to the line with four seconds left, and he misses both shots. So with no timeouts left, Ford sprints downcourt and jacks a three that dents the rim, never once looking to pass. Walking off the court, you couldn’t see anybody on the Pacers speak to Ford. Just a mess … This was all set up because Jennings (16 pts, 6 asts) is a beast. On Indiana’s most important defensive possession of the game, down three with under a minute left, Ford and Tyler Hansbrough played the Jennings/Bogut pick-and-roll perfectly for 23 seconds until Jennings just took it himself and dropped a fadeaway over Ford … He’s not the first or the last, but Quinn Buckner butchered Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s name something terrible, like, “Emba Mah-tay.” QB handled it about as smoothly as Mr. McDowell handled Prince Akeem’s mother’s name in Coming to America … The Cavs went into Phoenix and played the Suns’ style better than Steve Nash and crew. LeBron (29 pts) and Delonte West (12 pts, 6 asts, 3 stls) led the running game in a convincing win: Funny moment when Delonte got a steal and plus-one layup, got knocked down, and from the floor looked into the camera and said, “I love this game.” … LeBron crushed one dunk on Amar’e where STAT didn’t even try to jump, and later, in his continuing effort to make Jason Richardson look silly, skipped a pass between J-Rich’s legs to Anderson Varejao for a dunk … Other stat lines from Monday: Dwight Howard had 21 points, nine boards and five blocks to lead the Magic past Utah; and Tony Parker scored 19 in the Spurs’ win over the Clippers … A lot has been made of UCLA’s rocky start, but Arizona is having issues of their own. Last night ‘Zona got taken to overtime by some school called Lipscomb, which sounds like something the Sham-Wow dude would sell on TV at 4 a.m. Lipscomb’s Adnan Hodzic (34 pts, 13 rebs) missed a free throw that would have put them up three with four seconds left in OT, and Arizona PG Nic Wise came down and buried the game-winning trey just before the buzzer to avoid the upset. That pulled the Wildcats to an even-.500 record, but didn’t do anything to kill the notion that the Pac-10 is almost a mid-major this year … We’re out like that can the Bulls were opening …
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 am
Slaz says:
Did you forget to mention Andrew Bogut’s 31 point, 18 rebound, 3 block, 1 steal and 3 assist stat line? I didn’t watch the game but for my money, that is more impressive than Dwight’s line…
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:30 am
the R says:
Most US dudes just mess up any name that comes from another continent anyway…
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:05 am
That's what's up says:
see… the first poster is one of those dumbasses that likes to post first before reading the article.
35 point leads are hard to lose…. regardless of the situation. I could understand if Del Negro had no timeouts left midway through the third, otherwise……. send that coach to the bench
Spurs are playing better, even if it’s against chumpy teams.
Any word on when Blake Griffin is due back on the court??
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:06 am
Tbest says:
Yea #1 they missed it when they put in the sentence: “Andrew Bogut (31 pts, 18 rebs, 3 blks) to the line with four seconds left, and he misses both shots.”
Vinny must go.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
gregory says:
If it’s true that Dunleavy looked disgusted that a non-three point shooter like Ford took a big three, then he had no right to. You kind of give up the right when you go 2-17.
About Del Negro, maybe you blame him for what has gone on with the rest of the season but losing a 35 point lead falls on the players. It wasn’t like he went to the subs too early or for too long. He played his top guys forty plus minutes. Their singular lack of execution down the stretch, the inability to hit one shot or one free throw, was their shortcoming.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:51 am
Shrink This says:
Has Stern found a way to prescribe Delonte’s meds?
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:10 am
JOROSS says:
Wow! What happened to the bulls!? They are so weak!!I wonder why…
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
Chicagorilla says:
Uh yeah. I don’t know what else to say about that game.
I’d like to point out that Tyreke Evans was getting abused by Derrick Rose all game and had given up when they were down 30+.
Udoka, Brockman, Udrich, and S.Rodriguez were the ones orchastrating that comeback. Once they got within 10-15, SacTown put Reke back in the game and he just bulled his way to the basket for lay-ups and FT’s and then threw a dagger in Deng’s face to seal the game.
Once Sac got within 7 points… all of a sudden Vinny Del (who should be fired BTW) decides NOOOOOWWWW is the time that he should put D-Rose into the game. Really Vinny… you wait til they get all the momentum.
Honestly I feel bad for Vinny, cause he seems like he means well (not like how Scott Skiles was when he was here) but he shouldn’t be coaching… not this team…perhaps not any team. Maybe college.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:31 am
mrhadoken says:
changing the coach isn’t going to change the fact that the bulls players are a bunch of pussies. losing a 35 point lead in less than a half is a disgrace on every level
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Randomized says:
When I seen Sac came back from 35 down, I just assumed they did it against the Raptors.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Chicagorilla says:
Also, I’d like to point out.
Once Tyreke hit that fadeaway, he jogged back to the huddle doing the Sam Cassell “Big Balls” dance. then he turned to the crowd and said “THIS IS MY MUTHF^#KIN HOUSE”.
Really Tyreke…really. He wasn’t saying that sh!t when they were down 30 and D-Rose was in the game DUNKING ON DONTE GREENE.
too bad DRose won’t see Reke again…oh wait..there is the Rookie/Soph game… Reke better bring his ankle wrap.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 am
L says:
just wanna say that i’m feeling the Kanye reference in the title hahaha
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:09 am
Claw says:
Was at the Suns/Cavs game, how does Amare let LBJ posterize him like that? Amare didn’t even jump, don’t get punked like that.
Nash had a sweet reverse over Shaq, got hacked but no call as usual. Cavs played lock down D in the 4th, they had Boobie, West, and Mo out there and the Suns weren’t posting them, terrible coaching.
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:12 am
Sho-Nuff says:
‘Reke was kind of being a jerk-off when he said that. He’s from PA and plays for Sacto, how exactly is The Chi your house, I believe that’s #23’s house for infinity and beyond….my bad, my kids was watching that Disney crap last night….
‘Reke’s a beast but needs to know how to act at an away game.
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
Sho-Nuff says:
Forgot to add Cavs played “small ball” with LBJ at PF and Sideshow Bob at C. Straight ran the Suns…
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
karizmatic says:
If I’m in charge of personnel for the Bulls I fire Vinny Del Negro immediately, and EVERYONE who was involved with that embarrassment is on the trading block. But that’s just me. On the other hand, I’ll be looking to see how the players bounce back from this, hopefully they’ll bounce back well play hard and take it out on a few teams. Unfortunately, Vinny won’t he’s definitely fired.
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
QQ says:
He said that it was his house because he just fucking destroyed the hearts of everyone in the arena.
If you did what he did even in a rec leauge game, you will also tell everyone it’s your house.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:43 am
LakeShow84 says:
Damn Reke putting together a nice little highlight reel..
That fadeaway was straight Kobe-esque.. one of those shots that looks like horrible shot selection but when it drops it makes it all the badder.. But if the players lose a 30pt+ lead, unfortunately, thats all coaching.. UNLESS the players VISIBLY give up but i didnt hear anything like that SO>>>>
Get ready to go fishin Vinny D..
And seriously Lebron must have something against Richardson.. every game he does something to him that makes him look silly.. thats cold of u to point out DIME lol..
@ CLAW
Because Amare is the laziest post defender outside of Carlos Boozer.. and their both free agents this upcoming year! anyone notice the coincidence?? lol
December 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Chicagorilla says:
@Lakeshow,
It was all coaching. The players were playing hard, but were not running their sets all the time and was going one on one too much. The defense was terrbile because the refs kept calling fouls (or not calling fouls when it benifited the Kings) and Sac exploited the fact that many of the players didn’t want to get another foul.
@QQ,
Yeah you can say that shit. And I normally wouldn’t give a sh!t if it was like Lebron, DWAde, Melo, Kobe… but when a f^king rookie mouths off like that…while shooting 8/19FGs and getting his a$$hole torn out on the other end by DRose, Kirk Hinrich, and Deng, it kinda pisses me off. He was talking that $h!t to the crowd during a timeout and not to the players on the court. that’s P^$$y to me. It’s not like the Bulls were acting the same way when they were leading. No one was dancing or doing a jig or grabbing they nuts. they were just playing ball. Either way, he’s lucky they don’t see him again til next year, he better hope they have a short memory.
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Claw says:
@Lakeshow – Gotta agree with you there, plays decent help D but can’t D straight up anybody in the post.
Does Amare get Max Money? Who would throw that kinda cash to either Boozer or Amare?
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:58 pm
That's what's up says:
^^^^^ Knicks would
“Knicks would” is the standard answer to every bad contractual decision question
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
AB_40 says:
ey y’all saw what S-Jack had to say about the next great white hope tyler hansbrough? here is the excerpt: “He’s a physical guy and he plays hard – that’s one thing I like about him. He plays hard, but his skill level is not there for basketball. He’s a bruiser. He needs to be playing rugby or something.”
let’s see how psycho mr hansbrough will be when they play against one another haha. but it is true. I saw it in college he’s a glorified hustle guy he isn’t a basketball player c’mon now.
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
eyes says:
YOu had to read the Seth Davis article about Hansborough while plugging Luke Harongody from Notre Dame. “If you dominate college ball you could play in the league” were his exact quotes. I’ll make you a list of players who couldn’t even sniff the league who did more than that w/ no help or power of conference & everything in place. Pyscho T is also like 23 yrs old as a rookie but no one makes mention of that. If its the other way around he’s dumb & everything else. PUNK. What is the definition of a punk? I cry everytime I hear someone say that. He’s a hooligan,Punk,criminal. For speeding or getting a license suspended. LMAO. ROFL
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Beno for MIP!!!
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:43 am
Slaz says:
To #3 and #4,
It may have been late here when I posted #1 but I am pretty sure I double checked and there was no mention of Bogut’s stat line; unless I am mistaken, it appears the smack was edited after I posted.
And specifically for #3, I was talking strictly stat lines (and not overall contributions/fame context [if you read, I said "I didn't watch the game" in my first post {woohoo, three sets of parentheses}]) as Dwight’s rated a mention in the end but Bogut’s line (at the time) was not mentioned. So perhaps a little early to hand out the “stupid” statues…
Maybe Dime could verify if they edited after my comment, if they can be bothered.