After steamrolling the Cavs in a get-right win on Wednesday at the United Center, the Chicago Bulls were able to replicate their success against an injury-riddled Cleveland team on Friday,...
After steamrolling the Cavs in a get-right win on Wednesday at the United Center, the Chicago Bulls were able to replicate their success against an injury-riddled Cleveland team on Friday, winning 136-125.
For the first time all season, Billy Donovan had his full complement of players. Aside from Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu, both of whom were on 24 minutes limits, Donovan still went 11 deep during the course of the game, throwing out double-big lineups, three-guard lineups
It will be interesting to monitor how the rotation shakes out moving forward as Donovan has, in the past, expressed that ten is really the deepest a rotation he wants to play. The core pieces, Jones, Dosunmu Kevin Huerter, and Zach Collins, along with the starting five, make up the top-nine. Even in the win, Donovan found rotation roles for Patrick Williams (five minutes) and Jalen Smith (15 minutes).
Matas Buzelis had his second-highest scoring game of the season, scoring 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Despite shooting just 2-of-8 from three, he opened up his strong scoring night by making a three and drawing a landing spot flagrant foul to earn a four-point play after the Bulls went down 11-0 in the opening minutes.
Even aside from the fact that they were missing Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, the Cavs looked like a completely broken team, and the Bulls were able to take advantage. They ran the Cavs up and down the court as boos rained down from the Cleveland fans, loud enough to hear on the broadcast. While the Cavs did come back from their 14-point deficit, the Bulls easily dispatched them for their 12th win of the year.
Now 15-14, the Cavs are 9th in the East after spending all of last season locked in the first seed. They seem like a team primed for a change ahead of the February 5 Trade Deadline.
Will the Bulls follow suit or be satisfied with their quality of play despite their 12-15 record?
Up next: The Bulls have an away-away baseball set with the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and Tuesday.
Tune into the CHGO Bulls postgame live:
I’m starting to believe that Josh Giddey is a real three-point shooter. Still not the pull-up-in-transition-and-don’t-think-twice kind (he thought twice in that instance tonight, and pulled it back) but even still. One of my biggest fears/doubts about Giddey since the trade was whether he could knock down open threes at a reliable clip. At least enough to make defenses stay honest against him on the perimeter when he’s off the ball. He’s proving he can do that. In these two games against the Cavs, he shot 5-of-11 (ELEVEN!) and then 3-of-7. Respect.
I liked the aggressiveness from Buzelis tonight. When he settles for threes, I’m okay with it. Because I want that to be a real strength of his game. But what gets me excited are his attacks to the basket. And not just being the recipient of good passes in transition when he’s rewarded for running the floor, like his big two-handed jam tonight. But the coast-to-coast layup he had — plus drawing the foul — later in the second quarter after the dunk. Also…he took and made a baseline middy! Shout-out to Dave, who is championing the effort to let Buzelis shoot middies. More, more, more.
After a couple of games seeing Donovan go to the double-big lineup more with Collins and Smith while Nikola Vucevic rests. Tonight we saw him use Vucevic with Smith on the floor together. I think we might finally get the consistent usage of bigger lineups that many Bulls fans have been clamoring for for years. Curious to see what comes of it.
Speaking of Collins, put him in the All-Star Three-Point Contest, you cowards. Dude was throwing flames from downtown tonight!
The Bulls did what you are supposed to do against a team playing without their best players. Win.
The second quarter they turned it on. Cavs helped them by being in their bum era but the Bulls did what you are supposed to. Take advantage.
Giddey was again cooking tonight. This time he did it from the three-point line. Teams are gonna have to start respecting the shot.
MATAS. MATAS. MATAS. And more MATAS. He was awesome from the get go. Wanna see more attacking from him and of course, mid range shots. Please.
Great to have Dosunmu back. He is a calming presence.
Ranalli’s has got some great pizza. Check it out if you haven’t.
— Big Dave
Category: General Sports
