One of the Western Conference's best teams will look to continue its dominance of the East when the Suns visit the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.

Phoenix (21-8) will try to improve to 12-1 against the East, including 7-0 on the road, when it faces a Chicago team it has beaten four straight times.

The Suns are averaging 115.8 points against Eastern teams - nearly five more than their league-leading average overall - while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. Their only loss out of conference was a 144-139 overtime defeat to Washington on Dec. 22.

The Bulls (19-12) are only percentage points behind Detroit for the best record in the East, but are 3-8 against the West this season.

The Pacific Division-leading Suns have won 18 of 20 overall, including the first two in a stretch of five straight games against Eastern foes. Phoenix swept a five-game road trip against East teams from Dec. 7-13.

After beating New York 108-86 on Friday, the Suns won 108-101 at Detroit on Sunday.

Steve Nash had 35 points and 12 assists in the latest victory for his 20th double-double of the season. He's averaged 26.0 points over the last five games to claim the team scoring lead for the season at 20.6 per game.

``He's been taking over a lot of games lately, and he did it again today,'' Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Amare Stoudemire added a season-high 31 points and 13 rebounds for his third straight double-double and fifth in six games.

Nash, though, was more pleased by the way Stoudemire played defense. Stoudemire had three blocks for the second straight game and 10 of his rebounds were at the defensive end.

``We're going to win a lot of games when Amare plays that kind of defense,'' Nash said. ``He has a lot of pride and he wants to grow as a defender.''

Phoenix knocked off the Central Division leader on Sunday, and now meets the division's second-place team.

The Bulls have won three straight to nearly pull even with the Pistons, and enter this matchup with a 15-2 home record. Their only home losses were to Western teams Sacramento and Minnesota.

Chicago has fared well lately against the NBA's better teams record-wise, beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 19 and most recently defeating Cleveland 103-96 on Saturday.

The Bulls finished 14-3 in December after starting the season 5-9.

``We are feeling good,'' Chicago's Luol Deng said. ``We started slow, but we had a great month. We are proud of that.''

A sprained right wrist suffered in Wednesday's win over Miami has not had a negative effect on Deng. The third-year forward has scored 57 points in two games since getting hurt and is second on the team with 18.0 points per game, including a career-high 32 on 15-of-19 shooting against Cleveland.

``He has always been a good pro player and I feel he is settling in to a point where he starts to relax out there,'' Chicago coach Scott Skiles said.

Ben Gordon scored more than 20 points for the eighth straight game Saturday and leads the Bulls with 20.2 per game. He scored 39 points the last time he faced the Suns, but the Bulls lost 118-101 at Phoenix on Feb. 4, 2006.

The Chicago Bulls, coming in here Tuesday night 0-4 on their trip, are now 0-5. They were wavering between having something to be thankful for_namely, a victory_and being Thanksgiving turkeys.

As it turned out, this game was just gravy for Denver, especially Bulls reject J.R. Smith, who scored a career-high 36 points to lead the Nuggets to a 113-109 victory.

The loss dropped the Bulls to 3-8 and was especially painful because Smith led the Nuggets back from a third-quarter deficit and helped them pull away with an assortment of flying slam dunks and three-pointers.

With the Bulls down just six points with three minutes left, Smith hit a three and then had a slam dunk after Andre Miller stole the ensuing inbounds pass. That gave the Nuggets an insurmountable 106-95 lead.

They held on despite 28 points from Kirk Hinrich, 22 from Luol Deng, though just two after halftime, and 19 from Ben Gordon, 10 in a furious rally at the end. Carmelo Anthony had 29 for Denver. He missed two free throws in the closing seconds, ending his streak of 30-point games at six. That left him tied for the franchise record with Alex English, who did it during the 1982-83 season.

It looked again like the Bulls were going to have the stuffing knocked out of them as the Nuggets jumped to a 31-24 lead after one quarter behind 15 points from league-leading scorer Anthony, who shot effortlessly over Deng and Andres Nocioni.

"I don't care what their record is," Nuggets coach George Karl said of the Bulls. "They will be a good basketball team. They have too many fundamental foundations."

Seeing another indifferent opening from his starters, Bulls coach Scott Skiles moved swiftly to motivate the team with a large first-quarter substitution. He took out Chris Duhon, Deng and Hinrich, and Ben Wallace shortly thereafter, with Gordon playing point guard.

There's always the possibility of lineup changes with the Bulls' record, and Skiles said he would like to play Viktor Khryapa more.

"He probably should play some, but that always begs the question where," Skiles said. "We need to start getting (better) production from those guys in front of him every night. If not, Viktor will get his shot."

Wallace had an extended stay on the bench, about 10 minutes, and by the time he returned the Bulls had rallied from a seven-point deficit to leading by one.

With Wallace out, the movement appeared to increase, especially for Deng, who benefited from having Anthony barely guard him. For all the impressive scoring Anthony is doing this season, his idea of defense seems to be yelling "miss" from several feet away.

Deng slashed to the basket and finished the first half with 20 points to help the Bulls to a 53-53 halftime tie.

The Bulls came bounding out after halftime behind an energized Hinrich, who drove and was fouled, hit a jumper and then a three-pointer around a Wallace pick-and-roll basket. After Nocioni scored on a pass from Hinrich and Duhon ran out for a basket against a lax Nuggets effort, the Bulls were ahead 70-58. Duhon made the lead 73-61, spotting up for a three, but the Nuggets muscled back into the game on Smith's shooting and athletic plays.

With the Bulls still ahead 78-67, the high-flying Smith converted a lob from Marcus Camby, drove for a score and then finished the quarter with a pair of threes, the last on a 32-footer as time expired after Malik Allen missed a jumper.

The shot, which clinched the Chicago Bulls' sixth championship, topped the fan voting on NBA.com. The results were revealed Tuesday on NBA TV.

A panel of basketball experts, comprised of journalists and NBA legends, were invited to select the top 60 greatest playoff moments. The panelists' selection of the top 10 was posted on NBA.com in chronological order.

The fans were then asked to rank those selections.

Some of the panel members included NBA Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Bill Walton, former Bulls forward Scottie Pippen, TNT announcer Marv Albert, USA Today writer David DuPree, Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum and ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons.

Magic Johnson's performance for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the 1980 finals produced the second-most votes. Willis Reed's dramatic entrance for the New York Knicks in the final game of the 1970 finals was third.

Williams, considered one of the best young point guards in the NBA prior to his suffering horrific injuries in a motorcycle accident three years ago, worked out for the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre yesterday and expressed interest in signing as a free agent with Toronto.

"The opportunity here is tremendous," said Williams, who wore a bandage over his left eye after being cut in workouts. "You talk about Chris Bosh, I saw him at Georgia Tech. He has grown and become a better player. Charlie Villanueva, from draft day, a lot of guys killing him, to scoring 48 points in a game. MoPete ... all the pieces of the puzzle are here. The possibilities are exciting."

If the Raptors and Williams reach an agreement -- and that's certainly not guarantee as Williams will work out for several more NBA teams this month -- it's likely Toronto would abandon the Mike James sweepstakes. James, who put together a career year for the Raptors last season, is eligible to drop out of the final year of his contract and sign a long-term deal with another team.

Williams, 24, led Duke to a national championship in 2001 and was a first-round draft pick by the Bulls (second overall). He experienced a roller coaster ride as a rookie, averaging 9.5 points and 4.7 assists in 75 games, but demonstrated enough on-court ability and leadership to be considered a potential future all-star at the point. He certainly would come a lot cheaper than James, who is looking for, in the neighbourhood, of $5 million to $8 million US per year.

 Williams' promising future came to a crashing halt in June 2003. While driving a motorcycle, the Plainfield, N.J., native slammed into a utility pole and suffered a series of career-threatening injuries, including a severed main nerve in a leg, a fractured pelvis and three torn ligaments in his left knee. For the past year or so, he has worked hard to rebuild his broken body. Williams believes he is ready right now.

"I feel great," he said. "I still feel fearless when I go (on the court). I got a stitch in my left eye already. It's kind of good. I put my hand on my face and it's bleeding, I'm like, 'I forgot how this feels.' I have no fear of playing basketball."

Williams believes he would be a good fit for the rebuilding Toronto squad, which is in the market for a pass-first guard.

"Like I told the guys here, I'm not going to be a point guard and try to score 40 points," he said. "I'm going to be a guy who tries to get all my teammates involved and make everybody around me look like all-stars and win basketball games.

"The thing I like about Toronto is, it's a winning kind of atmosphere. Guys want to win, guys want to be great players, and you can't say that for every franchise.

"They're definitely on the right path and getting better."

Jim Kelly, the Raptors director of player personnel, said the team was impressed with Williams yesterday, but would like to see him play in a full game situation.

In hindsight, maybe it wasn't such a terrible day for the Bulls. The draft is June 28, and Chicago landed the No. 2 pick in Tuesday's lottery thanks to that deal, although Paxson didn't take any bows.

"The New York papers were all over asking if I felt vindicated," he said Wednesday. "It's not anything about that. Last year was a very hard summer. We had tried to work something out (with Curry). It was a difficult time. It got to a point where I kind of felt like nothing was going to get resolved. There was one team out there that was willing to do a deal and I basically said this is how it's going to be done."

The Bulls sent Antonio Davis with Curry, who had refused to take a DNA test to rule out a potentially fatal heart condition. The Knicks included second-round picks in 2007 and 2009, and forwards Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney and Jermaine Jackson. Chicago also got the right to flip-flop first-rounders next year if it finishes with a better record than New York.

The trade initially looked like a major blow for the Bulls, who struggled for much of the regular season before ending with a 12-2 run to finish 41-41 and reach the playoffs for the second straight year. Chicago then put up a fight against Miami before losing in six games in the first round.

Meanwhile, Curry averaged 13.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. And the Knicks' reward for finishing with the NBA's second-worst record went to Chicago, which appears to be in an enviable spot.

The Bulls are young and deep on the perimeter. They expect to have about $15 million to $20 million in salary cap room, meaning they can shop the free-agent market. They could fill their need for a scoring big man in the draft or, maybe, in a trade package involving that pick. Chicago also has its own pick at No. 16.

Paxson said the Bulls were "lucky" to land the No. 2 selection.

"We didn't do it with the belief that we were trying to win a deal or get the better of a deal," he said. "That's never been the issue with me. ... It was about our decision in trying to do the right thing for Eddy. When we realized that couldn't happen, we decided to make the deal."

Now, the Bulls have to make some decisions.

If they keep the second pick, they will likely use it on a big man. That could be 6-foot-9 Tyrus Thomas, who averaged 12.3 points and 9.2 rebounds for LSU, or 6-10 Texas sophomore LaMarcus Aldridge, the Longhorns' second-leading scorer and rebounder at 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds.

"There are more than just those two in this draft," Paxson said.

Another possibility is Italy's Andrea Bargnani, who is drawing comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. And a big man with shooting range would fit in with the Bulls.

"There aren't many 7-footers who can shoot it from the 3-point line like he can," Paxson said. "One of the reasons we had success was we ended up getting two guys in (Darius) Songaila and Malik Allen who can make shots."

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection for the 2006 draft. This was not a huge surprise, given Portland only had a 25% chance of winning the top pick.

Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson did not seem shaken by his team's drop in the order, hinting to the fact that last year’s fourth selection, Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, was the overwhelming NBA Rookie of the Year for the Hornets.

"You may find a player with as big an impact at No. 4 or even No. 6 as you may at No. 1," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, the team that did beat the odds and claimed the first overall pick was the Toronto Raptors, despite only an 8.8% chance of winning. General Manager Bryan Colangelo, recently hired away from the Phoenix Suns, was excited about the first pick and said it is a sign of things to come for the downtrodden Raptors.

"For us to have this kind of luck is a symbol of a reversal of fortune going forward," Colangelo said. "We have our work cut out. This will help."

The biggest loser in the lottery had to be a team that wasn't in it: the New York Knicks. After posting their worst record (23-59) in 20 years, the Knicks weren't a factor Tuesday night. Why? Because in the 2005 off season, Isiah Thomas dealt the rights to New York's No. 1 pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls for underachieving center Eddy Curry.

The 6’-11” Curry had been diagnosed with heart problems, which is why the Bulls were looking to deal him. In New York, Curry averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game in 2005-06, and less than one block and six rebounds per outing. He also was rarely on the court during crunch time due to his weak defense.

Thu]]> http://chicago-bulls.bloghi.com/2006/05/25/draft-lottery-winners-and-losers.html#comments http://chicago-bulls.bloghi.com/2006/05/25/draft-lottery-winners-and-losers.html http://chicago-bulls.bloghi.com/2006/05/25/draft-lottery-winners-and-losers.html#comments Thu, 25 May 2006 09:08:36 +0000 http://chicago-bulls.bloghi.com/2006/05/25/draft-lottery-winners-and-losers.html By Mike Rothman WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection... By Mike Rothman

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection for the 2006 draft. This was not a huge surprise, given Portland only had a 25% chance of winning the top pick.

Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson did not seem shaken by his team's drop in the order, hinting to the fact that last year’s fourth selection, Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, was the overwhelming NBA Rookie of the Year for the Hornets.

"You may find a player with as big an impact at No. 4 or even No. 6 as you may at No. 1," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, the team that did beat the odds and claimed the first overall pick was the Toronto Raptors, despite only an 8.8% chance of winning. General Manager Bryan Colangelo, recently hired away from the Phoenix Suns, was excited about the first pick and said it is a sign of things to come for the downtrodden Raptors.

"For us to have this kind of luck is a symbol of a reversal of fortune going forward," Colangelo said. "We have our work cut out. This will help."

The biggest loser in the lottery had to be a team that wasn't in it: the New York Knicks. After posting their worst record (23-59) in 20 years, the Knicks weren't a factor Tuesday night. Why? Because in the 2005 off season, Isiah Thomas dealt the rights to New York's No. 1 pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls for underachieving center Eddy Curry.

The 6’-11” Curry had been diagnosed with heart problems, which is why the Bulls were looking to deal him. In New York, Curry averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game in 2005-06, and less than one block and six rebounds per outing. He also was rarely on the court during crunch time due to his weak defense.

Thus, the lottery's biggest winners had to be the young, up-and-coming Bulls, who ended up with the second overall pick. The Bulls were 41-41 this season and earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they pushed the second-seeded Heat to the limit in the opening round. The Bulls already have one of the best young backcourts in the league with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, and will look to add a front-court impact player in this year’s draft.

"We made the deal, and we're lucky we got in the lottery," said John Paxson, the Bulls' Executive Vice President.

As for the players vying for to be taken No. 1 overall, there does not appear to be a clear-cut choice. Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison, Texas power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas and Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani are considered the top candidates.

Aldridge, who reaffirmed his stock in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with a 26-point, 13-rebound performance against West Virginia, could be the slight favorite for the Raptors. Toronto also likes Bargnani, who is considered a prospect in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki.

The Raptors' Colangelo would not comment on which way the team is leaning.

"Right now we've got a month to go, and we'll see what comes our way and see what we can dig up," Colangelo said. "I think there are about five or six names that could be there. We need a one [point guard] or a five [center]."

This year’s draft may be as much about the players not in it as those who are available. With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, this will be the first year that high school seniors won't be eligible for the draft. That eliminated Greg Oden, a 7-foot prep phenom bound for Ohio State this fall, who would have been a lock for the first pick.

Another big man who will not be on the draft board this year is Joakim Noah, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Final Four. Noah led the Florida Gators to a surprise NCAA title, but decided not to strike while the iron was hot and come back to Gainesville for a run at another championship.

Those are two names most GMs would have rated at the top of their boards this year.

So maybe there is no true big winner of the 2006 lottery. The big winner in the NBA could be the team with that lucky ping-pong ball in 2007.

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection for the 2006 draft. This was not a huge surprise, given Portland only had a 25% chance of winning the top pick.

Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson did not seem shaken by his team's drop in the order, hinting to the fact that last year’s fourth selection, Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, was the overwhelming NBA Rookie of the Year for the Hornets.

"You may find a player with as big an impact at No. 4 or even No. 6 as you may at No. 1," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, the team that did beat the odds and claimed the first overall pick was the Toronto Raptors, despite only an 8.8% chance of winning. General Manager Bryan Colangelo, recently hired away from the Phoenix Suns, was excited about the first pick and said it is a sign of things to come for the downtrodden Raptors.

"For us to have this kind of luck is a symbol of a reversal of fortune going forward," Colangelo said. "We have our work cut out. This will help."

The biggest loser in the lottery had to be a team that wasn't in it: the New York Knicks. After posting their worst record (23-59) in 20 years, the Knicks weren't a factor Tuesday night. Why? Because in the 2005 off season, Isiah Thomas dealt the rights to New York's No. 1 pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls for underachieving center Eddy Curry.

The 6’-11” Curry had been diagnosed with heart problems, which is why the Bulls were looking to deal him. In New York, Curry averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game in 2005-06, and less than one block and six rebounds per outing. He also was rarely on the court during crunch time due to his weak defense.

Thus, the lottery's biggest winners had to be the young, up-and-coming Bulls, who ended up with the second overall pick. The Bulls were 41-41 this season and earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they pushed the second-seeded Heat to the limit in the opening round. The Bulls already have one of the best young backcourts in the league with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, and will look to add a front-court impact player in this year’s draft.

"We made the deal, and we're lucky we got in the lottery," said John Paxson, the Bulls' Executive Vice President.

As for the players vying for to be taken No. 1 overall, there does not appear to be a clear-cut choice. Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison, Texas power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas and Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani are considered the top candidates.

Aldridge, who reaffirmed his stock in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with a 26-point, 13-rebound performance against West Virginia, could be the slight favorite for the Raptors. Toronto also likes Bargnani, who is considered a prospect in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki.

The Raptors' Colangelo would not comment on which way the team is leaning.

"Right now we've got a month to go, and we'll see what comes our way and see what we can dig up," Colangelo said. "I think there are about five or six names that could be there. We need a one [point guard] or a five [center]."

This year’s draft may be as much about the players not in it as those who are available. With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, this will be the first year that high school seniors won't be eligible for the draft. That eliminated Greg Oden, a 7-foot prep phenom bound for Ohio State this fall, who would have been a lock for the first pick.

Another big man who will not be on the draft board this year is Joakim Noah, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Final Four. Noah led the Florida Gators to a surprise NCAA title, but decided not to strike while the iron was hot and come back to Gainesville for a run at another championship.

Those are two names most GMs would have rated at the top of their boards this year.

So maybe there is no true big winner of the 2006 lottery. The big winner in the NBA could be the team with that lucky ping-pong ball in 2007.

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection for the 2006 draft. This was not a huge surprise, given Portland only had a 25% chance of winning the top pick.

Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson did not seem shaken by his team's drop in the order, hinting to the fact that last year’s fourth selection, Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, was the overwhelming NBA Rookie of the Year for the Hornets.

"You may find a player with as big an impact at No. 4 or even No. 6 as you may at No. 1," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, the team that did beat the odds and claimed the first overall pick was the Toronto Raptors, despite only an 8.8% chance of winning. General Manager Bryan Colangelo, recently hired away from the Phoenix Suns, was excited about the first pick and said it is a sign of things to come for the downtrodden Raptors.

"For us to have this kind of luck is a symbol of a reversal of fortune going forward," Colangelo said. "We have our work cut out. This will help."

The biggest loser in the lottery had to be a team that wasn't in it: the New York Knicks. After posting their worst record (23-59) in 20 years, the Knicks weren't a factor Tuesday night. Why? Because in the 2005 off season, Isiah Thomas dealt the rights to New York's No. 1 pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls for underachieving center Eddy Curry.

The 6’-11” Curry had been diagnosed with heart problems, which is why the Bulls were looking to deal him. In New York, Curry averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game in 2005-06, and less than one block and six rebounds per outing. He also was rarely on the court during crunch time due to his weak defense.

Thus, the lottery's biggest winners had to be the young, up-and-coming Bulls, who ended up with the second overall pick. The Bulls were 41-41 this season and earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they pushed the second-seeded Heat to the limit in the opening round. The Bulls already have one of the best young backcourts in the league with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, and will look to add a front-court impact player in this year’s draft.

"We made the deal, and we're lucky we got in the lottery," said John Paxson, the Bulls' Executive Vice President.

As for the players vying for to be taken No. 1 overall, there does not appear to be a clear-cut choice. Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison, Texas power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas and Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani are considered the top candidates.

Aldridge, who reaffirmed his stock in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with a 26-point, 13-rebound performance against West Virginia, could be the slight favorite for the Raptors. Toronto also likes Bargnani, who is considered a prospect in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki.

The Raptors' Colangelo would not comment on which way the team is leaning.

"Right now we've got a month to go, and we'll see what comes our way and see what we can dig up," Colangelo said. "I think there are about five or six names that could be there. We need a one [point guard] or a five [center]."

This year’s draft may be as much about the players not in it as those who are available. With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, this will be the first year that high school seniors won't be eligible for the draft. That eliminated Greg Oden, a 7-foot prep phenom bound for Ohio State this fall, who would have been a lock for the first pick.

Another big man who will not be on the draft board this year is Joakim Noah, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Final Four. Noah led the Florida Gators to a surprise NCAA title, but decided not to strike while the iron was hot and come back to Gainesville for a run at another championship.

Those are two names most GMs would have rated at the top of their boards this year.

So maybe there is no true big winner of the 2006 lottery. The big winner in the NBA could be the team with that lucky ping-pong ball in 2007.

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection for the 2006 draft. This was not a huge surprise, given Portland only had a 25% chance of winning the top pick.

Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson did not seem shaken by his team's drop in the order, hinting to the fact that last year’s fourth selection, Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, was the overwhelming NBA Rookie of the Year for the Hornets.

"You may find a player with as big an impact at No. 4 or even No. 6 as you may at No. 1," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, the team that did beat the odds and claimed the first overall pick was the Toronto Raptors, despite only an 8.8% chance of winning. General Manager Bryan Colangelo, recently hired away from the Phoenix Suns, was excited about the first pick and said it is a sign of things to come for the downtrodden Raptors.

"For us to have this kind of luck is a symbol of a reversal of fortune going forward," Colangelo said. "We have our work cut out. This will help."

The biggest loser in the lottery had to be a team that wasn't in it: the New York Knicks. After posting their worst record (23-59) in 20 years, the Knicks weren't a factor Tuesday night. Why? Because in the 2005 off season, Isiah Thomas dealt the rights to New York's No. 1 pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls for underachieving center Eddy Curry.

The 6’-11” Curry had been diagnosed with heart problems, which is why the Bulls were looking to deal him. In New York, Curry averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game in 2005-06, and less than one block and six rebounds per outing. He also was rarely on the court during crunch time due to his weak defense.

Thus, the lottery's biggest winners had to be the young, up-and-coming Bulls, who ended up with the second overall pick. The Bulls were 41-41 this season and earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they pushed the second-seeded Heat to the limit in the opening round. The Bulls already have one of the best young backcourts in the league with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, and will look to add a front-court impact player in this year’s draft.

"We made the deal, and we're lucky we got in the lottery," said John Paxson, the Bulls' Executive Vice President.

As for the players vying for to be taken No. 1 overall, there does not appear to be a clear-cut choice. Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison, Texas power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas and Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani are considered the top candidates.

Aldridge, who reaffirmed his stock in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with a 26-point, 13-rebound performance against West Virginia, could be the slight favorite for the Raptors. Toronto also likes Bargnani, who is considered a prospect in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki.

The Raptors' Colangelo would not comment on which way the team is leaning.

"Right now we've got a month to go, and we'll see what comes our way and see what we can dig up," Colangelo said. "I think there are about five or six names that could be there. We need a one [point guard] or a five [center]."

This year’s draft may be as much about the players not in it as those who are available. With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, this will be the first year that high school seniors won't be eligible for the draft. That eliminated Greg Oden, a 7-foot prep phenom bound for Ohio State this fall, who would have been a lock for the first pick.

Another big man who will not be on the draft board this year is Joakim Noah, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Final Four. Noah led the Florida Gators to a surprise NCAA title, but decided not to strike while the iron was hot and come back to Gainesville for a run at another championship.

Those are two names most GMs would have rated at the top of their boards this year.

So maybe there is no true big winner of the 2006 lottery. The big winner in the NBA could be the team with that lucky ping-pong ball in 2007.

Let me paint a picture for you. It is this past Monday night; you have just opened another beer and are toasting with your friends. Why? Being the smart gambler that you are, you placed a significant wager on the San Antonio Spurs over the Dallas Mavericks, and the Spurs are up 111-109 with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Even more important, by betting on the Spurs, the Sportsbook gave you 4.5 points because the game is in Dallas. No need to worry about that now because the Spurs look like a lock to win outright.  

“This game’s over. Finley’s three-pointer sealed the game,” your friend says.

Dallas comes out of their timeout and predictably feeds the basketball to their star, Dirk Nowitzki. You are counting down the seconds, waiting for the final shot and the game to end, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. Dirk is simply backing down in the paint and covered by San Antonio’s defensive stopper, Bruce Bowen. All of a sudden, a whistle blows, but nothing really happened. Did Dallas call a timeout? Nope. The referee calls a personal foul on Bruce Bowen, and the Spurs are over the foul limit.

“WHAT, are you serious?” you start to scream. “Nothing happened!”

A little bead of sweat begins to form on your brow, and you crouch about five inches from the television. Nowitzki calmly makes the first free throw. You cannot believe this is happening. Nowitzki calmly makes the second free throw. Duncan misses a last second shot, and the game goes into overtime. You still have the spread, but of course, the Mavericks end up winning the game, 123-118. Your money is gone. In the span of a second, you went from euphoria to depression. Why? Did you pick the game wrong or celebrate too early?

No, poor officiating once again ruined another close game in another crucial situation. Why is the officiating so bad? There are two reasons. First, the salaries are too low, considering the power that these officials possess. For NBA refs, salaries can be as low as $90,000 per year. This may seem high, but it is not when compared to what players and coaches make. Furthermore, these officials are human, and there has to be some resentment that these guys control million dollar players, but make less than $100,000. This contributes to bad calls, consciously or unconsciously.

Pay these guys. Put them on the same level as the players or at least the coaches. Level the playing field and better results will follow. I am not saying that refs should be paid millions of dollars, but they should at least receive more than they are making now. Some of these guys just do not care, and why should they?

The other factor is the lack of punishment from the League Office. After game four in Dallas, multiple suspensions and fines should have come down on those officials, but basically, nothing happened. It was not just the last play of regulation that was called poorly, but rather, the entire game. On a team, if a player is not producing, he is benched. Why not do the same for professional officials? There needs to be a possible punishment in the mind of the official to ensure his full effort.

Punish these guys. Again, try to level the ground and put the officials in the players’ shoes. Professional sports needs to put an end to the whole referee vs. player war and make a joint effort to create fair contests. This will result in classic games where the right team actually wins the game.

I will leave you with one of the greatest current examples of poor officiating, Super Bowl XL. This game was atrocious. Actually, the game never seemed to start but was completely dominated by the officials. The TV ratings were the lowest for a Super Bowl in recent years, and anytime a great play was made, it was simply reversed by the refs. Why did this happen? This happened for the same reasons I stated above. NFL referees make as little as $25,000 a year and are considered part-time employees. Lonely sports writers make more than that. In addition, there was not really any severe punishment. This was the Super Bowl, one of the biggest sporting events of the year. People, we need to make a change across the board. If not, we are going to be left with these part-time employees controlling the fate of the biggest sporting events, and like it or not, our money is at stake.

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Once upon time, the Nets wasted draft picks on stiffs like Yinka Dare. Players with modest talent such as Chris Morris had the gall to write “trade me” on their sneakers. Players with more talent but not nearly as much as they thought, like Stephon Marbury, wrote “All Alone” on their ankle tape. And throughout all this, fans and New York media alike responded with Derrick Coleman-like enthusiasm: “whoop-de-damn doo.”

Then after the 1999-00 season, Rod Thorn took over a Nets team that desperately needed someone with his professionalism and player evaluation skills. Rod Thorn’s first major move was to select Kenyon Martin as the number one pick in the draft. While Martin suffered through an injury-plagued first season, by his second season he was a major defensive presence and a huge part of their running offense.

In 1984, Rod Thorn made what was clearly his best draft pick while GM of the Bulls, selecting Michael Jordan. However, in 2001, after having one full season to evaluate the Nets’ needs, Rod Thorn had what would have to be considered the best off-season of his career. The Nets drafted Eddie Griffin and then turned around and dealt him for three picks which they turned into Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong.

Richard Jefferson turned into one of the Nets’ brightest stars. A great athlete who plays outstanding defense, Jefferson is also one of the league’s most efficient scorers, getting 19.5 points on fewer than 13 shots a night. Jason Collins doesn’t wow you if you look at the stat sheet, but he does so many little things when he is on the court, he is well respected by his teammates and considered a winner throughout the league. Brandon Armstrong, a reported sharp-shooter who can’t shoot, offered less of an impact.

But it was Thorn’s trade that off-season that really turned things around. Thorn traded talented but selfish potential superstar Stephon Marbury for an older Jason Kidd. Kidd instantly energized the franchise, guaranteeing a winning record the year he joined the franchise. Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, and Keith Van Horn immediately improved their game and Jefferson and Collins’ NBA initiation couldn’t have gone smoother with Jason Kidd leading the charge. The reenergized franchise made it to the NBA Finals in both 2002 and 2003, ultimately losing to more talented Western Conference foes (Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs). 

Thorn made a couple of errors along the way in his quest to find a bona fide center. He traded Keith Van Horn for a miscast Dikeme Mutombo, who never fit in with the Nets running style, and then signed Alonzo Mourning to a terrible 4-year, 20-million-dollar contract only to see him miss most of the season due to his kidney ailment. However, the Nets look like they have finally found their center in Nenad Krstic whom they drafted in 2002 and stashed in Europe for a couple of years to develop his game. Krstic has become an offensive force for the current Nets, averaging 13.5 points per game on a better than 50% FG percentage.

Thorn also saved the Nets’ organization when they were in danger of sliding back into the abyss. Faced with demands from ownership to cut costs, Thorn shipped off Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, and Lucious Harris. Fans were outraged, but Denver is now stuck with Martin’s bloated contract, and Kerry Kittles is semi-retired after playing only 11 games last year. Thorn made the correct choice in Richard Jefferson over Kenyon Martin, and then made another great move by stealing Vince Carter from Toronto for the incredible bargain price of Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Mourning (who refused to suit up for Toronto), and a couple of harmless draft picks.

The Nets start their series against the Miami Heat equipped with three superstars acquired by Thorn and a budding fourth in Krstic, also drafted by Thorn. While you could quibble with his bench choices that backfired this year (Mark Jackson and Jeff McInnis), the Nets are surely thrilled to have this Thorn on their side.

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

It is a catastrophe that in professional sports, a non-winning record can set the table for a legitimate shot at a world title.

In baseball, it has come close (see 2005 San Diego Padres, 1973 NY Mets). In the NFL, only two .500 teams have made the playoffs since 1991 (1991 NYJ, 2004 STL). In the NBA, however, it has been the norm to find teams with a losing record compete in late April and into May.

Below, a table of the number of .500 win percentage teams, the number of first round games they have won, and the number of series they have gone on to win.

Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com

Parody just hasn’t existed in the NBA playoffs. These 15 teams in the last 10 years have combined to win just 12 playoff games and have never advanced. In 2004, four teams in the East had the shot and surely one could pull off the upset? Not even the four vs. five could do it.

The last time a team with a losing record entered the playoffs and won a Series was 1988. Then, the Seattle Supersonics boasted a 39-43 record as the 7-seed and made it all the way to the conference finals. They upset both Dallas and Houston, before being swept by Pat Riley’s Los Angeles Lakers.  Since Seattle, a total of 31 teams have entered the playoffs with a record at or below .500. And these teams are 0-31 in playoff series.

So, how good of a chance do Milwaukee (40-42), Chicago (41-41) and Indiana (41-41) have this year?  I’m not going to say “none,” because that’s why they play the game—but let’s delve into these match-ups.

(1) Detroit vs. (8) Milwaukee

One-seeds haven’t lost since 1999. But there was a technicality about that year: First, 1999 was the NBA lockout year, and only 50 regular season games were played. Second, three other teams had the same 33-17 record, but Miami won by a tiebreaker.

In a full 82-game season, it was the 1994 Denver Nuggets who upset the top-seeded Supersonics to advance to the second round.

With Flip Saunders at the helm, we’ve seen the Pistons play looser offensively, but still maintaining impressive defense—leading them to their best regular season record ever (64-18). Don’t worry about the nonsense concerning Ben Wallace not getting along with Flip: This team is focused when it comes to the playoffs.

Having said this, Milwaukee has their hands full. Let’s just look at player vs. player matchups.

Billups will substitute size for speed and can dominate Ford. Hamilton is a workhorse. Prince is undoubtedly better than Simmons. And I’ll just point out the experience from the front court to suffice my argument for the Wallaces.

To make matters worse, the only type of success they had against Detroit was when they played Toni Kukoc at the three. Kukoc is already banged up and will miss the first game, so his health will be a definite factor.

Prediction: Pistons in a sweep

(2) Miami vs. (7) Chicago

Chicago is the hottest of the East’s bottom-3, finishing 12-2 in their final 14 to slip into the show. They had a similar run in the final month of the season last year, winning 15 of their last 19 games. The Bulls’ only win against the Heat in the regular season came back on April 15 when the Heat rested most of their stars.

In the playoffs, it comes down to defense and though the “Baby Bulls” are young, they do buckle down, leading the NBA for the second straight season in defensive field-goal percentage (.426).

Offensively, the Bulls’ patented “drive-and-kick” out game has given opposing teams a hard time. Ben Gordon ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference, hitting 43.9-percent from 3-point land, and point-guard Kirk Hinrich has shot 42.9-percent from behind the arc in his last five games.  

Although the Heat have been locked into the No. 2 spot since basically January, I don’t see them having trouble kicking into high gear. Even when the Bulls shut down Wade in their meetings this year (12.3 ppg), the Heat have found a way to win.

The Bulls have no answer for Shaq, who had 14 points and 6 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action on April 15.

Prediction: Heat in 5

(3) New Jersey vs. (6) Indiana

This might very well be the best shot for a team at the .500 mark in the regular season to win a Series. The Nets came from the weak Atlantic Division that sent no other teams beside themselves to the playoffs. The two teams have similar defensive work ethics, as they are 5^th and 6^th in points allowed, respectively, in the NBA. The interesting thing about this series is the way they view each other: New Jersey players have said the Pacers are a good transition and look to slow it down, while Indiana players have said the exact same thing about the Nets! Wow, this should be a fun series to watch!

Jermaine O’Neal looks to be healthy into the playoffs, having played 30-plus minutes in his final 11 regular season games, but I don’t foresee him being the difference. The difference must come from the defense side of the ball, in particular, the ability to stop Vince Carter.

Peja Stojakovic and Stephen Jackson must play top-notch to pull the upset.

I have a feeling this series will go seven. The Nets were 29-12 at home, fourth-best home record in the Eastern conference, so that’s the way I lean.

Prediction: Nets in 7

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WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Well, this counts for everything but the National Basketball Association. The first problem we had this post-season was the division rule, which will leave the Spurs to play the Mavericks in the second round, all due to a technicality of being in the same division. This rule alone should constitute uproar from the fans and needs to be addressed immediately. Now, we have another significance issue.

We have the fact that the MVP Award is announced and decided before the NBA playoffs are over. It is decided on before the first round is even over! What’s the result? It was announced Wednesday that Steve Nash will win his second straight MVP Award.

Now I am not arguing that Nash is not worthy of his second MVP. Actually Nash supporters are going to say that he had a better statistical year this season than last season, when he was the clear choice for MVP. Sure, Nash upped his points from 15.5 per game last year to 18.8 per this year, but last year was last year. More importantly, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James were not in the playoffs last year and did not come even close to the caliber of seasons they each had this year.  What I am arguing is that other players are just more deserving of the award.

On Wednesday night, Nash got posterized like no one has ever seen before. Who was the player that abused Nash so horribly, you ask? Oh it was Kobe Bryant, another top candidate for MVP and someone more worthy of the honor than Nash. More than just making Nash look like a fool on national television, Bryant’s dunk in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Lakers over the Suns. This now leads us back to our issue at hand.

The Suns might not make it out of the first round of the playoffs. After the Lakers’ 93-90 victory Wednesday night, the series is even at one game a piece. Now, the Lakers are heading back to Los Angeles with home-court advantage and control of the series. By the way the Lakers are 27-14 at home this year and we all know Kobe is going to turn it up a notch for the home crowd. If this round is the last stop for the Suns, where does that leave Nash? At home with his MVP trophy, even after he couldn’t beat the seventh-seeded Lakers in the opening round. Remember way back when Charles Barkley was actually one of the first MVPs not to win the NBA Championship? That was in 1993 and seems like ages ago now. Back then the MVP committee got things right, and even more ironic is that Barkley won the award while playing for the Suns, Nash’s current team.

More over, if the Suns do in fact lose to the Lakers in the first round, the case grows even stronger that Kobe is the MVP. Do I have to read the laundry list of accomplishments to you? The man scored 35 points per game during the regular season, not to mention getting an overachieving Lakers team back into the playoffs with a record of 45-37. And now he might get them into the second round as a seventh seed. Without Kobe, this team would already be planning for the Draft Lottery.

And what about Lebron James? The Cleveland Cavs are the fourth seed in the East. Let me repeat, the Cleveland Cavs are the fourth seed in the East. Don’t forget that the Cavs also won 50 games this year. This is an achievement in itself. Let’s not forget Lebron’s playoff debut; he only scored a triple double against the Wizards. This is exactly why the playoffs have to count toward the MVP voting, because the playoffs are where legends are made.

Don’t get me wrong, Nash is a nice player who had a nice season. But aren’t MVPs supposed to be spectacular players who have spectacular seasons. Before you answer that question, answer this one. If you take Kobe away from the Lakers and Nash away from the Suns, which team suffers more? The answer to that is your 2006 MVP. I’ll give you a little hint. It’s not Steve Nash.

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WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1

NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)

Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2

Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)

Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3

Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)

Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4

Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)

A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5

College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)

Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6

Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)

Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7

Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)

Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

Heat center Shaquille O'Neal never was at full strength because of a lingering thigh injury that left him less than dominant throughout the playoffs. Teammate Dwyane Wade missed all of a Game 6 loss because of a rib injury suffered in Game 5, and the Heat could only manage 66 points without their leading scorer. Though Wade returned for Game 7, he lacked much of his typical explosiveness and played through significant pain, according to his teammates' post-game comments. In a Game 7 that was decided by six points, a healthy Wade may have been the difference in the contest.

That hasn't been lost on NBA Miami, which rested their pair of superstars at the conclusion of the regular season this year in anticipation of staying healthy during the playoffs. In the Heat's final two contests of the season, Wade and O'Neal each rested. While Wade remained largely injury-free this season, there's reason to be concerned about O'Neal’s health, who has missed 23 games this season.

Miami will need to make quick work of their opponents in the early rounds so as to not tire their stars for gritty conference finals with a team such as Detroit.

Should the first or second round drag out, O'Neal's aging body may not be able to sustain itself over the long haul; the 7-1, 300-pound plus O'Neal takes night-in and night-out poundings from opponents.

To prevent a repeat of last year, the Heat re-signed center Alonzo Mourning as an insurance policy for O'Neal last off-season. Mourning proved to be an admirable backup in 20 starts in place of his teammate during the regular season, averaging 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game and has given Miami some extra odds in all Sportsbooks. But given his health issues -- Mourning suffered a torn right calf against the Pistons March 22 and hasn't played since -- the 36-year-old can't necessarily be depended upon for the playoffs.

Mourning or not, this team came close to turning away Detroit last year when luck wasn't on their side. A little bit of help from the basketball gods and it could be the Pistons making the adjustments.

Allen Iverson scored 39 points for the Sixers, who broke a three-game losing streak and won for only the fifth time in their last 18 games. The Bulls saw their four-game winning streak end.

The two teams are now tied at 35-41 with six games to play. The Sixers' win enabled them to split the season series with Chicago at 2-2, but they trailed the Bulls in the second tiebreaker, record within the conference.

But for last night, a win that was desperately needed was achieved.

"What a difference a day makes," said coach Maurice Cheeks, who was last seen after Friday night's loss to Boston sitting in a trance-like state on the bench after the final buzzer and in the interview room.

"We needed it bad, coming in here to play a team that had just got to our home court and beat us and realizing the situation we're in," he said. "We were a little dejected, a little down, and I told our guys, until we're mathematically out, we still have a chance. That was a total team effort."

The Bulls were just horrible from the field, missing their share of wide-open looks and shooting 32.6 percent, a season-low by a Sixers opponent. Their top two scorers coming in, guards Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, were a combined five of 23 and scored 14 points.

Bobby Simmons scored 26 points, going 9-of-13 from the field, and Michael Redd added 23 to lead the Bucks over the Chicago Bulls 104-88 Wednesday night.

Milwaukee (32-32) got back to .500 for the first time since March 1 and split the season series with Chicago (29-36), which now trails the Bucks by 3 1/2 games and the Philadelphia 76ers by three for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"That was a hell of a win against a team that needed to win it," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "I don't think it was any sweeter, this was an important game and we came out ready, had confidence, made shots. It was a fun game."

The Bucks are eyeing the fifth spot, trailing Indiana by one game and Washington by 1 1/2.

"There's a sense of urgency as far as the playoff run," Simmons said. "If we don't play together, we won't win."

Milwaukee, which had lost five of its last six at home, made sure Chicago was out of it early - leading by as many as 24 in the first quarter.

"That's been the one concern for our team - start out better, start out fast," Redd said.

T.J. Ford had 12 points and 10 assists, while Joe Smith had 15 points and Charlie Bell 13 points for Milwaukee.

Andres Nocioni scored a career-high 25 points for Chicago and Luol Deng had 15 before leaving the game in the fourth after Nocioni poked him in the eye. Kirk Hinrich added 19 points.

"It's unexplainable," Hinrich said. "Go up and down a line of this team and everybody would say the same thing. For whatever reason as a group, we weren't ready."

Chicago went on a 13-0 run to end the third quarter after the Bucks took their biggest lead at 26, but still trailed 79-66 going into the fourth.

Milwaukee, which had blown a 17-point second-half lead to lowly Atlanta two nights earlier before coming from behind to win, only led 91-84 after the Bulls made four consecutive shots, including a 3-pointer by Jannero Pargo with 3:19 left.

Nocioni, who is normally used to give the Bulls a defensive presence and help with rebounding, handled the scoring duties on Tuesday night, by scoring 16 points in the second half.

``(Nocioni) brings a lot to our group in general. His style sometimes can be detriment to the way he plays. Sometimes he gets so uptight, nervous and anxious but tonight he was much more relaxed,'' said Bulls coach Scott Skiles. ``I could tell on his first couple of shots, that he was much more relaxed in the way he caught the ball and shot. He is very valuable to us all the time, especially when he plays like that.''

New Jersey has lost five of its last six, including a 25-point loss at home on Monday night to Sacramento.

The Nets got little help in the fourth quarter from Vince Carter, who shot 3-for-10 in the period. He finished the game with 25 points, going 8-for-25 from the field. Jason Kidd had 13 assists and 10 rebounds, but scored just five points on 1-of-9 shooting.

Luol Deng finished with 22 points and eight rebounds for Chicago and Tyson Chandler fouled out with 15 rebounds.

The Bulls began a swing of four games in five nights this week and play at Detroit on Wednesday.

``This was an important game for us. We kept telling ourselves, 'Keep fighting, keep fighting,''' said Chris Duhon. ``We wanted to keep the pressure on them and we were able to do that.''

With the score tied at 73 in the fourth quarter, Chicago used a 16-6 run to put the game away.

Nenad Krstic finished with a career-high 29 points and 13 rebounds for New Jersey and Jefferson finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Krstic was limited to four field goal attempts in the fourth quarter and scored four points.

``Nenad had a big game and they paid more attention to him down late. He was the hub and energy and kept us in the game early,'' said Carter.

The Nets started the second quarter down 12 points, but Krstic quickly got them back in the game. Trailing 27-14, the Nets outscored the Bulls 13-0 during a three minute span early in the quarter. Krstic made a jumper and Jefferson hit a 3 to tie the score at 27 with 6:55 left in the quarter. Krstic scored six points in the span. The Nets hit 12 of their first 13 shots in the quarter and finished the quarter by shooting 15-for-18. New Jersey had 13 assists in the quarter and Kidd had eight of them. He also had six rebounds. Krstic scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

The Nets couldn't take advantage of the hot shooting second quarter, and shot just 29.2 percent in the fourth quarter.

``We got back in the game, but in the fourth quarter we couldn't make a shot and on the other end they did and they separated,'' Kidd said. We just could not make an outside shot - we could not make the 3 when we had it. We had great looks, but they just didn't go down for us.''

Nocioni hit a jumper as time expired in the second quarter to get the Bulls within 44-42 at the half.

The Bulls led 24-12 at the end of the first quarter. They scored 14 straight points to take a 16-4 lead on Malik Allen's jumper early in the quarter. The Nets shot just 26.3 percent in the quarter. Deng scored 10 points in the quarter for Chicago.