Spurs 92 @ Bulls 87 (I was there)

I spent the weekend in Chicago and attended this game. Going in, I had my doubts. The Spurs are never good in the tail end of back to back games and they were trounced the previous night in Philadelphia. Tony Parker, specifically, has looked awful in the back to backs, (which really doesn’t make any sense given that he is one of the youngest players on the team.) The 78-90 loss in Orlando after losing 83-90 to New Orleans comes to mind. Tony was 3-17 from the field for 9 points with 4 turnovers and only 4 assists. So, having to chase the standout rookie Derrick Rose seemed like a recipe for disaster. Also, after beating the Lakers in a truly fantastic 112-111 battle, the Spurs were due for an emotional letdown. My hope was that the loss to the Sixers would serve as a brief letdown and that the Spurs would rebound against the Bulls. Historically, the Spurs rebound very well after a loss, especially to one of that magnitude.
The United Center is substantially bigger than the AT&T Center. The United Center was not sold out and still posted an attendance upwards of 22,000, compared to a sold out AT&T center crowd of 18,675. Even so, I swear you could hear a pin drop for most of the game. Several times during the game I asked aloud, “Why is it so quiet in here?” but did not receive a response. By far the loudest spectator was the ice cream peddler whom you could hear from 4 sections over, “ICE CREAM!” It became the running joke of the night. If you were in a Chicago bar later that night and heard people randomly screaming, “ICE CREAM!” That was us.
The game was, as expected, an ugly one. The Spurs led for most of the game, but seemed to be half awake and could never maintain a lead. However, the Spurs managed to grind out a win. This is a game that gives me confidence. In ’99, ’03, ’05, and ’07, these are the kind of games the Spurs seemed to always win. It would be ugly, low scoring, and frustrating in that you knew the Spurs were the superior team, but they could never get any separation. But with the score close and two minutes remaining, the Spurs would always make a few big shots and get a few big stops for the win. They have won many of these types of games this season.
Chicago is a great city. If you have never been, you should definitely give it a try. Chicago is incredible because it is the third biggest city in the US, but still has that Midwestern, Southern mellow feel to it. People are not as crazy or hurried as they are in other big cities, like NYC. My good friend from Dartmouth, The Big Talc, currently resides in Chicago, which is why I made the trip. He basically took me on a tour of his favorite bars, (we hit 12 different bars in two nights.) My favorite was a place called the Hidden Sham. It was a multi-story bar that offered a great drink special in the basement. $3 Jameson Shots. Seriously? Any place that gets people to drink straight whiskey is cool in my book. (I am Texan, remember?)