72-10 safe for another year

I actually kind of like the Celtics this year. Garnett is one the coolest cats in the league- though the way Boston acquired him is somewhat despicable- and you have to root for guys who are (kind of) from Chicago. Ray Allen is just a pure sniper, probably the prettiest shot the NBA has seen in the last couple of decades. And it’s hard to root against Pierce, too.

But once it began apparent that these Celtics could win a lot of regular season games, I think every Bulls fan had to become a tad defensive about the best record in Chicago sports: the 72-10 season by the 96’ Bulls. After dropping three of their last four, including both games in a hockey-style home-and-away against the Agent Zero-less Wiz, I think it’s safe to say that the Bulls record for most wins in an NBA regular season will stand for another season. To be honest, I think it could stand a lot longer then that, especially since a lot of teams are now following the Spurs model of taking it easy in the regular season and waiting for the playoffs to start going all out.

After 36 games, Boston is 30-6. At the same point in the 95-96 season, the Bulls were 33-3. But the Celtics are now way behind the Bulls pace, who didn’t lose their sixth game until February 23.

As for this year’s carnation of the Bulls: God they are awful. I think I’ve said “At least this must be rock bottom” about ten times already. I said it after Skiles was fired, after that embarrassing fourth quarter collapse to the Knicks (the Knicks!!), and most recently after the Joakim Noah-Ron Adams fight. What happens the next day? The players vote to suspend Noah for another game, and Bulls lose in Atlanta (you know, to the Hawks) by 21. This season officially blows.