Oh, that Tyson Chandler.
The one the Bulls hoped they had instead of the one wearing a Bulls uniform this season made an impressive appearance Saturday night. The Bulls hope it wasn’t a cameo.
“I feel good right now,” said Chandler, who had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting with 14 rebounds and two blocks. “I feel like I helped my team. Tonight was the first time I felt like the old me. I had energy. I had a little swagger, confidence, talking out there. It felt good out there.”
The result was a 101-89 Bulls victory over the Indiana Pacers. Andres Nocioni came off the bench and led Bulls scoring with 20 points.
Perhaps more importantly, it was a resurrection of sorts for Chandler, the much-maligned big man. He helped the Bulls win here for the first time in 15 games as they dominated the Pacers on the boards 51-35.
“Tyson gave us a great lift,” coach Scott Skiles said. “Maybe his best game of the year. He played a big role, especially the eight offensive boards. We were scrappy. That’s how we have to play.”
Mainly, it was a tougher effort from the Bulls, at least in the little things. Trailing by one at halftime, they broke to a 75-64 lead after three quarters and pulled away. The Bulls hope they also dispelled the aura of defeat and complacency that has plagued the team.
When Jermaine O’Neal did get inside post position, the Bulls would not let him get uncontested dunks and made him shoot free throws. They also turned the Pacers into a jump-shooting team, cutting down the driving angles and pushing the post players out farther as the Pacers shot 38.8 percent.
It was a point of emphasis Skiles said he made when he talked to the team at length after Friday night’s double-overtime loss to the Rockets. Chandler said the talk motivated him.
“The coach definitely said some things that hit home for a lot of people, and we reacted to it,” Chandler said. “He got some things off his chest about getting out and playing hard with your heart and emotion. If not, changes would have to be made.”
It’s a message frequently heard by this Bulls team, but at least against the Pacers it showed in an inspired effort. The Bulls sparked booing when their lead grew to 18 points midway through the fourth quarter.
“Like your parents tell you all the time to quit leaving your clothes on the ground,” Chandler said. “They tell you a thousand times, and one time it finally hits home.”
There were a lot of smiles around the Bulls for a change. Chandler acknowledged after leaving early in Friday’s game that he didn’t expect to start Saturday, even though one of the assistant coaches told him.
“I didn’t know if he was serious,” Chandler said.
But Skiles was, though he made sure everyone knew he was just kidding afterward when asked about it.
“If I answer with humor, print it and say it was with humor,” Skiles said, laughing. “He certainly knew [he was starting]. He can pretty much forget almost everything from one second to the next.” Chandler in fact has seemed like the forgotten man; it was his first double-double since Dec. 2.
Earlier, it had seemed like a repeat of Bulls misery. They trailed by seven after the first quarter, and the normally mild-mannered Luol Deng was ejected for speaking his mind too clearly early in the second quarter in apparent frustration over a lack of foul calls.
Maybe Deng fired up the team, which was greeted by a fire alarm at the arena after the game.
But it was too late. Chandler was on fire during the game.
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sasmith@tribune.com
