Bulls fall flat against Pacers |
INDIANAPOLIS—Just when it looked like the Chicago Bulls (17-20) were starting to gain momentum, they laid an egg against a Central division foe. This time, it came against the Indiana Pacers (20-18) at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, an all-too-familiar reminder that this team is nowhere near good enough to be taken seriously in this league.
As if scoring 18 points in the first quarter to trail 29-18 wasn't bad enough, Chicago was trailing by 19 at the half and searching for answers. Those answers were nowhere to be found most of the night as Indiana opened up a 94-60 lead at one point and turned this game into an absolute laugher. Chicago did manage to make a bit of a run in the fourth, but that came after the Pacers pulled most of their starters and took it easy as they cruised to a 129-113 win over the Bulls. Not much went right for the Bulls, especially when you look at their overall production across the board, but don't tell that to Zach Lavine, who continues to play well. Whether this is his last season or even his last few weeks in Chicago, Lavine is playing like someone who wants to remain here beyond this season. He led Chicago with 31 points and has now scored 30 or more in four of his last six games. He was the only Bulls player to top the 20-point threshold, as the consistent offense was tough to come by. Coby White struggled a bit from deep in this one, but with 19 points and five assists, he did manage to, at the very least, give Chicago a little bit of balance across the board. Apart from that, there wasn't much excitement for the Bulls as Jalen Smith finished third on the Bulls with 13 points off the bench and added seven rebounds against his former team. Another player who continues to hear his name in trade talks and has heard his name more than Lavine is the big man Nikola Vucevic. Vooch has been a walking double-double for the most part this season, but with 10 points and seven rebounds, this was one of his worst showings. Throw in nine points from Josh Giddey and a putrid two-point effort from Williams, and the Bulls offense was outmatched in this one as the Pacers grabbed the lead early before burying them. When you look back at the 2020 NBA draft, the biggest bust of that entire class could be Williams, who was taken No. 4 overall by the Bulls. If Chicago had the opportunity to do it all over again, Tyrese Haliburton would be their guy, as he has turned into a star. Although he didn't have his best night on the floor, 16 points, he continues to be the engine of the Pacers offense as he dished out 13 assists. Anytime you have a player capable of sharing the ball as he can, it does make life easier for everyone involved, including Pascal Siakam, who led the Pacers with 26 points. Thomas Bryant joined Siakam in 20-point games, finishing with 22 points and eight rebounds. Those were three of the six players to reach double figures for Indiana, including three of four starters, with Andrew Nembhard rounding out the starting five with 14 points. Not only did Indiana find success from their starting five, but their second unit also had success, as this was a bad night for the Bulls. Sure, Smith led all second-unit scorers with 13 points, but when you two players in, Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker, each finish with 12 points, it becomes one of those games where you want to throw it in the trash. Although the Bulls have done a much better job of not having those games lately, they have still had far too many games climbing out from massive deficits, which will eventually catch up to them. The Bulls still have a chance to make up some ground as they will take on the Washington Wizards on Friday, hoping to pick up some revenge from last week's defeat.
