The Chicago Bulls started off the season with a loss to the Miami Heat, but Derrick Rose showed why the team wanted his return so badly against the Knicks, as he hit the go-ahead shot against New York for the victory and now the team will go up against the surprisingly undefeated Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center starting at 7:30 pm on NBATV and streaming online.
The Bulls are looking to have a championship run this season with Rose returning from his serious knee injury and after losing against the Heat, the team looked much better against the Knicks, playing solid defense as they won by one at the United center and now the team hits the road to play the Sixers before playing another road game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday in a game that will matchup two of the top contenders in the eastern conference. Rose was tops for the team against the Knicks with 18 points and Joakim Noah had a better game than the opener with 15 rebounds, while Luol Deng led the team in assists with six.
Check here for the Chicago Bulls and Sixers live stream from NBA.com on the league pass.
The Bulls are already looking like one of the best defensive teams in the league again after being in the top part of the NBA last season and they are currently ranked seventh in points allowed per game and while the offense hasn't quite kicked in yet, that isn't a top concern for the team at the beginning of the season. Rose has looked good on his knee since making his return from surgery and while he hasn't put up crazy numbers in his first two games, he clearly has made his presence felt with the go-ahead basket and has been solid running the offense after missing all of last season.
The Sixers are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league and they have been surprising while starting 2-0 and they have defeated the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards already and while this is a nice run, it likely will end soon. The team plays next at home against the Golden State Warriors and this start is a very good way to get young players experience, but the Bulls likely will defeat Philly on Friday. The team ranks third in the NBA in scoring and if they focus on that through the season they could at least be a challenge to play for other teams in the league.
The Bulls added Mike Dunleavy in the offseason and they now have the chance to win their second game after winning in dramatic fashion against the Knicks. The team lost Nate Robinson in the offseason and the bench will have to step up the rest of the way, but the team has one of the best starting lineups in the league. The East likely will come down to the Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and New York Knicks as well as the Indiana Pacers, while the west likely will have teams like the Thunder, Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers as well as the Houston Rockets looking to the top spot in the western conference.