Bulls' Gibson may sit out against Collins and Sixers
The first night without Joakim Noah didn't go very well for the Bulls. Now they might have to try it without Noah and his replacement, Taj Gibson.
The Bulls officially listed Gibson as doubtful for Tuesday's game against Philadelphia at the United Center because of a concussion suffered during Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
He didn't practice or speak to reporters Monday, but he appeared to be in better spirits than he was two days earlier.
“He's still not feeling great. So held him out today and we'll see tomorrow,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after practice at the Berto Center. “He's feeling better, but he still has some symptoms. We want to be cautious with it.”
Gibson started in Noah's place against the Clippers. If he can't play, the Bulls will turn to a first-time starter, either rookie Omer Asik or veteran Kurt Thomas, at center. Thibodeau said he wasn't certain which player would get the nod.
Thibodeau continued to stress that he believes the Bulls have more than enough on the bench to overcome the injury losses. They did go 9-6 while Carlos Boozer was sidelined, and nearly won at Denver without Derrick Rose.
Thomas, 38, had played just 12 minutes all season until Saturday. The Bulls were obviously saving him for an emergency and he helped slow down Clippers rookie Blake Griffin slightly. Thomas ended up with 3 points, 3 rebounds and 6 fouls in 16 minutes.
“He'll get better and better,” Thibodeau said of Thomas. “I thought his defense was very good. I thought offensively, his timing's not quite there.”
Asik has been a pleasant surprise this season, but usually fills in for just a few minutes per game. He's averaging 2.6 points and 3.0 rebounds overall this season.
“He was the one guy I thought was going after the ball rebound-wise (against the Clippers),” Thibodeau said. “I didn't think anyone played well in the first half. I thought we played a lot harder in the second half.”
A couple of dangerous games await the Bulls. Philadelphia started the season slowly under new coach Doug Collins, but has since won eight of its last 11 games. The Bulls then visit Washington on Wednesday.
Through Sunday's action, the 76ers ranked second in the league behind Miami in defensive field-goal percentage at .423.
“Philly right now is playing as well as anyone in the league,” Thibodeau said. “So we have to know when we're coming into these games that we have to bring a lot of intensity to the game and a lot of concentration. They're playing very unselfish offensively. Defensively, they're terrific.”
The Bulls were undefeated this season against teams with a losing record until falling short against the Clippers.
“We can't look at anybody's record coming into a game thinking you're going to beat them bad, because everybody's talented in this league,” Rose said. “You've got to come out early, just take their confidence away, let them know it will be a hard game.”
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center, 7 p.m. Tuesday
<B>TV:</B> Comcast SportsNet
<B>Radio:</B> WMVP 1000-AM
<B>Update: </B>After a slow start, new coach Doug Collins has the 76ers (11-16) rolling, with 8 wins in their last 11 games. PF Elton Brand is Philadelphia's top scorer at 15.3 points, followed by Andre Iguodala at 14.5 and second-year guard Jrue Holiday with 13.3. Ex-Bull Andres Nocioni is contributing 7.4 points off the bench. This is the second stop on an eight-game road trip for the Sixers.
<B>Next:</B> Washington Wizards on Wednesday at the Verizon Center, 6 p.m.