I was talking to Hawks PR man Jason Roose at the Raptors game yesterday, and with all the injuries the team was dealing with, I said, "We are going to need 30 from Bibby to win this game." I was wrong, but only by a day. Bibby strapped his ailing teammates on his shoulders and carried them to victory tonight in a much-needed 105-102 decision over Chicago, scoring 31 points in the process (the most he's had in a Hawks uniform). Missing Al Horford (knee bruise), Marvin Williams (concussion), and Acie Law (thigh contusion) and playing the second of a back-to-back, Bibby's hot shooting kept the Hawks in range throughout before they finally pulled away late.

With the win, the Hawks sweep the season series 3-0 over the Bulls, which marks, amazingly, the first time in franchise history they've managed to accomplish the feat. And while Bibby was the unquestioned star of the show, I'd be remiss not to point out the contributions of Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia as well. Josh Smith continues a recent stretch where he's played much more within his comfort zone, as he put up his second straight double-double (17 points and 14 rebounds) and the third in his last five games, while Pachulia notched a season-high 18 points starting in the pivot.

The Bulls may not be a juggernaut, a .500 team, or even a playoff contender (they should be, but boy are they careless with the basketball), but this still remains a big, big win for the Hawks. With the team struggling of late even when healthy, this is the kind of confidence boost that could really have a positive effect on the squad as they hit the season's halfway point, which they reach at 25-16, their best mark through 41 games since the 1997-98 squad started out 26-15.

The Hawks get a couple days off for some much-needed rest, then begin the second half against the Bucks Friday night at Philips Arena.