There is progress: a 15-26 record at the season’s halfway mark, representing a seven-game improvement over last season.
There is pandemonium: a raucous visitors locker room Monday at Philips Arena after the Bulls ended an 82-day, 19-game drought without a road victory with a 115-102 win over the Hawks.
And there is persistence: Rick Brunson, activated for the first time this season, scoring 12 fourth-quarter points to shock the crowd of 9,961 that had gathered for this Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee.
The Bulls have half their schedule remaining. But on a day when Jalen Rose tied a franchise record with a career-high seven three-pointers and the Bulls hit 16-of-18 fourth-quarter shots, few games are likely to be as memorable as this victory.
“This is a classic example of what a pro is all about,” coach Bill Cartwright said. “Rick kept himself in shape, got an opportunity to play and made it pay off. It’s beautiful. You have to respect a guy like that.”
Brunson got his chance when Jay Williams was placed on the injured list and Jamal Crawford shot 2-for-10 through three quarters with six assists.
The Bulls trailed 88-79 with 10 minutes 15 seconds remaining when Brunson took over. He scored four points and had two steals and two assists in an 8-0 run, and later drained a three-pointer with 4:32 to play to give the Bulls the lead for good.
Brunson, who played the entire fourth quarter, finished with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting, seven assists, three steals and no turnovers in 24 minutes.
“They shook the dust off,” Brunson said, smiling. “I knew I could go out there and cause havoc on defense, getting some steals. But I surprised myself with my shooting.”
Rose didn’t surprise anyone but was just as accurate, hitting 15-of-21 overall and going 7-for-10 from beyond the arc to match Michael Jordan’s team record set against Golden State on Jan. 18, 1990.
When Rose hit his last three-pointer, a 29-foot bomb that capped an 11-0 run and gave the Bulls a 105-97 lead with 3:17 to play, he ran downcourt throwing jabs at the air like a boxer. He finished with 37 points.
The Bulls outscored Atlanta 41-19 in the fourth, posted a season high in points and just missed another franchise record with their 88.9 percent marksmanship in the period.
“We have to bottle that up and carry it with us,” Rose said.
The Bulls also got contributions from Marcus Fizer (24 points, 10 rebounds), Donyell Marshall (13 rebounds) and Eddie Robinson, who capped the game by throwing an alley-oop to himself for a fast-break dunk.
But Rose and Brunson, who each had personal cheering sections, stole the show.
Two wacky fans from Charlotte, N.C., who dub themselves The Rick Brunson Fan Club, made the four-hour drive to support Brunson. And Rose put on his show for his daughter, Mariah, who lives here.
“She gave me some good luck,” Rose said.
The Bulls finally had some of that on the road.
