The Chicago Bulls are back in the win column.
After losing to the Houston Rockets the night prior, the Bulls came away with a clutch win against the Utah Jazz, winning 128-126, and getting some revenge against the team that beat them in a 150-147 double overtime earlier this season.
Where would the Bulls be without 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic? Making floater after floater in the short roll, Vucevic was the primary source of offense, scoring 35 on 14-of-22 shooting. Aside from hitting the game-winner, he was dominant as a post presence, drew fouls, and hit 40 percent on threes. He made plays as a passer with five assists and even had a clutch block in the final 35 seconds.
The fact that they rely so much on him in order to be competitive with the now 14-26 Jazz could be considered problematic by some, but they’ve got to get to 39 wins somehow.
On the other side, Bulls fans were treated to a dazzling display of shot-making from Jazz reserve Brice Sensabaugh, who scored 21 in the first quarter alone and finished with a career-high 43 points on 68 percent shooting. Once he cooled down, and without Lauri Markkanen (illness), the Jazz didn’t have much else to turn to.
With the win, the Bulls are now 19-21 as they near the halfway point of the season.
Tune into the CHGO Bulls postgame live show:
Up next: With the lowly Brooklyn Nets on the docket in each of the next two games, in Brooklyn on Friday and back in Chicago on Sunday, the Bulls have a real chance to get back to .500.
The Nets had a strong stretch in December, earning the best defensive rating in the league for that month. Since then, they’ve been free falling. 1-6 in their last seven games, the Nets are losing games by an average margin of 8.6 points. Their defense has plummeted to 27th, and their scoring isn’t much better, 25th in the association.
If the Bulls play to their identity, they should have no problem taking care of these Nets. But that’s easier said than done with this group, already having lost to them in early December as part of their seven-game skid.
Zach Collins, who has now missed the last nine games, does not sound like he’s coming back any time soon. After having an in-person consultation on Wednesday, there is still no diagnosis.
He will keep the boot on his foot for an additional two weeks before another re-evaluation.
“I think our medical guys want to, obviously, try to keep him ahead of schedule as it relates to how do they when his foot is in a boot, maintain his strength in his calf, because the longer you’re in the boot, obviously, you start to fatigue in your lower leg, you get some atrophy and that kind of stuff. So that’s the plan right now, is one, keep him in the boot. He needs to stay in the boot for a couple more weeks, get reevaluated again, and then he’ll be on a program to maintain the strength in there.”
“I don’t think he’ll be available before the All-Star Break,” Donovan said.
That means he’ll be on the IR through the trade deadline as well, making it even more difficult for any potential moves before he’s able to ramp up.
Speaking of ramping up, that’s exactly what is on the docket for Josh Giddey, whose two-week re-evaluation period was up on Tuesday. Unlike Collins, it was good news on the Giddey front. According to Donovan, Giddey has progressed well and will begin a one-week ramp-up period. Assuming all goes well, he should be back soon after that.
“This is going to be a big week for him…He’s progressed very, very well to this point in time, and now it’s time to ramp him up,” Donovan said. “The plan is, if everything goes well over the course of the week, he should be back relatively soon after that.”
Markkanen (*tear*) sat out tonight’s game with an illness after scoring 47 on his old team in Utah’s double OT win over the Bulls back in November. His teammate Brice Sensabaugh — a primarily reserve role player averaging 10 points per game this season – said, “…I got this, Lauri. Hold my beer.”
Sensabaugh came off the bench tonight and scored 21 points in the first quarter! Not only was it the highest-scoring first quarter for any bench player in the NBA thus far this season, but it was the most by any player in the past…thirty years! Shoutout to our friend Adam Amin for that incredible stat.
Much like it was the first time around between these teams, tonight was a “defense optional” game to the furthest and most hilarious degrees. The Bulls shot 64.1% from the field and 55% from downtown in the first half with 22 assists on 27 made baskets. Yeah…hilarious.
Coby White — just as I predicted he would in pregame — used a soft defensive opponent to get his teammates cooking early before he looked to score himself. He had six assists before making his first basket (on just his second shot) late in the second quarter.
The Sensabaugh Game. Sheesh
The game was eerily similar to the first matchup between these two. High scoring, not a lot of defense and crazy shooting percentages. No Giddey, no Markkanen, no difference.
I didn’t particularly feel Matas Buzelis this game. He didn’t have a “terrible” game, but he didn’t play as much, and shot too many threes for my liking against a team like this.
Will Hardy is a damn good coach. They execute really well on offense and with some real athletes.
Dalen Terry deserves more minutes. He was everywhere tonight. Offense, defense and everything in between. Solid job by 7.
White was not good. Didn’t look comfortable tonight.
Patrick Lee Williams is still ass.
— Big Dave
