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Bulls return home to host the Grizzlies
Tickets for every Bulls home game are on sale now at the United Center, Ticketmaster, online at Bulls.com or by calling 1.800.4NBA.TIX.
March 2
Bulls @ Cleveland
12:00 p.m.
ABC
ESPN 1000
March 4
Bulls vs Memphis
7:30 p.m.
CSN-Chicago+
ESPN 1000
March 6
Bulls vs Cleveland
6:00 p.m.
TNT
ESPN 1000
March 7
Bulls @ Boston
7:00 p.m.
WGN
ESPN 1000
Brew Pub Weekends
Bulls fans, remember that after every Friday and Saturday home game, Anheuser-Busch will be sponsoring Weekends in the Budweiser Select Brew Pub! The Budweiser Select Brew Pub will remain open an hour after each Friday and Saturday game at the United Center and will feature a live DJ.
Hinckley Springs
$1,000,000 Shot
Clock Challenge
The Bulls are teaming up with Hinckley Springs to let five lucky fans take their best shot at a chance to win a million dollars on the United Center floor!
Five grand prize winners, chosen randomly from all eligible entries received, will participate in a game for a chance to shoot for $1,000,000 at the Bulls game on April 13. Two of the five grand prize winners will win the right to play the Hinckley Springs $1,000,000 Shot Clock Challenge. Click here now to enter!
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Game Notes: Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers
Teams will meet again
on Thursday in Chicago
Hello ***,
The Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers are Central Division rivals, yet four months into the NBA season, they haven't met.
But when they get together Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, they'll likely know each other as well as they know themselves (12:00 p.m. CT | ABC | ESPN 1000).
Ten days after making a blockbuster trade that drastically changed the look of both teams, the Cavaliers and the Bulls will meet for the first time this season.
While the Western Conference had been shaken up by some major deals in February, the Eastern contenders had been relatively quiet prior to the trade deadline. That changed on Feb. 21 when Cleveland (33-26) sent Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden to Chicago (23-35) in a three-team, 11-player deal that brought the Cavaliers four veterans with playoff experience in return, including Ben Wallace and Joe Smith from the Bulls.
"I didn't think we were good enough to win the championship," said GM Danny Ferry of the Cavaliers, who also acquired Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West from Seattle in the trade. "I thought we had a very good team. But I do believe if we have a chance to make ourselves better we should try."
It may be too quick to judge Ferry's bold move through four games. Cleveland has beaten two of the league's worst teams -- Memphis and Minnesota -- at home, while losing road games at Milwaukee and Boston.
The Cavaliers' constant, as usual, has been LeBron James, the NBA's leading scorer at 30.2 points per game. James is averaging 29.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists in five contests since the trade, but Sunday's game is the one he's been eying.
"It's going to be a little personal," James said after finishing with 30 points and 13 assists in Cleveland's 92-84 win over the Timberwolves on Friday. "It's going to be different for me playing against those guys. I'm looking forward to it."
Wallace is averaging 8.3 points and 9.0 rebounds, while Smith is putting in 9.3 points per game since arriving in Cleveland, but West may turn out to be the Cavaliers' most significant addition.
After struggling with his shot in his first two games, West is averaging 16.0 points in his last two, giving James and his teammates the playmaker they've been lacking at point guard.
"Delonte is a push guard," said James, who's averaging 32.4 points in his last eight games against Chicago. "I'm starting to realize I can just run the floor and get down the *** quicker. That's what I'm good at."
Szczerbiak, who averaged 11.7 points on 29.3 percent shooting in his first three games with the Cavaliers, missed Friday's game to be with his wife, who's expecting the couple's third child. He may not return in time for this game.
Though the deal came as a major surprise to Cleveland, which is fighting for home-court advantage in the playoffs, it wasn't much of a shock in Chicago, where the Bulls are fighting for a playoff spot. Wallace, the centerpiece of the trade, had been a major disappointment since signing a four-year, $60 million deal in July 2006.
Without Wallace and Smith, Chicago has become more of an up-tempo, fast-break team while not necessarily finding more success just yet.
The Bulls had allowed a modest 97.8 points per game prior to the trade, but have given up an average of 107.4 since. They held Washington under 100 on Friday night, but gave up 63 second-half points, blowing a 52-34 halftime lead in falling 97-91.
Guard Kirk Hinrich, who had 16 points and five turnovers, pointed to a lack of defensive intensity when trying to explain his team's third loss in four games.
"Somewhere along the line, we've lost our defensive edge," Hinrich said.
Hughes is scoring 18.0 points per game in a Bulls uniform, while Gooden is averaging 11.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. These teams meet again on Thursday in Chicago before playing twice in a nine-day span early next month.
Tune in to watch Sunday's game at 12:00 p.m. CT on ABC and listen live on ESPN Radio 1000. Visit Bulls.com or click here now for a complete preview.
Probable Bulls Starters | Roster and Statistics
Guard 12 Kirk Hinrich 6-3 | 190
Guard 32 Larry Hughes 6-5 | 185
Forward 9 Luol Deng 6-9 | 220
Forward 24 Tyrus Thomas 6-8 | 215
Center 13 Joakim Noah 6-11 | 232
Probable Cavaliers Starters | Roster and Statistics
Guard 13 Delonte West 6-3 | 180
Guard 33 Devin Brown 6-5 | 220
Forward 23 LeBron James 6-8 | 250
Forward 4 Ben Wallace 6-9 | 240
Center 11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas 7-3 | 260
Injury Report
Thabo Sefolosha (sore left groin) is day-to-day. For a full report and the latest on Bulls' injuries, check out the AthletiCo Injury Report at Bulls.com.
Sasha Pavlovic (left midfoot sprain) and Daniel Gibson (left ankle sprain) are out for Cleveland.
Bulls assign Nichols to D-League
The Chicago Bulls assigned rookie forward Demetris Nichols to the Iowa Energy of the D-League on Friday. Nichols (6-8, 216) has appeared in four games with the Bulls since the team claimed him on waivers on Dec. 7, 2007. He has also spent time this season in New York and Cleveland, having appeared in three games with the Cavaliers before his stint with Chicago.
Get more game notes, statistics and player bios at Bulls.com.
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