Bulls lose high-scoring affair against Grizzlies |
CHICAGO - Just when it looks like the Chicago Bulls (7-11) are about to turn the corner after a big win, they return to their old ways and take a giant step back. Playing their third of four back-to-backs in the month of November could be a reason for that, but the Bulls weren't at their best on Saturday as they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies 142-131 at the United Center.
Anytime you can score 131 points in a game, you have to find ways to win, but the Bulls' defense has been a liability most of the season, and that trend continues in this one. Had it not been for the first quarter where the Bulls only scored 22 points offensively, they managed to match the Grizzlies point for point most of the game, but trailing by eight after one didn't make things easy. Chicago found a way to pull within four at the half and tried their best to keep things close to start the third, but after falling behind by double digits, it was too much for the Bulls to overcome. Once again, the three-point shot was the biggest key to the Bulls' success, as they knocked down 19 triples for the second straight night. 11 of those 19 came from the Bulls starters, including a team-high three triples from Zach Lavine, who also led the Bulls in scoring with 29 points. Lavine has gotten off to a much better start than people expected him to and should, at the very least, have a vastly improved trade market this season should it get to that point. Joining Lavine in having a big game was another player also expected to have a market at the deadline in big man Nikola Vucevic. Vooch had the hot hand most of the first half before calling off in the second, but still managed to add 26 points and eight boards. Unlike Friday where every Bulls starter had at least 18 points, these were the only two players to top 15 points and that is a concern when trying to win games. Josh Giddey added 12 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists as he was battling for his first Chicago Bulls triple-double. You also had Coby White finish with 11 points, as he was the final Bulls starter to land in double figures for Chicago. For the Bulls to even have a shot at exceeding expectations this season, they will need more consistent production off the bench. That has been happening the last few games, and that continued in this one. Rookie Matas Buzelis had his best game as a pro, with 14 points, while putting on a clinic in the first half. Chicago native Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in with 10 points for one of his better showings in a while, but that was it when you look at the production from the Bulls. As mentioned above, a big reason for the Bulls victory on Friday was a balanced scoring attack that saw all five starters land in double figures. Not only did Memphis do that, but they did so in dominating fashion as familiar name had a massive game. After his dad won six rings with the Bulls during the '90s, Scotty Pippen Jr relished playing in the building his dad called home and went out to have one of the best games of his career. Pippen JR led all scorers with 30 points and dished out 10 assists. With Ja Morant still out, Pippen Jr will see an increase in minutes, and the Grizzlies need him to play this way. Joining Pippen Jr in having a big game was Jaylon Wells, who dropped 26 points and connected on six triples. Jaren Jackson Jr had a bit of a down night shooting the ball, but still finished with 23 points as that trio gave the Bulls fits. Even if those were the only three guys to come away with 20 points, the Grizzlies still saw four more players drop double figures as Chicago didn't have any answers. Desmond Bane added 13 points, with Brandon Clarke chipping in with 12 points and eight boards to round out the starting five. Going to the bench and the scoring production continued for Memphis with Jay Huff knocking down all three of his triples to finish with 14 points. Throw in a pair of 10-point performances from Luke Kinnard and Santi Aldama, and the Grizzlies' balanced attack proved to be far too much for the Bulls. Aldama also pulled eight rebounds as he continued putting up big numbers off the bench.
HERD DROP THE BULLS FOR FIRST WIN
In what was a long time coming for the Wisconsin Herd (1-5), they ended their losing streak on Saturday as they topped the Windy City Bulls (2-6) 86-77. This was an extremely frustrating game for Windy City as they were about as good defensively as you can be, but it was a rough shooting night that ultimately did them in.
Windy City didn't have many standout performers, but Javon Freeman-Liberty had the best showing, leading the Bulls with 19 points and pulling down 13 boards. Going toe to toe with him in the points was Ben Coupet Jr, who dropped a season-high 17 points to give the Bulls a solid 1-2 punch. Those were the only two starters to finish in double figures, with Jalen Thomas adding 10 points and 12 boards off the bench to round out the production for Windy City.
Wisconsin was led by James Akinjo, who paced the scoring for both sides with 25 points. Akinjo had one of the best all-around games of the season for the Herd, dished out 11 assists, and pulled down 10 boards for an impressive triple-double. Like the Bulls, scoring was tough to come by for the Herd, as they, too, only had three double-digit scorers.
Stephen Thompson added 16 points and eight rebounds, and the Herd dominated the Bulls on the glass most of the night. Tyler Smith rounded out the strong showings for the Herd with 14 points, and the Herd can finally say that it got in on the win column.
