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Sliding Bulls make a stop in Memphis

Tue 16th, March 2010

(Sports Network) - The fading Chicago Bulls hope to put the brakes on season- long seven-game skid and improve their standing in the Eastern Conference playoff picture when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Chicago's losing streak is its longest since dropping eight in a row from Dec. 20, 2005-Jan. 4, 2006, and if the postseason started today, the Bulls, who are one game behind Toronto for the eighth playoff spot in the East, would be left out of the party.

Most recently the banged-up Bulls fell to 0-2 on a four-game road trip in Miami on Friday when Quentin Richardson made 7-of-11 three-pointers on his way to 23 points while pulling down seven rebounds, as the Heat handled Chicago, 108-95.

James Johnson and Jannero Pargo each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, who played without a host of key contributors. Brad Miller tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Flip Murray registered 15 points off the bench.

Defensive stalwart Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) has missed each game during the Bulls slide and he has been joined on the sidelines by forward Luol Deng (calf) and All-Star point guard Derrick Rose (sprained left wrist).

Meanwhile, guard Kirk Hinrich was ejected after two technical fouls against Miami and made contact with a referee while arguing the second technical, resulting in a one-game suspension that will be served tonight.

"The bottom line is you have to do it on the court," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "You have to play and keep battling."

Rose and Deng figure to be game-time decisions tonight but Noah will assuredly stay on the bench with Hinrich.

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, saw a three-game win streak halted on Saturday when J.R. Smith scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, as the Denver Nuggets used a huge final period to defeat Memphis, 125-108, at FedEx Forum.

O.J. Mayo finished with 25 points for the Grizzlies, who are now five games behind Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Zach Randolph tallied 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Marc Gasol added 17 points, seven boards, and six assists in defeat.

"It's 85-85 going into the fourth, and they just went on a tear on us," Mayo said. "Then we kind of dropped our heads too soon. We played hard for 36 minutes, then let the fourth quarter get away from us."

Memphis will be shooting for a home-and-home season sweep of the series after taking a 105-96 win in the Windy City earlier this month. The Grizz haven't swept the Bulls since the 2003-04 season.