Carlos Boozer isn’t interested in winning over his critics. He’s interested in something else.
“To win,” he said.
The Chicago Bulls figure to do plenty of that, particularly if he keeps playing like this.
Boozer scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Bulls coasted in their home opener, pounding the Memphis Grizzlies 104-64 on Sunday night.
Derrick Rose finished with 16 points even though shots weren’t falling for him in the early going. Ronnie Brewer scored 17 with Richard Hamilton a late scratch because of a groin injury.
The game was so lopsided that fans started calling for backup Brian Scalabrine in the third quarter, with the outcome clearly in hand. It was, easily, the most dominant performance of the young season for a team with soaring expectations.
With their eyes on a championship, Bulls took three of four out West, beating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener and capping the trip with a victory over the Clippers. This time, they dismantled the Grizzlies.
“It’s a major step back,” Memphis’ Rudy Gay said. “This is the NBA. The game definitely shouldn’t have gotten out of hand like that. We’re all professional athletes. We need to come up with a better showing than that.”