The Chicago Bulls didn’t need DeMar DeRozan’s buzzer-beater this time around, but there was some drama in Friday’s 122-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
In the end, though, the Bulls prevailed, taking a particularly tough back-to-back game the following night to improve their season record to 33-19.
1. Zach LaVine (back spasm) and Coby White (groin strain) are late injuries for the Bulls, but both teams are understaffed.Indiana is without Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, TJ McConnell, Isaiah Jackson, Goga Bitadze and, of course, TJ Warren.
2. This leaves 6-foot-7 Torrey Craig and four guards (Caris LeVert, Chris Duarte, Justin Holiday, Terry Taylor) in the hosts’ starting lineup.
The Bulls center scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in eight minutes in the first quarter for his ninth double-double in the past 10 games and his 29th of the season at the end of the first half, and Quarter points at 12 to match his single-game season-high 30 points going into fourth.He set up a new possession early in the final inning with just one possession:
Not only did Vucevic have 36 points (16-of-21 from the field), 17 rebounds and 4 assists, he also had 3 big blocks in 55 seconds midway through the fourth quarter, which helped fuel the Bulls’ momentum .It was a dominant, all-encompassing outing that continued Vucevic’s best performance of the season.He is now averaging 24.1 points, 14.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 63.2 percent shooting (41.4 percent from 3-point range) over the past seven games.
3. Billy Donovan often emphasizes this: Unlike DeRozan or LaVine, Vucevic can’t always single-handedly make efficient shots.He needs the ball and his teammates to find him in his position.
Starting point guard Ayo Dosunmu did exactly that in this one.Of Dusom’s career-high 14 assists, 7 were on Vucevic’s field goal.The chemistry of the two of them — which prompted Dossum to repeatedly call Vucevic “a point guard’s dream” — continued to blossom.
4. The same goes for Dosunmu’s consistency in the starting role.He is now averaging 7.3 assists and 1.9 turnovers since entering the first team 12 games ago, and he has scored in double figures in two of his past four games.
In addition to assisting Vucevic on a layup to give the Bulls a 118-112 lead in the final minute of the game, Dusom hit two clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and dunked on two Indiana guards Scored, the Bulls led 120-115 with 16.3 seconds of playtime.
Two costly turnovers in Thursday’s overtime loss to the Raptors was a turnaround — but Dosunmu’s rookie season should have observers expecting more.
5. DeRozan didn’t have his most productive night — 42.3 percent from the field on 26 attempts — but scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help the Bulls go home.He had 30 points and seven assists for the 14th time of the season, and ultimately, the defensive attention he faced freed up time for his teammates to play the games that left the team in trouble.
6. The Pacers trailed by 10 in the opening two minutes and as many as 12 after that, thanks in large part to LeVert’s performance.He scored 22 of Indiana’s 33 points in the first quarter, he flanked the Bulls’ defense, played all 12 minutes in the quarter, and hit 11 of his field goals. 10 times.At halftime, he continued to lead all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting.
The Bulls slowed his scoring volume a little in the second half by blitzing him on screens, but LeVert finished with a season-high 42 points (19-for-26 shooting) and eight assists.Even when he didn’t score, the severity of the Bulls’ double-teaming created scoring opportunities for his teammates; Taylor (21), Duane Washington Jr. (17) and Duarte (12) were all in double figures .
7. Without LaVine and White — and fighting without Lonzo Ball — the Bulls’ long-range shooting suffers.They shot just 6-for-26 (23.1 percent) from 3-point range in this game — 3-for-22 outside of Dosunmu (2-for-3) and Vucevic (1-for-2).They made up for it, at least, they dominated the paint point battle 70-54.
8. Matt Thomas did make two 3-pointers on his way to 10 off the bench (though they took eight).Forgive him for being chased by LeVert for some possessions at the start of the fourth quarter.
9. Even after a win, it has to be said: Allowing this skeleton Indiana player to score 115 points and shoot 49.5 percent from the field (12-for-27 from 3-point range) is a no-brainer for the Bulls’ current abysmal defense. Another humbling reminder. The Bulls have allowed 100 points in 12 of their past 13 games, slipping to 19th in defensive efficiency.When are Ball and Alex Caruso back?
10. Javonte Green bore the brunt of LeVert’s assignment, on the defensive end, but continued to provide a positive impact on the other end.He scored a season-high 16 points in a series of strong drives and has averaged 11.6 points in seven games since missing 12 games with a groin strain.
Next up: Home of the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.A win in that game — or the Heat’s loss to the Hornets on Saturday — would give Billy Donovan and the rest of the Bulls’ staff the privilege of coaching the All-Star Game.