Bulls fall to Timberwolves in preseason finale |
CHICAGO - It's never a good thing to enter the regular season without some form of momentum, and right now, the Chicago Bulls don't have that. Already with three preseason losses, including two in a row, Chicago had one final test before things got real as they welcomed the Minnesota Timberwolves to the United Center on Thursday.
Sporting an unbeaten record in the preseason, Minnesota has a ton of confidence right now, and rightfully so. After all, this was one of the more surprising teams in the league last season, and it does appear that things will be even better this season. Even with the Bulls going with what could be their opening night lineup apart from Zach Lavine sitting out, it wasn't enough as the Timberwolves topped the Bulls 114-105 to send the Bulls to 1-4 in the preseason. In what was supposed to be the regular season dress rehearsal, not many starters looked good, which has to be a concern heading into next week. Had it not been for the strong second quarter for the Bulls, they would have been blown out by 20 as Minnesota controlled this game from start to finish. While most of the Bulls starters struggled, Nikola Vucevic didn't, as he led all players in minutes played with 33 and finished with a game-high 21 points. Vooch also added 10 rebounds, which has come to be expected as the Bulls expect huge things from him this season. With Lavine out of the lineup, Ayo Dosunmu was inserted and delivered his best outing of the preseason. Not only did he finish with 15 points, but he did so on a very efficient night shooting, which has to be a positive for him. Coby White also put a bow on a very productive preseason slate for him, adding 13 points to go with six assists. While those were the Bull's big three in terms of points scored, the entire starting lineup scored in double figures for the second straight game. That is something they hope will continue into the regular season as Demar DeRozan (11) and Patrick Williams (10) capped off another great day from the starters. For the Bulls to have any realistic shot to do anything this season, they will need consistent production from their bench, even if the rotation is limited early on. Thursday saw the production the Bulls were hoping for, with Julian Phillips leading the way with nine points. A bit raw in terms of his offensive ability, Phillips is freakishly athletic and put that on display several times, including his massive alley-oop from Dalen Terry. After missing a pair of games with an ankle injury, Alex Caruso returned to the lineup to get some minutes in and gave the Bulls seven points and four assists off the bench. Javon Carter, Torrey Craig, and Onurlap Bitim added five points for Chicago. Unlike the Bulls, who elected to sit their best scorer, Ryan Saunders wanted his big gun to be as ready as possible for the regular as Anthony Edwards put on a first-half clinic to finish with 17 points and led the Timberwolves with 19 points. Throw in the 10 points from Rudy Gobert, and Minnesota had a great starting duo to lean on, but those were the only starters to hit double figures. For the second game in a row, the bench decided this one, as Minnesota featured a far superior bench. Not only did they have one play hit double figures, but four players came off the bench to drop double figures, giving Minnesota six such players. Naz Reid had the best game of them all, as he picked up 14 points in the win while adding eight rebounds. He has been a force off of the bench the past two seasons, and the overall success of the Timberwolves is dependent on that to continue. Along with Reid, you had the former Bull Troy Brown Jr have a night against his former team as he connected on four of his five three-point attempts to finish with 12 points. Jordan McLaughlin and Luka Garza also got in on the action to finish with 11 points as the Bulls searched for answers. Despite the 1-4 preseason record, including a three-game losing streak heading into the regular season, nothing matters as things are about to get real. Even at that, there was a lot of good from the Bulls throughout the preseason, including the health of Lavine. For the first time in several years, Lavine appears to be healthy, and if that is the case, it could be a fun season for him. You also have the emergence of White as the defacto PG 1 right now, while the Bulls showed their improved three-point shooting the first three games before cooling off the last two. Both of these elements will be pivotal to the Bull's success this season as they hope to once again reach the Playoffs for a third straight season.
