Five losses, er, games ago, Ron Mercer began a pregame habit wherein he submerges himself in a whirlpool of cold water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Given his 38 percent shooting this year, there’s a punch line in there somewhere. But Thursday proved not a time for jokes, only smiles. And smiles have been rare commodities this Bulls season.
Thursday is when Mercer emerged from his ice-cold ways to turn in a scorching performance, scoring 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting to lead the Bulls to a 91-82 victory over Atlanta at Philips Arena. The victory snapped a nine-game losing streak and gave the Bulls their first road victory in nine tries, a milestone they didn’t reach last season until Jan. 7.
“It’s great for these guys to get a win,” coach Tim Floyd said. “It had gotten to the point where there was some doubt in their minds.”
Mercer, who played the entire second half and 45 minutes overall, and Elton Brand helped erase that doubt. Brand finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Khalid El-Amin, with eight fourth-quarter free throws, added 16 points.
The Bulls led 67-66 with just more than 10 minutes remaining when Mercer scored 10 straight points for the Bulls, none of the baskets from closer than 14 feet.
“He got his head up early with some shots down tight on the block,” Floyd said. “Then he got some transition opportunities. And then things started to happen for him from the perimeter.”
Matching the understatement, that’s like saying the Bulls needed a victory.
Still, Atlanta clawed within 77-73 before El-Amin fed Dragan Tarlac for a layup and then stole the ball from Alan Henderson and scored one of his own. Tarlac scored just two points but had nine rebounds and played solid defense on Dikembe Mutombo.
But Mercer stole the show, turning in a performance that most envisioned would happen more often when the Bulls signed him to a four-year, $27 million deal.
“I felt comfortable running in transition,” Mercer said. “It’s a lot easier when the game is up-tempo and we’re getting the ball ahead. Once I took a couple of shots in transition and they started falling, then I started feeling more and more confident. I started shooting them from everywhere.”
At Mercer’s hot rate, he might have made one from the whirlpool.
