Chicago Bulls players were happy to see DeMar DeRozan back in the United Center on Sunday afternoon, but that doesn’t mean they were going to do him any favors.
Zach LaVine and Company looked a little extra motivated to show their former veteran leader how much they’ve matured. The Bulls started the game with excellent ball movement, having six different players score their first six baskets. This unselfishness helped them gain an early advantage, but weak rim protection ultimately led to the Kings tying things up and stealing the lead by the end of the opening quarter.
While the Kings only went 1-7 from downtown to begin the night, they were shooting 56.5 percent over the first 12 minutes thanks to their transition hustle and execution in the paint. Nevertheless, with DeRozan in a new jersey, the Bulls made sure he felt their new identity. They would drain five triples in the second quarter, which included two from Lonzo Ball. To be sure the Kings were still finding success of their own in an uptempo first half, but this numbers game helped the Bulls reclaim a 63-61 lead by halftime.
Both teams tried to string together a run that would break things open. Both teams failed. The second half was a back-and-forth battle that made for one of the Bulls’ more entertaining games this season. Zach LaVine hit big shot after big shot, drilling three triples in the third quarter on his way toward his SIXTH straight 30-point game. The Bulls also received some strong minutes from Talen Horton-Tucker and Jalen Smith off the bench, who sank some timely second-half shots and combined for 19 points.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, it was clear this one would go down to the wire. And we probably should have expected nothing less in DeRozan’s return. It was also only a matter of time before Bulls fans got the sequence they were waiting for. Midway through the final frame, LaVine and DeRozan exchanged clutch shots in epic fashion:
– DeRozan hits a corner three to give the Kings a 109-108 lead
– LaVine nails an ice-cold mid-range jumper to retake lead 110-109
– DeRozan reminds LaVine he is the mid-range king to take the lead again 111-110
– LaVine reminds DeRozan he has the upper hand from downtown and pulls up to make it 113-111
Keon Ellis would break the run with a three-pointer to steal the lead again for Sacramento. The only problem this time was that the Bulls couldn’t steal it back. This 28th lead change would be the final one, even though the Bulls had a chance with 14 seconds left to tie the game. After Billy Donovan called a timeout to draw something up, the Bulls would commit a 5-second violation for a self-inflicted dagger.
I’m sure DeRozan was glad to be on the other end of a silly Bulls blunder this time around.
Player Grades
Lonzo Ball – A (Ankin Law: “Making it Personal” Player of the Game)
Stats: 15 PTS, 3 AST, 1 BLK
In his first start since January of 2022, Lonzo Ball looked like his former self. He drilled a season-high five threes for a season-high 15 points. His comeback has been one of the feel-good stories of the year.
Zach LaVine – A-
Stats: 36 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST
Zach LaVine stretches his 30-point streak to six games. He shot 12-24 from the field and more than held his own against his former star teammate.
Josh Giddey – B+
Stats: 12 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST
I was a big fan of how Josh Giddey played this game. He was a big reason why the Bulls were able to hang around for so long and ensured that they didn’t get too trigger-happy from downtown.
Nikola Vucevic – B-
Stats: 18 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST
Domantas Sabonis was a tough challenge for Nikola Vucevic tonight, but the Bulls’ big man avoided embarrassment and helped keep things tight.
Patrick Williams – C-
Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK
Another sad performance on the offensive end (3-12 FG), but Williams at least made his presence felt in other departments. Regardless, I think a trip to the bench needs to be in his future.
Box Scores
Check out the full box score here.