Johnson Puts Bulls 2-0 in Preseason

Yesterday marked the second preseason game for the Bulls, and once again they came out winners, this time against the Utah Jazz. For the most part, the game was a tight one, leaving only a few minutes here and there where one team had a clear lead over another. And though as a whole, the game was a great one to watch, it was the last 30 or so seconds that made it really come alive.

As the clock was winding down, the Bulls were down by one, and knew they needed to make a fast solid play in order to lockdown the game once and for all. Rookie James Johnson tried for a three and missed, but luckily was able to grab the ball and keep it for Chicago. After a quick timeout, with about 8 seconds left on the clock, Derrick Byars took a stab at it, also shooting for a three and also missing, still leaving the Bulls to trail the Jazz. However, with about 2 seconds left on the clock, James Johnson once again got the rebound and threw up a quick two, giving the Bulls a 102-101 win over the Jazz.

Buzzer beaters are always exciting but this one was one of the best I had ever seen. Not only was it the third attempt to put the Bulls in the lead, but it was on solely on account of James Johnson that the Bulls got their two needed points at the very end of the game, first trying for a shot, then rebounding twice, and finally putting up an impossible looking two, which had it left his hands a split-second later, would not have counted.

Even the day of the draft I had high hopes for the rookies, praying they could bring the Bulls what they were missing last season, and what they would potentially be missing this season without Ben Gordon. And so far they have proved me right, with Taj Gibson having a total of 29 points for the first two preseason games, James Johnson 22, and both having a handful of assists and rebounds. Not to mention stats aside, they have given the team a great amount of motivation throughout preseason so far and have been pushing themselves to the limits to prove they are worthy of a Playoff team.

If the Bulls keep this up, they can rest assured that this season will be a noteworthy one for them and they can once again make it to the championship games. 2-0 and counting Bulls. Lets get it.