Dwyane Wade Sets Tone As Bulls Show Fight In Opening Night Win
By Cody Westerlund--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dwyane Wade scowled, at no one in particular, then gave the universal sign for ballgame over, the tried-and-true throat slash as his glare remained steely.
This moment in front of his hometown fans – the game-sealing 3-pointer with 26 seconds left in a 105-99 win against the Celtics in his Bulls debut on Thursday night at the United Center – was a long time coming.
"Just a moment a lot of emotion ran through my body," Wade said. "I about had an out-of-body experience after that."
When the 34-year-old Wade shockingly agreed to return to his hometown Bulls on July 6 on a two-year deal, this is what the organization envisioned. The long play here of re-establishing a winning, professional and cohesive culture can only be accomplished through the application of said values in the present, and Wade showcased this on a night he called the "perfect storm."
Wade scored 22 points on 7-of-18 shooting, adding six rebounds and five assists in 32:25. His stepback-to-the-left 3-pointer from the right wing with 26 seconds left gave Chicago a 104-99 lead and vanquished Boston's hopes.
"That's what he does, man – takes and makes big shots," added teammate Jimmy Butler, who led the Bulls with 24 points. "He's done it his entire career."
From the moment he became a Bull, Wade has struck the right chord. It was at his introductory press conference that he proactively called the Bulls "Jimmy's team," and their relationship has prospered early on. He's been a leading figure in youth outreach and anti-violence initiatives in Chicago, recognizing a need to help off the court. He's shown up at Cubs games amid the playoff mania and eye-rolled at back-to-back preseason games, sitting one out on the road and instead spending part of the day taking a stroll through a local park with his wife and dogs.
When a serious approach is called for, it's been Wade setting the tone. On multiple occasions in training camp, he wasn't afraid to stop practice and use a blunder or missed opportunity as a teaching moment for younger teammates.
The Bulls followed Wade's lead Thursday, rising to whatever the moment called for. That manifested itself in a second-quarter scuffle between Butler and Celtics forward Jae Crowder, both Marquette products, after Crowder drilled Butler on an offensive foul. It led to Butler and Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas exchanging words, Bulls guard Rajon Rondo "coming to war" for his teammates and four technical fouls being doled out.
"It was really important to play with the spirit of a tough-minded team," said Taj Gibson, whose 10 rebounds helped the Bulls dominate the Celtics on the glass, 55-36.
Added coach Fred Hoiberg: "That doesn't bother me. It shows the guys are fighting for each other, playing with an edge."
The Bulls showing so much fight after a lackadaisical 2015-'16 campaign was one of main takeaways from the opener. Another was Wade's perimeter shooting. After making seven 3-pointers in 74 games in the entire 2015-'16 season, Wade went 4-of-6 from deep in his Bulls debut, including the dagger.
Wade has credited Hoiberg for his progress, as he often works with him for about 15 minutes a day. The focus isn't on Wade's mechanics but rather his footwork, and there's been early progress.
"He hasn't said a word about any 3-point shot I shot all preseason, not even if it's been a bad one," Wade said. "He's given me confidence to keep shooting them because he knows we're going to need guys to make timely shots like that. It's worked.
"He's telling me the things I've done wrong on my shots, and the thing I've been getting away with in my mid-range is I fade back a lot on my mid-range shots to get it off. But on my threes, it kind of works against me a little bit. So he's been helping me stay into my shot, finish it off. Once I do that, I actually got a good shot. It's just confidence."
That latter part is a theme the Bulls are looking to engulf the entire team. It did for at least a night.
"To tell you the truth, I think it all comes down to having fun," Butler said. "I think everybody's having fun out there. I really think everybody wants everybody to successful. When that's happening, we all come together."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and coversthe Bulls. He's also the co-host of the @LockedOnBulls podcast, which you can subscribe to on iTunes and Stitcher. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
