Bulls Splatter on Thunder's Windshield

No excuses for a beatdown

Joakim Noah: "They really kicked our (butt) in every aspect of the game."

Kyle Korver: "It's an embarrassing game. You got your butt kicked on ABC on Sunday."

Butts kicked. Confidence shaken. Bulls outworked.

Make no mistake, Oklahoma City could be the best team in the league. Good teams have talent, good teams hustle. Great teams have talent and hustle.

Consider this a wake-up call. When you find yourself in the playoffs, every possession matters. The teams that dive, scrap, fight and lunge for the ball end up winning. So much of postseason victory depends on a team's want.

Look at the great Bulls team of the past. Michael Jordan was never satisfied with his number of rings. He wanted to beat you. He didn't want you to have a second to breathe. And it worked.

It's the kind of thing Tiger Woods had for so long. Other golfers checked out before they got on the greens.

You look around this Bulls team and you wonder who's going to bring the attitude. Who's going to be the enforcer? Who's going to look at the team, down 10 with a minute to go and say, "We're going to win this game"?

Oklahoma City came out of the gate with a message. "We are elite."

Message received.

Now, how will the Bulls respond? The answer will tell us if they have the heart of a champion.

Contact Us