Chicago ? By now, the Bulls’ Dec. 15, 2004, road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies has faded from the memory of most people.
The 96-88 triumph, which featured 15 points apiece from Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon, merely raised the Bulls’ record to 5-15 en route to a 47-35 mark and playoff berth after a dismal 0-9 start.
Given how many magical moments were to follow, this victory may seem pedestrian and forgettable.
Given current events, it shouldn’t be.
A coaching decision featured Eric Piatkowski replacing Chris Duhon to start the third quarter and Piatkowski promptly burying a three-pointer. A coaching decision featured Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Adrian Griffin and Tyson Chandler playing the entire fourth quarter and the Bulls going without a turnover.
A coaching decision featured a Bulls zone defense surprising and stymieing the Grizzlies, who blew a 10-point lead.
The coach? Jim Boylan, who just before halftime had replaced Scott Skiles after the latter’s first career regular-season ejection.
Granted, the first move had been discussed at halftime and endorsed by Skiles. But Boylan’s on-the-fly, second-half decisions, with input from current assistants Ron Adams, Pete Myers and Mike Wilhelm, impressed enough that they still resonate three years later.
“That was the first time I realized, ‘Wow, this guy is a good X’s and O’s guy,'” Hinrich said of Boylan. “He came in and drew up some good stuff and did a good job of taking over. I remember then thinking, ‘This guy would be a good head coach.'”
And now he is a head coach, with a 56-game tryout to earn the Bulls’ job for good or perhaps parlay his experience into another head coaching job.
Monday’s matinee overtime loss to the Magic presented Boylan with his first crucial late-game decisions as Bulls coach, an experience he called “fun” and “enjoyable.”
His moves were a mixed bag.
Boylan rode Ben Wallace the final 35 minutes 26 seconds, Luol Deng the final 34:25, Gordon the final 23:11 and Nocioni the final 20:39 and admitted afterward his players might have tired.
The Bulls’ offense bogged down occasionally down the stretch after Hinrich fouled out, basically letting Gordon dribble and try to create. As the primary ballhandler and decision-maker, Gordon offered his usual mix of spectacular and silly.
Yet Boylan also had Wallace switching with a screened Deng on the Magic’s final possession. Granted, Hedo Turkoglu drained the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left. But Wallace played perfect defense and had a hand in Turkoglu’s face, the Bulls’ best defender right where he should be.
“I think X’s- and O’s-wise, he’s a very good game coach,” Hinrich said.
Beyond the clipboard, players continue to rave about Boylan’s sideline demeanor.
“He has been even-keeled,” Gordon said. “He doesn’t get too high or too low on any one possession. It helps everyone else to relax when guys see Jim being so calm and leading us in a relaxed way.
“He still does a lot of the same things coach Skiles did. He just has a more relaxed mood. It has been working well for us.”
Added Hinrich: “His demeanor has been pretty much the same as it always has been. He’s doing a good job being himself and telling us what we need to know and what we need to hear.”
