Live Blog: Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers

The Chicago Bulls are in Indianapolis to play the Pacers, possibly their most fearsome division rival.

 

7:14 p.m.

The game has tipped off, and the Bulls are off to a quick start with Derrick Rose leading the way with seven points.

7:19 p.m.

At the commercial break, Bulls are up 11-10.

These Pacers are the only undefeated team in the league after the first week of play. While it is only one week, the Pacers' hot start should not be overlooked. This team is on the rise and a serious threat to the Miami Heat and their quest to repeat as champions.

The Bulls aren't out of the equation, but they will have to overcome several shortcomings if they are to knock off the Pacers or Heat in a seven game playoff series.

7:34 p.m.

At the end of the first quarter, Bulls are down 19-25.

7:50 p.m.

Midway through the second quarter, the Bulls have pulled ahead, and now lead the Pacers 29-17.

Luol Deng leads the Bulls in scoring with 10 points, and Roy Hibbert leads the Pacers with six.

8:10 p.m.

It's halftime, and the Bulls are up 43-37.

Rose leads the Bulls in scoring with 12 (on 5-9 shooting), and Paul George leads the Pacers with nine (on 4-10 shooting).

9:00 p.m.

At the start of the fourth, the Pacers have pulled ahead of the Bulls and now lead 63-62.

9:32 p.m.

There's less than a minute left in the game and the Bulls are letting this game get away from them. Pacers are up 94-78.

9:38 p.m.

Pacers have taken this game. They move to 5-0, while the Bulls drop to 1-3.

What to expect from the Bulls' in NBA season opener against the Heat

The NBA preseason is in the books, and the Chicago Bulls showed flashes of dominance, going 7-0 to be the only undefeated team. Then again it’s only the preseason.

While the preseason is nothing to write home about, Derrick Rose did not disappoint in his return by making 48 percent of his shots for 20.7 points per game.

For all of Rose’s improvements, the true test will come tonight when the Bulls face LeBron James and his reigning two-time NBA champion Miami Heat.

Any season opener is exciting, but tonight’s game will set the tone for the entire NBA season as each team race to hoist the Larry O’Brien championship trophy at the end of the season.

I can’t think of a better way to open the season, and that’s not just because I am a Bulls fan. This game is sure to excite, as two of the best players in the league battle it out on the offensive end of the court. While Rose and James can fill a stat sheet, this game isn’t likely to be a fast-paced, high-scoring game. This game will be all about defense as the leagues arguably best defender plays arguably the best defensive team.

It’s going to be ugly, gritty and physical basketball.

These two teams are bitter rivals, which adds to the excitement of this season opener. James himself said of the Bulls, “We don’t like them, they don’t like us.”

Expect to see that on the court.

The Bulls-Heat rivalry goes back to James’ days as a Cavalier when Bulls center Joakim Noah said Cleveland “really sucks.” Expect heat to be added to that fire when the Heat receive their championship rings in a pregame ceremony.

I haven’t been this excited for an NBA game in a long time. I think the Bulls will come away with the win, but this is the Heat they are facing, and they happen to have the best player in the league.

Regardless of a Bulls victory or loss, I’m just glad basketball is back.

In Gibson we trust

The Chicago Bulls have looked good so far this preseason, and that's without All Star center Joakim Noah.

Call it bad luck, but the Bulls just can’t keep the team healthy and on the court at the same time. The endless injuries that plague the Bulls’ core players would be a bad thing for most teams, but the Bulls have a deep bench.

In fact, not many teams can pull off a 7-0 record without integral players. It’s a good thing coach Tom Thibodeau knows how to get the best out of this team despite unfavorable circumstances.

While the spotlight has been on Derrick Rose, his return and his impressive stats (50 percent from the field for 21.7 points per game), the real story is the emergence of role players, especially Taj Gibson.

That deep bench the Bulls are notorious for, the “Bench Mob,” is led by Gibson, and rightfully so.

With Noah out, Gibson has stepped into a larger role, filling in for a depleted frontcourt. Gibson’s has been so good that he is outperforming incumbent starting power forward Carlos Boozer.

That four-year, $38 million contract extension he signed this time last year is looking like it is paying off. $9.5 million a year is an expensive price tag for a backup power forward, but Gibson will earn every penny of that if Noah’s problematic foot injuries reoccur.

In Gibson we trust.

Derrick Rose looks good in limited minutes

The wait is over.

Derrick Rose has returned.

In limited minutes Saturday and Monday, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose showed fans and skeptics alike that he was back and ready to take on the NBA.

As expected, Rose displayed some rust by shooting 8-20 from the field (40 percent), but it looked like he was the same explosive high-flying player that won an MVP in 2011.

While Rose’s performances reassure that he can return to form, signs of his improvement reaffirm that he is still a game-changing superstar.

After the Bulls’ victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Rose said he has gained five inches on his vertical since his surgery on his torn ACL in 2012.

Most players lose a step when they return from such a devastating injury.

Not Derrick Rose.

Rose is a special player and belongs in a class with players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. 

It will take time for Rose to warm up his shot, but that is what the preseason is for.

The Bulls will play six more preseason games before opening regular season play against the Miami Heat on Oct. 29. Only time will tell if all the work Rose put into his shot during his recovery will help him improve that less than stellar shooting percentage.

This Bulls fan is hopeful.