NEWSLETTER
Brook Lopez came out like he was still mad about Game 7 of the 2013 first round.
The veteran center was on an absolute tear on both ends of the floor, swatting shots with ease and draining jumpers. By the time halftime rolled around, Lopez had a game-high 23 points on 8-11 shooting to go along with 2 blocks and 5 rebounds.
Combine his efforts with a 3-3 performance and 11 points from Jevon Carter, and the Bucks were unsurprisingly in complete control of the game during the first half. But that doesn’t mean I was particularly displeased with the Bulls’ play.
If we’re being honest, it was just really nice to see the Bulls turn to some new faces. Dalen Terry, Carlik Jones, and Malcolm Hill all found themselves clocking first-half minutes. Terry, in particular, looked far more comfortable than the player we saw record a career-high 15 minutes last night in Indiana. Not only did he drain a corner 3 on his first shot attempt of the game, but he snatched his own miss for an easy score and drove to the basket for a sick up-and-under finish.
Patrick Williams also upped his offensive aggression with DeMar DeRozan sidelined, hitting three of his first four 3-point attempts. All things considered, the effort from most players on the court was what we’ve been wanting to see over the past five games, but the results were … well … the same.
Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving the game in the 2nd quarter with a wrist injury, the Bulls weren’t able to capitalize. Lopez continued to dominate on his way to 33 points, while Carter finished things off with 22 points. In typical fashion, the Bulls’ opponent also had a staggering 54-30 advantage from behind the 3-point line.
Even more frustrating, both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic disappeared as the game went on. LaVine shot just 5-16 from the field for 18 points and a -15 performance on the night. Meanwhile, despite finishing with 22 points and 16 rebounds, Vucevic was an ugly 8-20 from the field.
When we consider that DeMar DeRozan was stuck in street clothes, there is really no excuse for LaVine only chucking up 16 shots. The Bucks might be the 2nd-best defensive team in the NBA, but he’s got a find a way to better establish himself in games like these.
Anyway, the Bulls have done a lot of awful things this season, but officially killing the TNT Bulls might very well be the worst. There is quite literally nothing fun about this team right now, and I highly doubt that will change over the next 23 games.
Check out the full box score here.
