After 161 days, the wait was finally over, and Bulls fans saw their team taking the court for their first preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Not only were Bulls fans happy to see their team play, but Zion Williamson got to play for the first time in 512 days and scored 13 points in 15 minutes.
Zion Williamson was the only Pelicans starter to score in double-digits. C.J. McCollum had 6 points in 14 minutes, and Brandon Ingram did not play. Four players off the bench contributed throughout the game, including Devonte Graham with 21 points in 21 minutes and Jaxson Hayes with 14 points. Will Hernangomez went 6-for-10 from the field resulting in 15 points, and Dyson Daniels struggled, shooting 5-for-15 from the field, but managed to get 15 points.
Slow Start for Chicago
The Bulls didn’t get off the start Bulls fans wanted, with the Pelicans taking an early 13-4 lead. But the Pelicans stayed hot, and Chicago showed no energy on defense except for Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic was active on the defensive end, getting in the lines with two steals and three blocks, including one block against Zion Williamson. The Bulls got Vucevic involved in the post, which is critical to get Vucevic going early in games.
You have to credit the Pelicans, who fought and came out to play, shooting 69% from the field in the first quarter and outscoring Chicago 40-26 in the first quarter. The Pelicans’ ball movement was clean, and they got the open shot by simply driving and kicking out. New Orleans built their lead up to 19 points but finished the first half with a 70-53 lead over Chicago. Another Bulls’ weakness is their interior defense, allowing 32 points in the paint.
Strong Third Quarter for Chicago
Chicago came out of halftime looking like a new squad and got back in the game with a 13-3 run halfway through the third quarter, capped off with an Alex Caruso spin layup and one to cut the lead down to four, 82-78. But when the starters went out of the game after the free throw by Caruso. The Pelicans retook demand of the game with their 8-0 run and got their lead back up to 14 points.
Dalen Terry Shines
The fourth quarter became the Dalen Terry show when he led the Bulls’ comeback alongside Malcolm Hill, who got the Bulls their first lead with a 19-foot jumper with 4:21 left in the game, 115-113. Terry finished the game with 11 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. Right after the Dalen Terry steal that led to the slam dunk, Andre Drummond got ejected (Second Technical Four) for celebrating Terry’s dunk on the court, but weird how he was celebrating next to the Bulls bench, a new rule that got added to the NBA this season. After the ejection, the Pelicans went on a 12-3 run to take a 125-119 run. But after getting the stops late and allowing second chance opportunities, Chicago lost 129-125.
Final Thoughts
Vucevic Strong Game
One of the few positives for the Bulls in their first preseason game was the play of big man Nikola Vucevic. Not only Vucevic got a double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds, but he did the dirty work on defense with two steals and three blocks. Vucevic had only eight games with at least three blocks last season and is expected to be more active on the defensive end. Another positive for the Bulls was the play of Dalen Terry getting to the rim and his energy motivating his teammates to play better; great to see by the 20-year-old.
Zion Williamson is finally back!!
The crazy part about the Pelicans scoring 40 points in the first quarter was how Brandon Ingram wasn’t playing and that starting lineup could be dangerous in the Western Conference. If Zion Williamson can stay on the court, this team could go deep in the postseason. The power of Williamson is real, in good condition, and ready for the season to start.
Up Next
Chicago will face Denver on Friday at the United Center
New Orleans will travel back home to face Detroit on Friday.
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