A few weeks ago, the Bulls hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team many think to be the finest in the Eastern Conference. They certainly have its finest player, LeBron James, who is having one of the best statistical seasons of all time. (We're not exaggerating.) And that night, in a game most thought the Bulls would lose and lose badly, they showed some of the first signs of life of the entire 2008-09 season. They looked, dare we say it, capable. Good, even. It was exciting to behold.
Then what happened? The Bulls lost five straight, Ben Gordon flipped out on Vinny Del Negro, and one night's worth of progress was washed away by two weeks of instability. Fun.
So it is with relief that we caught last night's Bulls game, a 95-75 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. It should be stated, first of all, that it was the Clippers, whose starting lineup is without question the worst in the NBA, and whose team has, after a brief foray into the playoffs two years ago, reverted back to being a laughingstock again. It's not like the Bulls beat the Celtics, or the Lakers.
Still, though, it was a win. It was a convincing win. How many convincing wins have the Bulls had this year? Two? Three? They are to be celebrated when they occur, for they are so very rare.
So, hey, Bulls win. Hoo-rah. The team is still pretty bad. Vinny Del Negro is still a bad basketball coach. Derrick Rose's talent is still being squandered. But for one night, a win is a win. We'll take it.
Eamonn Brennan is a writer, editor and blogger hunkered down in Lincoln Park. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, FanHouse, MOUTHPIECE Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com.
