Bulls push winning streak to four In Zach LaVine reunion |
Dustin Riese
· · 7 hours ago
CHICAGO - Not only is winning basketball games fun, but winning can be contagious as the Chicago Bulls (4-0) have done a lot of winning to open the season. Already with their best start since 2021, a win against the Sacramento Kings (1-4), who are off to a rough start this season, will raise the question of whether the Bulls are back.
In front of another packed United Center crowd, this wasn't just an ordinary Western Conference team coming to town, but it was the return of Zach Lavine who was back on the United Center floor for the first time since being traded last season. As tough a pill as that was to swallow for the Bulls and their fans, it was a deal that has worked in their favor as they have been a completely different basketball team since he left, and not in a bad way. Looking to keep pace with the surprising Philadelphia Sixers, who are also off to a 4-0 start, nothing came easy for the Bulls in the first half, who saw an early 10-point lead in the first quarter evaporate to the point where the Kings took a two-point lead at the break at 64-62. The 62 points on offense was great, but allowing 64 points on the defensive end was something Billy Donovan and the Bulls weren't pleased about as they turned things on in the second half to pull away for the 126-113 win. The biggest difference in this one was how both teams came out to begin the second half, as a much hungrier group was evident in the Bulls. They continued to move the ball and shoot well offensively, scoring 39 points in the third, while the defense began to settle in, allowing just 27 points in the third to help Chicago open up a 10-point lead again. Their defense was the key for most of the second half, as the Bulls held the Kings to just 49 second-half points, while the offense went to work with 64. Another factor contributing to the Bulls' success this season has been their balanced scoring attack, as it's never clear who will step up from one game to the next. Even without their leading scorer, Coby White, who still has no timetable for his return, the Bulls are finding ways to get everyone involved as six players hit the double-figure mark once again, four coming from the starting lineup. Second-year man Matas Buzelis led the way with his best showing of the season, picking up 27 points on an impressive 11-18 shooting and knocking down four triples. He was joined by Josh Giddey, who scored 20 points, as the only two players to top the 20-point mark in the win. Giddey continues to push this offense to new heights this season, adding 12 assists and eight boards for a near triple-double. Entering the game as the team's leading scorer through three games, Nikola Vucevic had a relatively quiet night offensively with 13 points, but he added 14 rebounds, continuing to do a bit of everything on the floor. Tre Jones rounded out the Bulls' starting five with 11 points as he continues to hold down the fort for White. When it comes to the Bulls' bench, this is the single most important reason why the Bulls are unbeaten right now, as they have had the best bench in terms of production all season. Ayo Dosunmu plays a massive role in that, as he continues to put up starter-quality numbers off the bench in a fraction of the minutes. You saw that again in this one as Dosunmu added nine more points off the bench to help spark the massive second half for this team. The biggest difference off the bench in this one was Kevin Huerter, who knocked down three triples and scored 18 points against his former team, continuing to shoot the ball well. Jalen Smith would add 10 points with Patrick Williams adding nine in what was another big night from the bench. As good as Lavine is as an offensive threat, his teams, for whatever reason, don't play as well with him as they do without him. Considering he led the way with 30 points, you started to see that again in this one as the Kings' big-three was off and running yet again. Fellow former Bull Demar DeRozan added 19 points for the Kings, although most of his damage came from the free throw line, where he knocked down nine of his 10 attempts. One of the biggest Bulls killers of the past is big man Domantas Sabonis, as his ability to step outside and knock down the three while also using his size on the inside has been a problem for this team. Even with Sabonis picking up a double-double, which he consistently does against the Bulls, Chicago did a great job of keeping him contained, as he had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort. Future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook added 12 points to the starting lineup, with Malik Monk leading the bench with 15 points in what was another impressive overall win for the Bulls. Next up for Chicago will be its first real big test of the season, as it hosts the New York Knicks at home for Halloween. A win there, and you can start to take the Bulls more seriously, as this could actually be a great basketball team this year.
