While the Chicago Bulls‘ win-streak may have come to an end, the hot shooting did not.
Making 18-of-49 for 37 percent, the Bulls add to the heater they’ve been on, of late. They’ve produced, on average, 20.8 made threes per game during their win streak, shooting 46.9 percent. It’s almost tough to lose producing that many points from deep, but they plagued themselves with too many turnovers.
During their four-game win streak, the Bulls had done extremely well to take care of the basketball, averaging just 12 turnovers per game, down from their season average of 14.2 on the season. But that chicken came home to roost against the Lakers. Turning it over 12 times before halftime, and 15 total, the Bulls delivered 23 points off turnovers to LA. More than anything, it took the Bulls away from being able to get into their offensive flow, particularly during the Lakers’ 34-25 second quarter.
The Lakers win it, 129, 118 with Luka Doncic leading all scorers with 46. Meanwhile, Coby White led the Bulls with 23 — his fifth-straight 20-point game.
The Bulls briefly flirted with life above .500, but with the loss, they drop to 23-23.
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Up next: The Bulls have lost to the Indiana Pacers (11-35) in both matchups so far this season, but they’ll have another go at the team with the second-worst record in the NBA again on Wednesday.
Dead last in defense and 21st in offense, the Pacers haven’t resembled the team that went to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, they have lost the core pillars of their identity.
Still, the Bulls can’t afford to look past this group, even aside from their 0-2 record against them this season. Pascal Siakam is having an All-Star-caliber season. Andrew Nembhard has taken steps forward and the rest of the role players have contributed when healthy.
For the third year, Matas Buzelis is in the Rising Stars Game.
It could be the only award any Bulls player gets this year, and for Buzelis, it’s still a privilege, even if he’s done it before — once with the Bulls and once with the G League Ignite.
“It means a lot any time you have an accolade in the NBA,” Buzelis said pregame. “It’s truly a blessing and an honor.”
Asked how he sees his improvement since this time last year, Buzelis pointed more towards the mental approach to the game than anything else: “Probably my just my mentality going into games, having to be prepared to play 30 minutes every night, and listening to scouting report, listening to coaches.”
Statistically, Buzelis hasn’t popped in the way he, and many fans, may have hoped when he set his sights on the Most Improved Player award on Media Day. His numbers from post-All-Star Break last year and the first 45 games of this season are nearly identical.
But Buzelis has certainly taken strides in more subtle ways. Consistently playing 28 minutes per game as a starter is an impressive feat in itself. He’s executing defensively at a higher level, boxing out with more intention and developing his reads within the offense.
But perhaps the greatest area of growth is his maturity, displayed by declining an invitation to redeem himself for a sub-optimal performance in the Dunk Contest.
“Yeah, they did ask me,” Buzelis said, “But unfortunately, I’m declining this year. I’m trying to listen to my body. The stretch of games coming up is going to be very important for us.”
“It’s a lot of work also to prepare for the dunk contest,” Buzelis said. “I didn’t even prepare as well as I should have last year; I only had probably two practices to practice my dunks. And it just takes a toll on your body. And especially with this stretch that’s upcoming, it’s going to be very important for me to be fresh. But as I said before, hopefully I’m invited to something like that again, because I would absolutely want to do it.”
That maturity should provide optimism that a statistical leap is following the mentality leap.
“Absolutely, I’m always striving to be better,” he said. “This is just another step, and hopefully I can be an All-Star soon.”
On two possessions within a short span of the second quarter, we saw both the defensive potential of Buzelis and the long road still ahead of him to truly be a lockdown defender. Especially against stronger, bigger players. He was isolated on LeBron James, both times on the right side of the floor. The first time, James beat him baseline with sheer force, drawing an and-1 finishing under the hoop.
The second time, though, Buzelis stayed down while James tried to back him down from the right elbow. James briefly lost control of his dribble and regained possession to force up a difficult stepback mid-range shot. A miss. Keep at it, Buzelis.
What hasn’t yet been said about the quality play of Jalen Smith? This was his eighth-straight game scoring in double figures. Tonight, he accomplished that feat before the end of the first quarter. (Shoutout KC for that stat.) Another game that Smith started, with Billy Donovan easing Josh Giddey back to action off the bench. I feel like a broken record over the past three games, but…will Smith return to the bench when Giddey reclaims a starting spot?
Turnovers. Yikes. After averaging just 12 giveaways per game in their four-game win streak, the Bulls had turned it over a dozen times by halftime. (Shoutout Goat for that stat.) The Lakers are a bad defensive team (currently 25th in Defensive Rating) but they are 12th in forcing opponent turnovers. The Bulls had way too many of the “unforced” variety, though.
…Doncic is really, really good. The Bulls should try to get a superstar. Crazy idea, I know.
When you got stars, you get wins.
James and Doncic did what stars do. Showed out. You can tell this game meant something to them. It had the Bulls a little flustered.
The turnovers killed the Bulls. That second quarter was out of control with the number of turnovers they had.
Giddey was ok. The three-point shot was hitting early but the turnovers and the Lakers disrupting what he likes to do threw him off a little. Still was able to score the ball and put up numbers.
Coby wasn’t comfortable either. He was forcing a lot and it was leading to tough possessions. However, just like Giddey, he was able to get buckets that kept them in the game.
Smith had been consistently good since being put in the starting lineup. Basically, a walking double-double and has been shooting the three much better.
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is the Greatest and Best Basketball Player to EVER play the game.
— Big Dave
