Earlier today, Lonzo Ball talked to NBC Sports Chicago reporter Rob Schaefer during his Fathers Families and Healthy Communities charity and said he has made significant progress in day-to-day life. But the rehab timeline is still uncertain. Ball has not played since January 14th.
Positives for Ball
Ball has remained positive throughout the process and started lifting weights and shooting. Finally, the guard has a ball in his hand and has done some stationary shooting. That is the most Lonzo Ball has done. But Ball is working every day to recover and be back on the court sometime in the future.
Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 35 games during the 2021-22 season. Lonzo Ball is currently in the second year of his four-year contract with Chicago.
Timeline will be clear once allowed to start running
The key step in the process of Lonzo Ball getting back on the court is running. Once Ball starts running, he will inch closer to a return date. But for now, the Bulls will not have Ball.
Return Date Prediction?
Throughout this bizarre injury rehab for guard Lonzo Ball, there have been reports of him not returning this season. But Ball has made it clear that he wants to play and help Chicago get back in the playoffs. I expect Ball to play this season, but not until March.
Last season, Chicago had a 27-13 record and held the best record in the Eastern Conference before the Ball injury. But after the Ball injury, the Bulls fell to the sixth spot in the Eastern. They finished with a 48-38 record.
Chicago will enter tonight 5.5 games out of the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls will continue their four-game road trip tonight with a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
After allowing season-high 150 points on Sunday against Minnesota, the Chicago Bulls respond with a win over the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, 113-103. Chicago snapped their four-game losing streak, while the Heat got their four-game winning streak snapped. The Bulls will enter December 21st 0.5 games out of the last play-in spot with a 12-18 record. Miami will fall to 16-16.
Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with team-high 29 points missing only four out of 17 shot attempts and getting 12 rebounds. Demar DeRozan scored 24 points, missing five shots. Coby White struggled shooting but managed to get 14 points.
Chicago’s big three of Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic combined to shoot 65.9% from the field. Vucevic (109.1) and Lavine (113) were top four in defensive ratings. The ratings might not tell much, but if you watched the game Tuesday night, you saw improvement from Sunday.
Lavine responds to call out by teammates
Zach Lavine got called out during halftime and after Sunday night’s matchup by his teammates against the Timberwolves for his poor defensive rotations. He responded quickly with 11 first-quarter points to help Chicago get a double-digit lead. Also, Lavine helped out by forcing four Miami turnovers and rotating to the correct players.
Lavine finished the game with 21 points and seven assists. That includes eight of the 11 points coming during a 13-4 run. Also, he had the best plus/minus on the Bulls with +21. Lavine’s defense improved, and his rotations were better, but the question is, will he give his 100% effort on the defensive end every game?
Heat strong second quarter
During the second quarter, Miami went on a 17-4 run led by Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson. Those three guys combined to score 26 of the Heat’s 36 second quarter, missing only two out of 12 shot attempts. The Heat couldn’t stay hot in the second half against the Bulls, shooting 43.2% from the field. At the same time, they allowed the Bulls to shoot 59%.
Bam Adebayo got his fourth consecutive double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Adebayo has scored at least 20 points in six of the last eight games. Tyler Herro got 19 points and seven assists but struggled, shooting 7-for-16 from the field. Jimmy Butler’s replacement, Victor Oladipo, scored 14 points, only making 4 out of 13 shot attempts. Duncan Robinson added 13 points off the bench for Miami.
Phrase of the night
“Free Cheese”
Like what Chicago Bulls announcer Stacy King says, Free Cheese refers to Nikola Vucevic taking advantage of mismatches in the post. That is by far the biggest strength of this Bulls team because once Vucevic got going, everybody else got involved.
Chicago went away from Vucevic during the second quarter, which allowed the Heat to go on their huge run to get back in the game. But during the second half, Miami started sending double-team, which helped the Bulls make 15 threes and take a double-digit lead. Lavine and Vucevic each made three threes, team-high. The question is whether the Bulls will continue to feed Vucevic in the post to kick-start their offense.
Up Next
Chicago will continue road trip with matchup against Atlanta later today (Wednesday).
The Chicago Bulls have signed guard Carlik Jones to a Two-Way Contract and have waived forward Kostas Antetokounmpo. Jones and Malcolm Hill are now the only Bulls players with Two-Way Contracts. Being on a Two-Way Contract means you can play in the NBA and G League. But they can not play during the NBA Postseason.
Jones, 24, has appeared in five NBA games. After going undrafted in the 2021 draft, he signed a training camp deal with the Dallas Mavericks. That comes after playing with the Mavericks during the 2021 Summer League. He averaged 14.2 points and 3.6 assists in five games.
After training camp, he signed with the Texas Legends, Dallas Mavericks G League Team. With their G League team, Texas Legends, he averaged 20.9 points and 6.8 assists. That landed him a 10-day contract with the Mavericks, but he was limited to three games with the Dallas Mavericks in 2020-21, averaging 0.7 points and one rebound.
On January 1st, 2021, he signed his second 10-day deal, but this time with the Denver Nuggets (2021-22). But he continued to play with the Texas Legends. During the 2022 Summer League, he got the chance to play with the Chicago Bulls. During those five Vegas games, he averaged 11.6 points and 6.2 assists. On October 22nd, he got traded to the Windy City Bulls.
Yes, Carlik Jones has had a massive role in the Windy City Bulls, who currently have a 9-5 record. Jones is averaging 20.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in 14 games. He is shooting 52.9% from the field and 42.4% from three. After 14 games, Jones deserves the two-way contract over Kostas Antetokounmpo. However, Kostas has shown potential averaging 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds but has revealed why he is not in the NBA. He is not constant from three and takes questionable shots and his interior defense. But he still has lots of time to improve his game. Kostas will get the chance to continue playing, but for now, expect Carlik Jones to have a more significant role on the Windy City Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls lose their second consecutive game that has gone into OT, this time losing against the New York Knicks, 128-120. New York has won their fifth straight game and sits with a top-six record in the East, 15-13. Chicago will fall to 11-16 but are 1.5 games out of the last play-in spot.
Julius Randle got team-high 31 points and 13 rebounds. Randle has scored 30+ in two out of his last three games. Jalen Brunson got season-high 30 points and seven assists, including one late three-pointer in OT. R.J. Barrett and Quentin Grimes contributed with four threes each. Barrett finished with 23 points, fouled out with 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and Grimes got 14 points.
DeMar DeRozan dropped 32 points, half of which came from the free-throw line. Zach Lavine scored 25 points on 23 shots, going 2-for-8 from deep. Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and seven rebounds.
Miles McBride Spark Knicks (2nd Quarter)
The Knicks got hot after a cold first quarter, shooting 72.% from the field, missing only five shots. New York built their first double-digit lead with a couple of Miles McBridge threes to go up by 11, 42-31. A Brunson lay-up with 4:58 left during the second quarter gave New York their biggest lead of the night at 14, 55-41. Brunson scored 10 points during the second quarter. Chicago managed to cut the lead down to nine by halftime. The Bulls often got Vucevic involved in the post, which led to 11 first-half points for Vucevic. But Lavine and DeRozan combined to go 5-for-16 during the first half.
Defense helps Bulls get offense cooking (3rd Quarter)
Even though the Knicks shot 52.6% from the field and 55.6% from deep, the Bulls’ defense got back in the game. The Bulls went on a 10-0 run started by a Lavine three-pointer. A few possessions later, a Vucevic dunk got Chicago their first lead of the night at 77-76. During the second half, the Bulls caused five turnovers, leading to six points for Chicago. But those six points sparked Chicago’s defense. Three of the five turnovers got forced by the excellent defense of Alex Caruso. Caruso got three steals during the third quarter.
Late surge get Chicago to OT
Jalen Brunson hit a floater to extend their lead to five with 2:34 remaining in the game, 114-109. After a couple of DeRozan free throws, Billy Donavon won their coach’s challenge to save the game; if the challenge was not overturned, that would have given Randle two free throws. Instead, DeRozan got two more free throws, but Grimes hit his fourth three of the game to get the lead back to four, 117-113. Next Bulls possession, DeRozan hit two free throws once again. Patrick Williams got a clutch block, which turned into a DeRozan lay-up to tie the game at 117. Julius Randle got the chance to win the game but failed by a tough shot against Patrick Williams. With 0.7 left, Williams was close to getting his first career game-winner but missed; it could have been a foul called on Randle. In 2:34 of regulation, Chicago went on an 8-3 run to force OT.
You think the Bulls learned their lesson from Sunday night’s loss, ending heartbreakingly against the Hawks in OT. But the Bulls managed to score only three points during OT. Those three points came by a DeRozan field goal to tie the game at 119 and Lavine’s free throw with 27.2 seconds left. Chicago finished the OT shooting 1-for-7 from the field, with three missed shots coming from deep. After being up 122-119, Brunson and McBride hit threes on back-to-back possessions to seal the deal and send Chicago back to the drawing board. Brunson scored seven points during OT.
Final Thoughts
Another Close Loss
This season’s problem has been about something other than not getting blown out against teams. Chicago’s issues have been with losing close games. Chicago held the lead during the fourth quarter in their last four losses. Shot selections late in the game have been the victim for Lavine and Vucevic. Both guys can be aggressive but choose to result with their three-point shooting. The good news for Chicago is they still have time to fix their issues, but time is running out, especially with the latest news about Lonzo Ball.
Three Point Shooting helps New York
After shooting 8-for-35 against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, they responded by making 18 threes. That is the second most this season for the Knicks. With no Derrick Rose or Evan Fournier, the New York Knicks find themselves in the top half of the East.
Up Next
Both teams will meet again at the United Center on Friday.
The Chicago Bulls lost another close game, this time at the buzzer in OT by Hawks forward A.J. Griffin’s 6-footer on an ally-op pass with 0.5 seconds remaining. Griffin’s buzzer-beater was his second overtime buzzer-beater of his rookie season, the first coming in a 124-122 win over Toronto on November 19th. Atlanta snaps their three-game losing streak and becomes one game above .500 with a 14-13 record. Chicago falls to 11-15 and is one game out of the 10th spot in the East.
Chicago had a couple of massive opportunities to escape Atlanta with a win during regulation and OT. Even though Trae Young had an off night, shooting 5-for-18 from the field, Young hit the mid-range shot with 1 second left to give the Hawks a 121-119 lead in OT. Also, Young hit a significant three-pointer to go up 110-107 with 50.6 seconds left in regulation.
DeMar DeRozan got fouled on a three-pointer attempt and made all three free throws to get the lead back with one second left in OT. He missed a layup that would’ve given Chicago a one-point lead with 16.5 seconds remaining. During regulation, Derrick Jones Jr had the chance to win the game with two free throws but missed the second free throw, which caused OT. DeRozan finished the game with 34 points and 13 rebounds.
Chicago cool off until hot night
The Bulls cooled off from scoring a season-high 144 points and shooting 63.5% in a much-needed win over Dallas; Chicago shot 48% from the field and 28.9% from three. Zach Lavine scored 21 points. Nikola Vucevic added 13 points and eight rebounds. Chicago’s bench helped get the Bulls back in the game.
Andre Drummond got 14 points, nine rebounds, and five steals. Even though Coby White went 4-for-12 from the field, he scored a clutch three in OT to tie the game at 119. But White easily allowed Trae Young to take the lead on the next possession. Chicago finished the game with 44 bench points, and Atlanta’s bench scored 49.
Bogdanovic keeps Hawks in control of lead
After missing the first 22 games of the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury, Bogdan Bogdanovic has found his groove by scoring at least 28 points in the last two games. Against the Bulls, he scored 28 points and five assists off the bench for the Hawks. Onyeka Okongwu was the other bench scorer to score in double-digits with 14 points.
Final Thoughts
Another close game resulting in a loss
The Bulls have always seemed to make almost every game close and scare their fans. Chicago had a great chance of winning against one of the teams in the mix for a top-six record in the East. But the Bulls lose another close game and become 3-9 in clutch games. Chicago will have two games at home on Wednesday and Friday before returning to the road.
Hawks get key win without Murray
Atlanta gets back on track with this vast win without young star Dejounte Murray. Murray will likely be out for another week or two until he returns. Bogdanovic is getting hot at the right time after the chaos last week with Trae Young. The Hawks will play their second game of back-to-back games, just like the Bulls, with a matchup against Memphis. Atlanta currently has the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Up Next
Chicago will host New York on Wednesday.
Atlanta will travel to Memphis later today (Monday)
These will meet again on December 21st in Atlanta.
(Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Chicago Bulls get their second straight win in blowout fashion over the Dallas Mavericks 144-115. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with team-high 28 points and nine rebounds. Nikola Vucevic scored 20 points and eight rebounds. Zach Lavine added 16 points. Chicago’s big three of DeRozan, Lavine, and Vucevic each shot at least 60% from the field.
With Luka Doncic not being available due to a quad strain and playing a doubleheader within 24 hours, Dallas did not have a chance against Chicago. The Mavericks fall to 0-2 without Doncic in the lineup. Spencer Dinwiddle kept the Mavericks in the game and cut an early Bulls lead to ten at the end of the first quarter. Dinwiddle finished the game with 27 points.
Christian Wood almost got a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr struggled, shooting 4-for-13 from the field, which resulted in 13 points. JaVale McGee scored 18 points and made his three-pointer of the season. Mavericks rookie Jaden Hardy got 15 points in 22 minutes.
Former All-Star Kemba Walker, trying to make an NBA comeback, scored eight points and five assists. Before signing with the Mavericks, Walker dealt with knee injuries that kept him out of the league.
Bulls smoking hot fire first half
After barely beating a Washington Wizards team without Bradley Beal, Chicago sent a message against the Mavericks with an 18-4 run to start the game. The Bulls dropped a whopping season-high 40 points during the first quarter. Dallas managed to still stick around by Dinwiddie’s 15 first-quarter points.
When you thought the Bulls wouldn’t score 40 points in a quarter ever again, Chicago managed to score 43 points during the second quarter. The Bulls started the second quarter with a 26-6 run and got their lead up to 31 points.
One stat that can explain the Bulls’ domination during the second quarter was Dallas made seven shots (23 shot attempts), and Chicago missed only six shots. Chicago made 15 out of 21 shots. DeRozan led the way by getting 13 of his 28 points during the second quarter.
Dallas managed to win the third quarter battle, 32-31, but the damage was already done. With the Bulls looking ahead to the second game within 24 hours, more bench players got more minutes than expected. Derrick Jones Jr scored season-high 16 points, and Ayo Dosunmu got 17 points off the bench. Andre Drummond got 14 points and seven rebounds. The Bulls would finish the game with 63 bench points, while Dallas had 49.
Bulls set new season-highs
Do not expect Chicago to explode for 144 points, but let’s enjoy the moment and look at the potential if everybody gets hot for one night. The Bulls set the following new season-highs:
40 First Quarter Points
42 Second Quarter
82 First Half Points (Franchise Record)
19 Three Pointers Made
144 Points
63.5% shooting percentage
Alex Caruso Injury Update
The only starter for Chicago that did not score in double-digits was Alex Caruso, who left the game during the first quarter with a tailbone contusion. He finished the game with one point in six minutes. According to head coach Billy Donovan, Caruso will not make the trip to Atlanta tomorrow.
Final Thoughts
Bulls get hot at the right time
After struggling on the west coast, questions got asked about the big three’s future in Chicago. But now they got two straight wins at the United Center. Everything went the Bulls’ way, and they broke some records while winning by as much as 33 points against the Mavericks. With this win over the Mavericks, Chicago is now 11-14. The Bulls will have a great chance of getting back to .500 next week, with tomorrow against the Hawks without Dejounte Murray and facing the Knicks twice (Wednesday and Friday).
Mavericks catch bad break with schedule
The Mavericks get a day off before starting a three-game homestand on Monday. Dallas decided to rest their superstar Luka Doncic after playing with less than 24 hours to prepare for their matchup against the Bulls. Dallas arrived at their hotel in Chicago at 4 AM after losing a close game against the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Dallas will fall to 13-13.
The Chicago Bulls get back in the win column, snapping their three-game losing streak with a 115-111 win over the Washington Wizards. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with team-high 27 points; 15 of his 27 points came during the fourth quarter. Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic each contributed 25 points each. Lavine has shot at least 40% from the field in the last four games.
Kristaps Porzingis led the Wizards with 28 points and nine rebounds, 16 of his 28 coming from the free throw line. Kyle Kuzma scored 21 points and five rebounds. Bradley Beal’s replacement, Gonzaga product Corey Kispert scored 10 points. Kispert did not play in the first matchup between these teams earlier this season.
Turnovers keep Washington in the game
After the game’s first eight minutes, Chicago took an earlier 23-13 lead and looked to take care of business. But the Wizards got back in the game during the second quarter due to nine second-quarter Bulls turnovers. That led to 12 points off of those nine turnovers.
Turnovers hurt the Bulls even though they shot 52% during the second quarter. At the same time, Washington shot 2-for-15 from three. What became a double-digit lead turned into a three-point game at halftime, 52-49.
During the third quarter, a Deni Avdija Running Dunk gave the Wizards their first lead of the game, 64-63. Both teams went back and forth with five ties, and each team’s biggest lead was six during the first 12 minutes of the second half. Through the first three quarters, Chicago committed 16 turnovers, which led to 26 points on the other end for Washington.
Bulls Big 3 lift Chicago to victory
A tiny 7-2 Wizards run tied their biggest lead of the night at six, 90-84. Chicago responded quickly with a Derrick Jones Jr dunk and two DeRozan-made shots. After the Jones dunk, the big three of Lavine, DeRozan, and Vucevic scored the rest of the Bulls’ points. Zach Lavine managed to hit three threes in three straight possessions. Vucevic added another three-pointer to take a 102-101 lead.
After a Vucevic post-hook shot, Chicago would not give the lead back to the Wizards during the rest of the 2:50 left. During the next possession, Vucevic blocked a shot that led to a jumper by DeRozan on the other end. After Kristaps Porzingis missed a potential game-tying three, DeRozan had a three-point play to put Chicago ahead 111-105 with 1:43 left. Lavine and DeRozan hit clutch free throws with under nine seconds left to get Chicago their first win of December.
During the fourth quarter, DeRozan and Lavine scored 28 points combined. Vucevic got five points and two significant offensive rebounds. Chicago shot 4-for-6 from deep during the fourth quarter.
Final Thoughts
Bulls get much needed win
Chicago found their swag again, snapping their losing streak and getting a must needed win. The Bulls still have more work to do at 10-14 and will face a tough Dallas squad on Saturday. Winning this game will help build a winning streak. But the Mavericks will be a challenging game, but they will be playing in the second half of back-to-back games. On Friday, Dallas will face Milwaukee.
Wizards miss Bradley Beal
With Bradley Beal being out due to a right hamstring injury, the Wizards couldn’t find consistency from deep, going 9-for-31 as a team. Beal will be out for another week. Washington will now have lost four straight games. The schedule does not get any easier with upcoming matchups against the Pacers on Friday and at home on Saturday against the Clippers.
The Chicago Bulls have headed in the wrong direction by losing three straight games and currently have a 9-14 record. There have been rumors of the Bulls looking to start over, trading their big three, and rebuilding. The month of December has gotten off to a rough start for Chicago, with losses against the Warriors and Kings. But there is still some optimism that the Bulls can turn around their season and finish with a top-six record in a tough Eastern Conference.
Wins against the best in the East
When you look at the Chicago Bulls, all you see is the 14 losses, but 1/3 of their wins have come against Boston and Milwaukee. The Bulls defeated the Celtics twice at the United Center 120-102 on October 24th and 121-107 on November 21st.
Chicago started their six-game road trip with a 118-113 over Milwaukee. These wins have proven that the Bulls can play with the best and win against the best. But they have also lost close games against the best, including games against the Warriors and 76ers. It’s all about consistency and playing Chicago Bulls basketball for 48 minutes.
Easy December Schedule
After dealing with the west coast trip, the Bulls get rewarded with an easy December schedule. Chicago will play four of their next five games at home. The next time Chicago faces a serious contender is on December 28th, they face the Milwaukee Bucks. If the Bulls can start a winning streak at home in front of their fans, they can find themselves back in the pack of the Eastern Conference.
Lonzo Ball Return News
Chicago Bulls fans and America miss Lonzo Ball being on the court. He has not seen the court since January 14th and has been out due to a knee injury that required surgery. An injury that went from being out for 6-8 weeks to not seeing the court in 11 months. Ball has been seen working out lately at the Bulls training facility but has not done any on-court action. According to head coach Billy Donavon, he is still experiencing pain but has seen improvement. Towards the end of December, Chicago fans should know when Ball will return or if he will not play this season.
With Lonzo Ball in the lineup, Chicago has looked better overall on both sides of the court. Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 35 games during the 2021-22 season. If Chicago can get a 100% healthy Lonzo Ball back, this team’s stock will rise, and losses will become wins.
According to the Bulls’ public relations staff, the Chicago Bulls gave head coach Billy Donovan signed a contract extension before the 2022-23 season. Donovan is currently in the third year of his four-year contract. The amount of years given to coach Donavon is unclear but is reported to be multiple years.
Since being hired in 2020, Billy Donovan has led the Bulls to a 86-88 record and dealt with a quick rebuild. After going 31-41 in his first season, he managed to coach a team that made the playoffs for the first time since 2017 during the 2021-22 season. That 2022-23 Chicago had a 41-31 and won only won playoff game against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first round of the 2022 Playoffs. So far, during the 2022-23 season, he has led the Bulls to a 9-11 record and is currently outside the playoffs if the postseason started today.
Good Move for Chicago?
Bulls fans, myself included, have been harsh on Donovan for his lack of coaching adjustments and questionable rotations at times. One easy rotation example is the home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season. During the second quarter, Donovan decided to sit down Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan on the bench. That resulted in Cleveland taking a double-digit lead, and Chicago would go on to lose by 30 points. When Chicago lost five out of six games, many questioned if Billy Donovan’s time was up in Chicago. But for now, he will be in Chicago for a while.
But on the bright side, he has made the correct adjustments against other good Eastern Conference contenders, Boston, Miami, and Milwaukee. Chicago has a 4-1 record against those top three seeds from the 2022 Playoffs. Another reason for extending Donovan could be a lack of possible good coaches available after the 2023-24 season. But this move surprised many people but was not surprising to the Bulls’ management and ownership.
This extension was an award in a way for one postseason win and loss in the series, including two blowout losses at the United Center. This move will only become smart if they can turn things around and get to the second round of the 2023 playoffs, which seems impossible with the bad losses so far this season.
Lonzo Ball back in 2023?
Bulls fans finally get some news about the status of Lonzo Ball. Ball has not played since January 14th. According to Chicago Sports Reporter Daniel Greenberg, the Chicago Bulls and Lonzo Ball continue to hope Lonzo will return at some point after the year becomes 2023. During the 2021-22 season, Chicago had a record of 22-13 with Lonzo Ball in the lineup. But the Bulls had a 24-23 record without Lonzo Ball Last season; Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 35 games.
The Chicago Bulls continue their west coast trip led by DeMar DeRozan, who had 26 points in a 114-107 win over the Utah Jazz. Even though Zach Lavine struggled from three, going 1-for-6, he added 20 points. Lavine contributed with six rebounds and five assists for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic got himself another double-double with 16 points and ten rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen Hot First Half
The Utah Jazz have been one of the biggest surprising teams so far this season due to their new star of Lauri Markkanen. He got hot early against his old team with two early threes within the first two minutes of the game. Markkanen made his presence known especially when he helped Utah go on an 10-0 run in the second quarter to take control of the game. He got into the paint whenever he wanted to and hit shots from deep. He finished the second quarter with a perfect 5-for-5, resulting in 13 points. Utah’s biggest lead of the second quarter was 12 points.
The former Bulls’ 2017 first-round pick, Lauri Markkanen, finished the game with 32 points and nine rebounds, 23 of his points came during the first half. Kelly Olynyk scored all of his 23 points in the second half to keep the Jazz alive. Collin Sexton added 17 points and six assists.
Turning point for Chicago
The Bulls managed to stay in the game in the third quarter. But the momentum for Chicago changed when Kelly Olynyk committed a flagrant one foul on DeMar DeRozan, which resulted in two free throws for DeRozan and possession. At the time of this foul, Utah was up 73-68. Chicago would proceed to go on a 15-4 run to take back the lead. The three significant contributors during the 15-4 run were DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, and Alex Caruso Caruso. White finished the game with 15 points, and Caruso added five and got six rebounds.
Once the fourth quarter occurred, the Bulls went on an 8-2 run led by Coby White and Andre Drummond. Utah managed to cut the lead down to three. But after a clear path foul in favor of Chicago, they held the lead for the rest of the game. Andre Drummond finished the game with a double-double of ten points and ten rebounds. The Bulls bench outscored the Jazz bench 38-18, and Chicago won the points in the paint battle, 64-44.
Final Thoughts
Bulls get tough win in Utah
After a frustrating loss on Friday, Chicago responded with a fight against Utah. The Bulls got their first win in Salt Lake City since 2016. The west coast trip record should be 3-0, but it is 2-1 and have good wins against teams who have played well at home. Utah and Milwaukee combine to have a 17-5 record in their home arenas. Chicago will continue to face tough teams, with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday and the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
Utah getting cold after great start to season
After starting the season, 12-6, the Jazz have lost five straight games. The future core has gotten found with Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen. But has the tanking begun for Utah? The schedule will get more challenging with facing the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Utah will not face a team below .500 until December 9th when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently have a record of 10-11.
Three Point Shooting helps New York
Daily Bulls 