Chicago Bulls Ben Gordon will play tonight. Coach Vinny Del Negro made the announcement a few minutes ago after his shooting guard went through his regular pre-game routine.
It should not be a surprise. Gordon made the last big hoop in Game 4, and Game 2 for that matter, and showed no signs of limping.
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How is Bulls backup forward Tim Thomas connected to the Merrimack Valley?
Well, it’s a round-about way, but Thomas, a Patterson, N.J. native, was Seton Hall’s No. 1 recruit in 1996. And Seton Hall’s top recruiter? North Andover resident Greg Herenda, currently the head coach at UMass-Lowell.
Herenda recruited Thomas heavily, along with a point guard named Shaheen Holloway, who played a rival high school but was friends with the future NBA player.
In the end, Holloway chose Seton Hall over Duke University, while Thomas finally chose Villanova, where he stayed for only one year.
“Greg was a great guy,” said Thomas, before last night’s game.
