Excuse me for not having any direct quotes but 3 things I took away from the interview:

-He mentioned how Hunter tells them about being on the Lakers championship run and what it takes to win.--- Keep that mentoring coming LH, your Lakers stories are no doubt with your million dollar contract

-On the losing troubles of late: They have talent they just aren't playing with enough passion. ----I don't think he meant this as a dig on VDN, but if a coach can't get his players to play with passion...

-And here's why Gar PaxDorf loves him and why he's hard to hate despite limited skills: Asked what his first purchase was with his NBA money (they mentioned former SC teammate Nick Young bought huge earrings) Taj told them he took his little brother and kids from the neighborhood shopping for school supplies.

The Chicago Bulls: where caring happens and winning doesn't

Ben Gordon - 26 min, 7/12 (4/6 from 3) for 22 pts, 2 boards, 1 ast, 2 TO, 4 foul, +21, W

Thabo Sefolosha - 34 min, 3/7 for 8 pts, 5 boards, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 steal, 2 TO, 3 fouls, +12, W

Andres Nocioni - 23 min, 2/7 for 4 pts, 6 boards, 1 TO, 4 fouls, +5, L

LaMarcus Aldridge (last night) - 24 min, 5/10 for 11 pts, 6 board, 1 ast, 4 TO, 5 PF, -7, W

Elton Brand - 31 min, 2/7 for 8 pts. 6 boards, 2 ast, 2 TO, 2 fouls, -4, L

Tyson Chandler - 21 min, 0/5 for 0 pts, 6 boards, 3 TO, 3 fouls, -25, L

Chris Duhon - 32 min, 1/7 for 3 pts, 1 board, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 TO, -26, L

Eddy Curry - DNP

Larry Hughes - DNP!

Roger Mason - 20 min, 5/11 for 11 pts,3 boards, 2 TO, 2 foul, +12, W

and coulda/shoulda/woulda drafted:

DeJuan Blair - 22 min, 7/10 for 14 pts, 11 boards, 3 ast, 2 TO, 4 foul, +12, W.

Taj Gibson better be fricken amazing.

Take Eddy Curry, for instance. Early in the 2006-07 season, Curry was on a tear, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field, averaging more than 20 points per game and even hearing faint whispers about an All-Star Game appearance. Then, in February, the wheels fell off. Crawford went out for the season with an ankle injury, and all Curry's numbers dropped except one: turnovers. Curry was still getting touches, but no one else knew how to get him the ball in spots where he could be successful. Granted, Curry has always had hands of stone, but in April of that season he was up to nearly five turnovers a game.

Needless to say, Crawford, who averages more than four assists per game for his career, was missed.

Simply amazing. I'd say he should quit basketball and do this full time, but come on, Eddy Curry doesn't play basketball

click on picture #29. If Dwight Howard got suspended, I don't see how Rondo can't. But he probably won't be.

[From the FanShots. This is an embarrassing admission by Van Gundy, saying that flagrants should be called differently in close and late games. He's off my coach search list. Or maybe not, since that strategy works for the C's. -ed.]

Van Gundy can be heard via on link on the espn homepage. JVG think it should have been called in the first 3 quarters, but not the 4th. Regardless, he agrees it fits the definition of a flagrant

Answer I wish Del Negro had given: "Getting off to a good start was much more important for me than the team. I'm such a basket case that my dad decided to sit on the bench with me for the playoffs. No, really -- he's right over there. If we win, he said he's going to take me out for ice cream!"

haha

I wasn't able to watch the game and it's had to tell form the clip, but after Wade misses the layup in overtime it appears that Vinny is once again talking smack and getting in his face and Wade brushes him off. Why doesn't he worry about coaching his own players, not yelling at the opponents.