Bulls chase sixth win in a row

“A little bit in the beginning”, Gasol said, when asked if Hoiberg’s offense proved an adjustment for him.

Things looked like they were heading for a crash just weeks ago.

Consecutive losses to the sub-.500 Knicks, and three losses in four games, left the Hawks blue.

He called out first-year coach Fred Hoiberg in his postgame interview with reporters, saying players needed to be held more accountable and “coached a lot harder at times”.

The Bulls are getting contributions from a wide range of players.

Chicago (22-12) has won six straight to move to No. 2 in the Eastern Conference behind the Cavs, and the Hawks (22-15) might not have been a fair match Saturday afternoon without the tonic of that 126-98 win at Philadelphia. Paul Millsap is averaging 18.3 points and 8.7 rebounds while Al Horford is averaging 15.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.

There was no rusty return for Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose who played well in his first game back after missing three matches due to right hamstring and knee woes. The Hawks’ offense comes and goes of late but was in top form on Thursday, when they scored 33 fast-break points and shot 53.3 percent from the field. He is also asserting himself more, as he has been taking 19 field goal attempts per game and 9.5 shots from the charity stripe in the past four games. Coming off a 42-point performance against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, he continued to have the hot hand against the Bucks.

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Individually, Butler has been largely responsible for helping the Bulls (21-12) be a better team lately. In fact, the public complaint seems to have turned around the Bulls offense.

Not only has the 7-footer been a presence in the paint, but because of opposing teams putting so much attention into what Butler and Rose are doing, is frequently knocking down long open jumpers. This has always been Derrick Rose’s team, but sapped of his once-generational athleticism and explosiveness, Rose is no longer capable of carrying a team.

Meanwhile, Butler has been backing up his leadership aspirations with All-Star caliber play at both ends of the floor.

If Rose will not need to miss the succeeding games due to his injuries, he is expected to play today when the Bulls host the Boston Celtics at the United Center to complete a two game home-stand and try to extend their winning streak to six games. “It’s fun to see, exciting; I’m happy for him. We got a real good team on paper, out there on the court, but if we don’t play for one another, don’t stick together, we’re not a really good team”. “He is making the right decisions out there and playing the right way”. Not ineffective, but turning the ball over too much and Butler’s inability to get going slowed things. Rose’s teammate, veteran big man Pau Gasol, echoed Hoiberg’s thoughts about their point guard’s attacking game.