Bulls bounce back to top Clippers |
LOS ANGELES - The hits keep coming for the Chicago Bulls (19-25), or in this case, the injuries keep piling up. Granted, this team has been healthy for the most part, they are starting to see some of their key pieces missing time, with Coby White (ankle) and Ayo Dosunmu (calf) out for Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers (24-18).
Los Angeles is a hard enough team to beat when you're healthy, but the task is much more challenging when one of your better scorers is out and a key piece to your rotation. Fortunately for Chicago, Los Angeles was also missing some pieces, as Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac were both missing for the Clippers. Throw in a stretch where this team is playing five games in seven days, and you could see the fatigue setting in as the Bulls used a massive third quarter to seize control before picking up the 112-99 win. Considering how they played against Portland the night before, this was a massive win for Chicago. However, it was a rare Eastern Conference loss for the Clippers, as this was just their second loss to an Eastern Conference team all year. It's no secret that the Bulls are struggling right now, as the NBA leaders in pace haven't played at the pace they would like to. That all changed in the first quarter, as the Bulls not only played with pace but also used a strong defensive performance to hold the Clippers to 18 points and led 25-18 after one. Josh Giddey played a significant role in rebounding from his scoreless night the previous game to finish with 18 points and 10 boards and come one assist shy of posting another triple-double. Once the second quarter began, the Bulls began to exhibit one of their patented shooting slumps, shooting just 34% in the first half and under 30% for the quarter. That allowed the Clippers to surge back in front, as James Harden scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half to get the offense rolling. His teammates got involved, giving Los Angeles the 50-48 lead at the half. In the third, the Bulls came out strong and put the game away, as they couldn't do anything wrong in the opening minutes. Whether it be the offensive showing of Zach Lavine, who put the team on his back in the second half to finish with a game-high 35 points or another tremendous defensive effort, it was all Chicago as they outscored Los Angeles 36-16 in the third to take an 18-point lead before finishing things off in the fourth. Lavine has been on quite a roll in recent weeks. He has dropped 10 30-point games over his last 14 games and is looking the best he has looked in quite some time. It does help when you get plenty of contributions across the board, with Giddey posting his double-double and Nikola Vucevic coming away with 14 points, but let's not forget about Talen Horton-Tucker, who played a massive role in the Bulls' second-half success. Not only did Tucker lead the Bulls bench with 18 points, but he finished second on the team in scoring, with most of that production coming in the second half. With Lonzo Ball and Patrick Williams combining for just 13 points in the starting lineup and Dosunmu out of action, Chicago needed someone to step up, and Tucker was that man for the Bulls. Given that Leonard has only played in five games this season, it's impressive to see the Clippers where they are in the standings. Tyronne Lue, one of the best coaches in the game, can be credited with that. Norman Powell, who plays like Leonard and has led the team in scoring all season, is a big reason why this team has survived Leonard's absence. That continued last night as Powell settled in during the second quarter and scored a team-high 27 points. Add in the Harden double-double and five players topping double figures, and it's hard to believe that this team was held to under 100 points for the 10th time this season. Even with five players hitting double figures, only two reached 15 points, which is why the Bulls were able to pick up this win. Former Bull Derrick Jones Jr. added 12 points, as did Terance Mann off the bench. The Clippers also saw Mo Bamba pick up 10 points and seven boards instead of Zubac, but it wasn't enough to take down the Bulls in this one.
Coming off their worst season loss to the Westchester Knicks (8-4) on Saturday, these same teams were back in action on Monday as the Windy City Bulls (5-6) were looking for the split at NOW Arena. It's hard enough to beat the Knicks on any night, but this team is undefeated away from home, making things more challenging. Despite another strong showing from Jordan Hall and his season-high 29 points off the bench, the Knicks were finding a way to get it done again as they took down the Bulls 110-105 in OT. Hall has been coming into his own the past month, and with another strong showing backed by a massive shooting night, expect him to get more time on the court. Hall wasn't alone in having a big game, as seven different Bulls recorded double-figure outputs, including all five starters. None of the starters had break-out games, but Adama Sanogo and Emmanuel Miller led the way with 14. Sanogo added 13 rebounds as he continues to play well despite not playing as well as last season. Alex Schumacher and Marcus Domask added 11 points, and EJ Liddell rounded out the starters with 10. David Muoka also had 10 points off the bench to round out the Bulls' production. The Knicks deserve a ton of credit for not only their success this season but also for the success they have had on the road. Winning is never easy on the road, but having a trio of 20-plus point performances makes life much easier. Donovan Williams led the Knicks with 27 points, and Chuma Okeke added 25 points while picking up 13 boards. Westchester also saw Jamal Bey deliver off the bench with 23 points, as those were the main contributors for the Knicks. Damion Baugh (17 points and nine assists) and Boo Blue (11 points) closed out the scoring for the Knicks.WINDY CITY FALLS TO WESTCHESTER IN OT
