Bulls stun Cavs in double overtime thriller |
CHICAGO - The NBA is a funny thing. Leave it to the Chicago Bulls (28-31) to lose to the worst team in the league on Tuesday, and then turn right around to take on one of the best teams on Wednesday and put on a show at the United Center. That is just how this team has been for the better part of three seasons now, which is the biggest thing that frustrates the fans.
When you talk about teams that have had the Bulls number in recent seasons, look no further than the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-20) as they entered Wednesday riding a seven-game winning streak against Chicago. Whether it be the shooting from Donovan Mitchell or Cleveland's influx of size, this is a matchup nightmare for the Bulls and one this team hasn't done a great job-solving. To make matters worse, the already short-handed Bulls would be even thinner as Alex Caruso was ruled out for the game with Hamstring tightness, thus forcing Andre Drummond into the starting lineup. That is just what this team needed, and it is time for Billy Donovan to ditch the small ball lineup he loves to go with and finally realize that Drummond and Nikola Vucevic work well together on the floor. Those two were monsters all game, as they finished with 41 combined points and an absurd 39 rebounds. Going a bit further on that, the Bulls set the high-water mark for rebounds in a single game as they pulled in 74 rebounds during the game and found a way to survive and conquer with a 132-123 Double-overtime win. Wins like this further prove this team can play with anyone in the league should they find the consistency they need. The bigs were the story in this one, as has been the case every time they play together. Vucevic has been on quite a run recently regarding double-doubles, and with 24 points and 13 boards in 40 minutes, that run continues. On the other hand, Drummond hasn't started many games, but when he does, he dominates on both ends of the floor as he finished with 17 points but managed to come away with 26 rebounds. Scoring wasn't an issue for the Bulls, especially during the overtime periods, as six players picked up double-figure games. That includes all five starters for the Bulls, with Demar DeRozan leading the way with 35 points and 10 rebounds to give Chicago three double-double performances. You also had Ayo Dosunmu continue to step up when called upon, as he added 21 points and four assists in the win. One of the biggest areas of concern for the Bulls right now falls on Coby White. Coming off the best two-month stretch of his career, White has hit a bit of a lull in February, but the past 10 days have really taken a toll on him. Whether it be his minutes, as he has played the second most minutes only behind DeRozan, or something else, White isn't the same player right now that he has been all season. Chicago has been able to get away with that with other guys stepping up, but at some point, White needs to get back to playing the way he was. He still managed to pick up 14 points and 12 assists in 50 minutes, but at 2-13 from distance and 5-20 overall, he is hitting one of those shooting slumps you have seen. This win comes one night after putting up the worst three-point shooting night in NBA history, and to counter that, the Bulls did much better from distance as they connected on 13-37 shots for 35%. Dosunmu was a significant reason for that with his four triples, but so was the presence of Onurlap Bitim off the bench. Playing in his first game since signing his NBA contract, Bitim knocked down his first three-point attempt for his first career points and picked up 10 points off the bench for the Bulls. While the Bulls were busy beating Cleveland at their own game, it was up to the Cavaliers to respond, and for the most part, they did. Evan Mobley was a big reason, as he went point for point with the Bulls bigs to lead Cleveland with 25 points and 13 boards. Darius Garland also put forth one of his better showings in a while by adding 23 points and knocking down 7-14 triples. The biggest key to keeping things close and forcing Overtime was the Bulls defense against Mitchell. Averaging close to 40 PPG against the Bulls since joining the Cavs, Chicago made Mitchell work, and although he still shot the ball well, he only managed 19 points. With Jarrett Allen and Max Strus both finishing with 11 points, the Cavaliers' starting five wasn't as strong as the Bulls', so it would come down to the battle of the benches. As expected, the Cavaliers second unit did play better as Caris Levert and Isaac Okoro combined for 27 points and six triples to give Cleveland a much-needed lift. However, they were the only ones with more than five points as the Bulls picked up a massive win against a great team.
