Coach Scott Skiles wanted his starters to be productive early, especially after the Bulls’ miserable starts in two previous exhibition games.
The Bulls came around Saturday night in the team’s first exhibition game at the United Center, a 116-97 victory over the Celtics.
They sank eight of their first 12 shots, a marked turnaround from losses last week to Memphis and Detroit.
And they hit from the perimeter early, getting a lift from three-pointers by Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng.
Hinrich was even better to open the second half, hitting three straight shots that included back-to-back threes to put the Bulls up 16. He led the Bulls with 21 points.
Even Ben Gordon, who had been struggling, showed flashes of the brilliance for which he became known in his rookie season, scoring on a reverse layup despite being fouled and completing a three-point play in the first half. He scored 16.
The Bulls certainly looked more comfortable in their surroundings, though it probably helped that Chris Duhon, Andres Nocioni, Darius Songaila, Jannero Pargo and Tim Thomas–all sidelined earlier in the week because of injuries–joined them.
Songaila, whose workouts had been limited because a right shoulder injury, finally made his debut.
“He knows the game,” Skiles said a day earlier. “He knows all the situations. He’s just sort of a natural player. You don’t need to tell him to go to a spot on the floor.
“He understands spacing, he understands a lot of the situations out there. He has a heck of a nice skill level.”
Skiles had said he planned to alter the starting lineup, and he made one change, starting Michael Sweetney instead of Othella Harrington.
“I feel Othella has been very good in the starting lineup so it’s no reflection on `O,'” Skiles said. “I just want to mix it up a little bit and take a look at Mike.”
Sweetney is logging heavy minutes early in the preseason. Skiles has praised his work ethic, and it appears Sweetney, who had 16 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes Saturday, will make a valuable contribution as the Bulls adjust to the departure of Eddy Curry.
“He’s a hard-working guy,” Skiles said. “He has done everything we’ve asked. We’re making what I think is a pretty good assumption that he’s going to get better and better as the year goes on.”
Layups
Boston head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers did not coach Saturday night to be with his ailing father-in-law. . . . Duhon addressed the announced crowd of 17,328 before tipoff. “We promise you we’re going to continue to play hard–with energy every night,” he said. . . . Fans roared when a big-screen monitor cut away to Paul Konerko’s three-run homer in the first inning of Game 4 of the ALCS.
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mxgarcia@tribune.com
