Westerlund: Bulls Answering Thibodeau's Call To Sacrifice
By Cody Westerlund-
CHICAGO (CBS) – It was just Christmas night when Bulls big man Joakim Noah described his team's attitude after it had run its winning streak to five and dominated another fourth quarter.
"As a player, there's nothing better than that, is having that belief that, 'You know what? When we're on and we're competing, nobody can mess with us,'" Noah said. "That's the feeling we're starting to get."
In that case, consider Saturday night further proof in Chicago's resolute mood. In a 107-100 win against the Pelicans, the record books will show that the Bulls closed with the little-used E'Twaun Moore for the game's final 14:09, not blinking once in that span.
Before rendering a judgment for or against Moore, consider the bigger point here. The Bulls simply have more options now than they even know what to do with.
As Chicago has won nine of 10 games to improve to 21-9 – just two games out of first place in the East – everyone has been pitching in, early and late. In that 10-game stretch, only one has had extended garbage time. In the other nine, the Bulls have used six different closing lineups (for this space, roughly defined as regulation's final four minutes).
For your amusement, consider the different game-on-the-line quintets since Dec. 12:
--- Pau Gasol-Taj Gibson-Jimmy Butler-Kirk Hinrich-Derrick Rose
--- Gasol-Noah-Butler-Hinrich-Aaron Brooks
--- Noah-Nikola Mirotic-Butler-Hinrich-Brooks
--- Noah-Mirotic-Butler-Rose-Brooks
--- Gasol-Noah-Butler-Rose-Brooks
--- Gasol/Gibson-Noah-Butler-Moore-Rose
That reflects how Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau has adapted and responded to different styles. It's not a requirement, but the versatility to respond to any situation has often defined NBA champions, which the Bulls have their sights on becoming.
That school of thought also explains why Thibodeau went so far as to use stretch-four Mirotic at small forward for about two minutes Saturday, alongside Gasol and Gibson, for the first time this season (after emphasizing all year that playing Mirotic at small forward would create a defensive challenges).
"I don't care how we win," Thibodeau said. "I've been around a long time, and to me, I know what wins in the playoffs. You have to be strong on both sides of the ball. And I think really good teams win (in) different ways."
With these actions, Thibodeau's also holding his players accountable and reinforcing a message, one that he preaches verbally through the media often with the word "sacrifice."
"It's something we've always done – we've asked everyone to sacrifice and put the team first," Thibodeau said. "So whoever's going to give us our best chance at winning, that's what we're going to do. And so tonight it was one way. The next game, it could be another. That's the beauty of our team. I think we've got a very unselfish team."
There was no shortage of Bulls who sacrificed Saturday. For the fourth straight game since returning from an ankle injury, Gibson played fewer than 23 minutes. He was a monster in the action he saw, going for 12 points and 10 rebounds.
In line for an All-Star appearance and a primary reason for Chicago's success, Gasol played just 90 seconds in the fourth quarter. It's not what he prefers, but he's taken it in stride. Starting small forward Mike Dunleavy hasn't closed a game since Dec. 2 – and also not uttered a word about it.
The common thread through this is that each continues to play well in the time he does get.
"When you feel like you have a shot to win, to win big, I think it makes it a little bit easier to sacrifice," Noah said. "With the talent that we have, I think it's a lot easier to buy in when you have a chance to get a championship at the end."
Even Rose, the franchise player, has stepped back at times, letting Butler take over as the leading force on offense. Butler was just that again Saturday, scoring a game-high 33 points, including nine in the fourth quarter on a series of battering post-ups and a fadeaway jumper.
Butler downplayed the idea that he was a "closer" of any sort, saying, "My teammates got me the ball because I was open and it was the right play."
What he did adhere to? These Bulls are plenty versatile and anyone called upon will get the job done.
"Whoever it might be, they can play," Butler said.
"It's natural (to be unselfish here). Just the guys around this locker room, all we worry about is winning. Not stats. None of that. We get the ball to the open guy at the right time, and they take the right shot. Make or miss, you want that every time."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
