Bears News: Giddey injured in win over Pacers

Matt Marton - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 1 day ago

CHICAGO - We're going streaking; at least, that is what the Chicago Bulls (27-38) have been doing lately. Coming off the Florida sweep over the weekend, the Bulls returned to the United Center, where the Indiana Pacers (35-28) were waiting. Given the position both teams are in, no one would've been shocked to see the Bulls lose this game, but instead, it was another impressive showing, with the Bulls dominating the Pacers 121-103.

This was one of those games where the Bulls controlled things most of the night and never looked back as they are starting to show signs of life. That isn't what most fans want to hear, as the more they win games down the stretch, the more likely it becomes that they make the play-in round, which takes them out of the Lottery Pick running.

Throw in Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic returning from injuries, and the Bulls are starting to get healthy at the wrong time if you want a high pick. The addition of Williams and Vucevic back in the lineup brought up some questions as to whether either would see time in the starting lineup. However, given how the Bulls have looked over the past two weeks, why fix what isn't broken as Billy Donovan continued to ride the starting five that has been working which sent Vucevic and Williams to the bench.

That may not be bad for either of them for the rest of the season, as it will allow them to get healthy while also producing in the minutes they are given. With things tied 27-27 after one, it was the Bulls that punched the Pacers in the mouth during the second quarter, and they were never able to respond as the Bulls outscored the Pacers 40-21 in the second to take a 19-point lead into the break.

Josh Giddey was a big reason for that, as he had the hot hand all game long and scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the first half. While he may have stalled out as the game went on, Giddey still added 10 boards to post another double-double before going down with what looks to be a serious ankle injury.

Considering that he is up for a massive deal this summer with an expected dollar amount of 30 million per season, look for the Bulls to be extra cautious with him over these final games, as he is a massive part of their future. With Giddey out of the lineup, other guys will have to step up, including Coby White, who has had an up-and-down season.

Even when he does score, it doesn't seem like he is shooting as well as he did last season, but with 29 points on 11-20 shooting, he finally started to look like the version of himself the Bulls need to have. White also knocked down three triples after going 0-8 the game before, as the Bulls connected for 12 triples.

Despite the Pacers outscoring the Bulls by one point in the second half, Chicago built such a massive halftime lead that they could afford to be more relaxed in the second half. That didn't mean that several players wouldn't have big games, with Kevin Huerter (13 points) and Vucevic (11 points) leading the way off the bench.

Vooch added an impressive 11 rebounds with his 11 points in 24 minutes, which took minutes away from Zach Collins, who finished with seven points and nine boards. Matas Buzelis and Tre Jones also got another start, but with a combined 15 points, the Bulls starting five wasn't as sharp as they had been.

The bigger concern, apart from the Giddey injury, is where Williams fits in with this team. He is in year one of a massive five-year, 95 million-dollar deal. Considering he had just two points in this one and is going through the worst overall season of his career production-wise, there are more questions than answers surrounding his future in Chicago.

While no one is going to take this win away from the Bulls, the Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, who is the one who makes the Pacers offense go. That is no excuse, as every team goes through their injuries and must learn how to deal with them. Without Haliburton, points have always been hard to come by, as Myles Turner led the way with 15 points.

The Pacers also got 13 points from Pascal Siakam, but that was it for the double-digit scorers in the starting lineup, as Indiana's offense was tough to come by. The Pacers did benefit from two players having strong showings off the bench, with Ben Sheppard leading the way with 12 points and Obi Toppin adding 10 points, but outside of that, the Bulls' defense did a great job against one of the better-scoring teams.

Next up for Chicago is another winnable game against the Brooklyn Nets, as the Bulls continue to face teams they can beat. A six-game West Coast Road trip will follow that, which could seal the Bulls' fate of making or missing the playoffs altogether.