NEWSLETTER
Can the Bulls play the Hawks every night?
The Chicago Bulls handed the Atlanta Hawks’ their third-worst loss of the season Wednesday night with a 136-102 victory at the UC (yeah, the Hawks have lost two games by over 40+ this year, so this ranks just 3rd from the bottom …).
Oh, and they made UC history!
The Bulls have 136 points, the most they've ever scored in a regulation game at the United Center.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) December 12, 2019
Chicago has now played two of its best games of the year against the Hawks, including a 20-point win over Atlanta on November 6th.
I was in attendance for this one, and while the energy was a bummer – with only around 15,000 in attendance – the Bulls posted their fair share of highlight-reel plays.
LaVine was on cruise control, going 7-7 from downtown with 35 points on the night. He did it all before the third quarter and didn’t have to clock any minutes in the final frame.
Zach LaVine shot 7/7 from behind the arc, the 20th time a player has been perfect from behind the arc when attempting 7 or more threes in a game in NBA history, the first since Kyrie Irving (7/7) on March 12, 2015.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) December 12, 2019
Everyone was well represented on the score sheet though, with Markkanen dropping 22, White getting 19, and Thaddeus Young grabbing 15 with 9 rebounds.
And while the Hawks might be one of the most troubled teams in the league, it’s important to give credit where it’s due: the Bulls were lights out shooting the basketball, going 57.4 percent from the field and 45.8 from 3. That said, the win was earned in the paint tonight, with the Bulls dominating 78-42.
I can attest to the domination too. It got to a point (in the 3rd quarter) when it felt this team was going to score every time they touched the dang ball (a feeling we might not have for the rest of the season). And I thank the Bulls for at least showing out with some highlights while I was in the stands.
At the end of the night, though, this game doesn’t change anything. For a couple brief minutes the Bulls may have been able to transport me into a dreamland where ferocious dunks, perfect 3’s, and gum drops fall from the sky, but a quick look up at the stands slapped me right back to reality.
Ouch.
The UC crowd at tip-off. pic.twitter.com/y83yRQ3MI8
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 12, 2019
More tomorrow! Sleep tight, and go back to dreamland!
