Bulls get revenge on the Wizards |
CHICAGO - Slowly but surely, the Chicago Bulls (18-20) are inching closer to the .500 mark. Whether they get to that mark is another story, but this team continues to show they are a better team than what their record shows. Consistency has always been the key for this team, which has again been the case this season, as this is about as inconsistent of a team as one can make.
Coming off an ugly loss to the Washington Wizards (6-30) in their last meeting, the Bulls had a shot at redemption as they welcomed the Wizards to the United Center on Friday. As much as the fans want this team to tank to keep their first-round pick, there are some games you have to have, and this is one of those games where the Bulls need to find ways to win. They took that to heart and more in this one. Chicago opened up a 10-point first-quarter lead and never looked back, as that remained the deficit at the half. The second half, in particular the third quarter, put the game away. The Bulls came out of the locker room on fire to outscore the Wizards 41-24 en route to a dominating 138-105 victory. No one will take this win away from the Bulls, but this is a team they should handle, which is what they did in this one. Zach Lavine continued to play his best ball in over a year, which must be a pleasant sight to every Bulls fan. Lavine has been on a heater over the past two weeks, and with 33 points and five rebounds, he posted his seventh 30-point game in his last 10. Scoring wasn't an issue for the Bulls in this one, as seven players, including four starters, posted double-figure points, which is all you can ask for from your team. Nikola Vucevic backed Lavine with 23 points and 13 rebounds to give Chicago a nice inside-out combo. You also had Coby White picking up 15, with Josh Giddey rounding out the starting lineup with 12 points and 13 boards. Not only did the Bulls starting five produce, but you could make the case that this was the best overall game in production from the Bulls bench. Jalen Smith played a significant role, scoring 15 points and six rebounds, as questions about his role on this team started. Considering that Patrick Williams is doing next to nothing with only two points in this one, I'm not surprised to see Smith inserted into the starting lineup soon, with Williams hitting the bench. Smith wasn't alone in having a solid game off the bench; he was joined by Talen Horton-Tucker and Lonzo Ball, each with 12 points. All 12 of Ball's points came from four triples as the Bulls knocked down 23 triples and shot the Ball just under 47% from deep. A big reason for the Wizards' upset win over the Bulls last time out was the impressive play from Jordan Poole, as he was tough to stop. Although he had another big game, with six made threes and a 22-point night, the Bulls did a great job of toughening up defensively when they had to, as he was their main scoring threat. Although Washington had five players topping 10 points, only two came from the starting five, with Alexandre Sarr finishing with 11 points and 11 boards. When it comes to the Wizards bench, they also put forth a strong showing, but that will happen when you are getting blown out across the board. Kyshawn George (12 points) and Justin Champagnie (11 points) played a role in that, but Jared Butler's play stood out. Not only did he lead the bench in scoring with 18 points, but he did so in just 21 minutes to finish second on the team in scoring. Considering that Kyle Kuzma was held to just five points in the loss, Butler's play was a pleasant surprise for the Wizards, although they have nothing to show for it in the end. Chicago will look to take care of business Sunday against another struggling team as they welcome the Sacramento Kings to the United Center.
