Atlanta 105, Chicago 102 

When you hear Bulls coaches and players say (as they have for years) something along the lines of, "our offense is fine, but we need to work on our defense," understand that it's nonsense. The team's offense is not fine, it's been way worse than its defense for years, but even Scott Skiles could be heard carping along those lines even when the Bulls were tops in the league at defensive efficiency, and sub-mediocre offensively.

The Bulls don't need to work on their defense, but they do need to work at defending. The effort just isn't there, it hasn't been there since May of 2007, and it's what drives the team's piss-poor offense. Really, there's little hope for the offense, even with the best of coaches and the most thoughtful of play-calling, because this team is too limited to do much offensively.

Throw in a coaching staff and set of players that think 20-footers (the supposed "mid-range jumper"; mid-range from what, 40 feet?) at the end of three passes is a good thing, and you have the league's 24^th-ranked offense.

It is that defense that needs to improve, and has the best chance to improve. There is no reason a roster like this should be in the low teens defensively, but it's obviously not a priority of the coaching staff, and clearly not a priority for most of the players. Or all of the players, consistently. Guys like Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas should be dominant at some times, and damn good defensively at all other times, but they do take plays off.

Give the Bulls coaching staff credit. Starting Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Thomas and Noah means that the Bulls are starting their five best players, at appropriate positions. For those who have been complaining about this for years, it is a wonderful thing to behold.

But you know the coaching staff doesn't want you to behold a damn thing, wonderful or otherwise. It can't wait for Drew Gooden to come back. Andres Nocioni is going to play the fourth quarter at any one of three frontcourt positions he's ill-suited to play. And Kirk Hinrich is probably days away from starting.

So don't give them that chance, youngsters. Play hard from the outset, Tyrus and Joakim. I know it stinks to be dorked around by coach after coach after coach, but at some point you know you're just going to have to take the mental contact (so to, poorly, speak) and finish your shot after the mental hit of being dragged out of the lineup for no reason at all. This coaching staff is just dying to put the pasty plucky ones (Nocioni, Hinrich, Aaron Gray) in your spots, and you can't let that happen.

Actually, it might be too late. The Bulls turned things around in the first quarter against the Hawks when that triptych entered for Rose, Thomas, and Noah, and don't be surprised to see at least two of the plucky ones starting the next time around. After all, the Bulls need that "intensity" and "energy" and "less talent" and "less effective players" more than anything. Because it makes the coaches "feel like [they're] doing something."

The game was OK. Mike Bibby (31 points) was hitting from all over, he really had his arc going, and the Hawks stayed active offensively. Kept moving the ball, kept trying to get to the middle of the lane, while managing to overcome a massive 48-34 rebounding disadvantage. Really, though, the Hawks should have won by quite a bit more. Should have had the semi-blowout, because all the opportunities were there to win by 18.

San Antonio 99, Indiana 81

The Spurs made sure Indiana didn't lose another close one by stomping all over the dispirited Pacers in the second and third quarter.

This is one where you don't need me. Actually, there are plenty of games that you don't need my help with, but I have car payments, so let's not tell anyone. Anyway, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan not only put up tremendous stats (26 points on only 10 shots, eight boards, three assists, two turnovers, two steals, a block in only 20 minutes for Manu; 27 and 10 in only 26 minutes for TD), they looked terrific.

Just looked quick to their moves, quick around the rim, potent, almost as if they could have scored 52 points in 40 minutes, or 54 points in 52 minutes. And, wouldn't ya know it, the stats tell us they were on pace. So, thanks a lot, Pop.

Not only did the Pacers look like a team that couldn't keep up in that second quarter, the Pacers looked like a team that didn't want to keep up. And, after all the bad luck (or, "random co-incidences that nearly always result in negative events") this group has had to endure this season, I can't blame Jim O'Brien's bunch.

Denver 118, Sacramento 99

The Kings actually jumped out to an early lead in this loss, but there are just so many holes in the Sacramento defense, so many things to exploit, that the Nuggets were on their way to a laugher by the second quarter.

Great balance and ball movement for Denver, which is what you need to do against Sacramento. Toss a couple of passes around against the Kings, and suddenly you're playing five-on-four as the possession moves along. Get selfish with things, and before long you have a one possession game late in the fourth quarter, with steely-eyed John Salmons looking to close things.

28 assists on 40 baskets for the Nuggies, though Linas Kleiza (zero assists in almost 31 minutes) does not hear you clapping. Linas claps pretty loudly, though: 27 points off the bench for the burly forward.

Utah 112, Minnesota 107

Give Kevin McHale a ton of credit. He has these Timberwolves working extremely hard, talking to each other on the court, exhorting the refs, sharing the ball, exhorting each other, exhorting the ball, sharing each other, winning 9 of 13 games and playing the Jazz nearly to a hilt on Tuesday night.

The Jazz are too good, though, and the team's defense tightened up in the final minutes. They also got to the line a ton, earning it, didn't turn the ball over much, and kids need to watch Paul Millsap. The guy just does everything right. He could even teach the kids how to nail a jumper, because that dude's got the elbow under the ball. Don't tell him I called him "dude."

The Wolves fell short once Utah got active towards the end, and even Al Jefferson looked a little short in the face of a Jazz double-team at times. 25 points, but five turnovers. Sebastian Telfair's shot selection (there were several times during this game where I thought, "he would have taken that [horrid] shot last year") was ace, he contributed 17 points and nine assists and generally kept things moving. Very impressed with him, very impressed with the whole Timberwolves team.

Except for Mike Miller (six points, eight assists), who has apparently decided to model his game on Brevin Knight's. Lovely.

Related: Behind the boxscore