Bulls lose fourth straight in loss to Timberwolves |
CHICAGO - The best way to respond after getting blown out in your previous game is to get back on the court as soon as possible. That is just what happened to the Chicago Bulls (3-6) as they returned to the United Center on Thursday for the second night of a back-to-back.
Needing a win in the worst way, things weren't going to come easy, as the Minnesota Timberwolves (5-3) are an extremely talented club that can put up points quickly. For the most part, the Bulls were looking very good as they came out strong on better than 70% shooting in the first half and build a lead as big as 13 early in the second half. Minnesota began to trim away at that lead and pulled within 95-90 entering the fourth. In the fourth quarter, things went completely south for this team as you could see the fatigue setting in. No one cared that the Bulls led for close to 40 of the 48 minutes of this game, as the final 12 minutes were terrible, with the Timberwolves outscoring the Bulls 45-24 in the fourth to pick up a rather lopsided 135-119 win. In essence, they did to the Bulls in that fourth, what the Bulls did to them in the first half, as Minnesota couldn't miss. While the final score does look awful, there were some positives to take away. Look no further than the first quarter and the first half, for that matter. Backed by six made triples in the opening quarter, the Bulls came out strong to take a 34-28 lead after one. That was the first time in nine games this season that they had the lead after one quarter of play, which is hard to believe when you think about it. Chicago continued to build on that lead, pushing it to nine at the half and eventually up to 13 early in the third. It was just the third time this season that the Bulls led or were tied at the half, and once they pushed their lead to double digits, Minnesota did to the Bulls what they have done to others in their three wins as they came back from a massive deficit. After being listed as a game-time decision, Zach Lavine was unable to go, and that is a massive blow for this team. I'm not saying he could've saved them, but he would've had fresh legs entering the fourth, and we have seen him go on huge runs by himself. Without him, Chicago was down their most prolific scorer, which forced others to step up again. You don't have to tell Nikola Vucevic, who has been one of the more impressive players in the game, to start the season. Vucevic may not have gotten a double-double, but with a team-high 25 points in 30 minutes, he was very efficient as he started the game 11-12 from the field before finishing 11-15. Coby White wasn't quite as efficient, but with four of the Bulls 15 made triples, he was feeling it as he shot 9-15 from the field to finish with 24 points and eight assists. No one else in the Bulls lineup had more than 13 points, as Ayo Dosunumu (13) and Patrick Williams (12 points) were the only other scoring threats in the Bulls' starting lineup. Williams was one of the players to watch in this one, as his aggressive nature helped him get off to a great start before going cold in the second half. Josh Giddey did add nine points, but with 13 assists, you started to see what he can all do when he is on the floor. Any time you're getting blown out like the Bulls were late in the game, it's an opportunity to rest some guys and empty out the bench. Billy Donovan did this, and it benefitted several guys, including Talen Horton-Tucker, who finished with 13 points in 18 minutes. Chicago also got nine points from Jalen Smith and six each from Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry as the young guys are going to have a huge say in how far this team goes. As is the case many times when the Timberwolves' offense puts up points, "Ant-Man" Anthony Edwards was a big reason for it as he continued to carve up the Bulls. His five made triples and 33 points led all scorers while he also pulled down eight rebounds and dished out six assists in what was a massive game for him. Edwards was backed by a pair of 20-point scorers, with Julius Randle coming away with 22 points and 10 boards and Rudy Gobert grabbing 21 points and a rare nine-rebound night. Mike Conly Jr did all the Timberwolves asked him to do to finish with 14 points, as Jaden McDaniels rounded out the starting five with 19 points and continues to save some of his best work for the Bulls. Like Chicago, Minnesota went very deep into their bench, but many of those guys weren't given a ton of run. That can't be said about Donte DiVincenzo who led the Timberwolves second unit with 13 points in 27 minutes and continues to bring an added element off the bench as the Bulls had no answers for the Timberwolves offense in the second half as this tough schedule to open the season seems to be getting to them. On a side note, the Windy City Bulls G-League season gets underway Friday as they open the season at the Grand Rapids Gold.
