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With a 125-122 win over the Golden State Warriors, the Chicago Bulls are now 3-0 on their road trip and 31-32 for the season.
Here’s how it went down:
Draymond Green fouled out. Stephen Curry injured his ankle with about five minutes to go in the game. Brandin Podziemski misses an open layup that would have tied the game with seconds remaining.
The Warriors shot 11-of-42 (26.2 percent) from deep. After going 6-of-15 in the first quarter from beyond the arc, the Warriors went 5-of-27 the rest of the way (and some very good looks at that). They had more free throw attempts than the Bulls, more offensive rebounds than the Bulls and fewer turnovers than the Bulls.
That is not a game the Bulls win unless they rely on serious shot making. Which they did.
The Bulls outscored the Warriors from beyond the arc by 15 points, and were incredibly efficient from the floor, with a 62.1 effective field goal percentage.
Once again, the Bulls got incredible clutch scoring from DeMar DeRozan to secure the victory in San Francisco.
Scoring eight of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and seven in the final 45 seconds, DeRozan was the steady force that helped the team keep its composure with some incredible shot making.
It wasn’t just the fourth quarter. After the Warriors regained the lead with a strong run in the third quarter, DeRozan scored one of his four and-one’s and immediately yelled at his teammates to calm down.
This play was a microcosm of DeRozan’s tenure with the Bulls. DeRozan’s incredible ability to get a shot in the half court settles the team and allows them to forge forward in the face of adversity.
It’s been a pretty disappointing campaign for Jevon Carter. The marquee free-agent signing is down statistically across the board for the Bulls this season compared to last: his points are down from eight to 4.9, his field goal is down from 42.3 percent to 37.1 percent. His three-point shooting is down from 42.1 percent to 33 percent. His effective field goal is down from 54.9 to 47.7.
Most importantly, his minutes are down from 22.3 to 13.6.
A smaller role means fewer shots, means each shot carries more weight. It’s clear from watching, Carter’s confidence has taken a hit at times, as he passes up threes and layups to attempt more difficult shots.
Carter has been better the last few games, earning more minutes, more of a role leading to more opportunities. Against the Warriors, he was hassling Chris Paul full court, forcing the Warriors to burn shot clock before getting into their offense.
That led to a more confident shooter on the other end, where Carter was 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 from deep for 10 points.
The Bulls have had to rely way too heavily on Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu for minutes this year, getting Carter right for the Play-In push would do wonders for the team’s depth.
Craig missed 22 games earlier this season with a plantar fascia injury, returned for the six games leading into All-Star Weekend. Coming out of the break, the Bulls announced that Craig had sustained a knee injury working out, and that he would be evaluated in 2-4 weeks.
After missing the Bulls’ last seven games, Craig returned to the lineup against the Warriors on a 12-16 minute restriction. He ended up playing 14 minutes and did not score.
The Bulls are at their best when they’re quickly getting up the floor into their offense before the defense can settle in. Nikola Vucevic, in particular, is able to capitalize against teams when he’s willing to get early position and look for his shot.
Vucevic was cooking from the tip, scoring 13 of his 33 points in the first quarter, keeping the Bulls afloat while the rest of the team found its footing.
He finished with 33 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 3-of-6 from deep, and had 11 rebounds and five assists.
Up next: The Bulls close out their road trip with a Saturday matinee in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
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