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Fred Hoiberg Pulling Out All The Stops To Try To Reach Low-Morale Bulls

By Cody Westerlund--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- On the day before his .500 team's 65th game of the season, as he essentially admitted morale has hit a season low, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg attempted a new way to rally a team that's fallen to ninth in the Eastern Conference, a game out of the final playoff spot, and which isn't responding well to foes, adversity or coaching.

Hoiberg showed his Bulls a clip of the rally speech by Bluto, played by actor John Belushi, in the 1978 classic Animal House.

"Nothing is over until we decide it is," Bluto screams at his Delta House fraternity members. "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now."

You could consider this Hoiberg pulling out all the stops. On top of their on-court weaknesses that are exploited, his Bulls are sometimes lifeless, often inconsistent and ever frustrating, and Hoiberg's at wit's end in how to get his team to respond, as evidenced by his bar-room language reference Sunday that translated to his team needing to man up.

Two days after the Bulls' turnover-filled stretch in the fourth quarter turned a one-point game against the Heat into a blowout loss, Hoiberg was still upset by the players' response.

"We were dead," Hoiberg said.

"You could just see our morale continue to go down. We got to find a way to fight through that stuff. That's been a big thing with this team, is fight through the adversity. You have to have it. These last (18) games are crucial in that area. We're going on the road now. We have to get off to a good start, we got to fight through the tough times. We're playing a team that's won 14 of 15 at home and is playing their best basketball of the season. That's a big thing with our group, is finding a way to fight through these tough times right now. We're dealing with a lot of injuries and adversity. You can't feel sorry for yourselves."

It doesn't get any easier yet for Chicago, which plays Toronto on Monday at the Air Canada Centre, where the Raptors are 26-7. The Bulls will do so without All-Star center Pau Gasol, who will miss at least the next two games and likely four or five after experiencing right knee swelling. Point guard Derrick Rose is also listed as doubtful for Monday as he deals with a groin injury, though All-Star wing Jimmy Butler's expected back after missing 14 of the past 15 games with a left knee injury.

Whatever the makeup of the lineup – Hoiberg mentioned Bobby Portis and the little-used Cristiano Felicio should see increased minutes – whether the Bulls can make a playoff push comes back to heart in Hoiberg's mind.

Ten of Chicago's remaining 18 games are on the road. Detroit closes with 11 of 16 at home, though a bevy of those are against quality foes.

"If your spirit gets broken, you have no chance," Hoiberg said. "We got to find a way to deal with it and fight through the tough times and go out and give ourselves a chance. That's all you can ask."

Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.

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