The Chicago Bulls snuck some momentum over the Canadian border. Following a dominant second half over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, the Bulls quickly had themselves up 8-2 at Little Caesars Arena during a Sunday matinee.
Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was forced to call a timeout less than two full minutes into the game. While the Bulls would remain rather hot, shooting 57.1 percent in the first quarter on their way to 35 points, whatever Bickerstaff said made an impression on his young team. The Pistons settled in as the first quarter went along, ramping up their downhill aggressiveness and overall physicality. They got themselves back into the game by starting with a 16-4 advantage in points in the paint.
The Bulls didn’t do a particularly good job of matching the Pistons’ ferociousness. They barked at the refs on repeat after some swallowed whistles. Josh Giddey even got T’d up to end the quarter. Nonetheless, their +15 performance from behind the arc in the first quarter helped ease their frustration and guide them to a 35-30 lead. But that success wouldn’t last.
A 13-2 run for the Pistons would eventually flip the script and give them a 48-41 lead. They scored 8 points in only 29 seconds of game time thanks to back-to-back turnovers by the Bulls. This sloppiness became the Bulls’ Achilles heel as the game went on, and it’s arguably the biggest reason why Detroit took a 64-54 lead heading into the locker room. The Bulls also shot only 6-19 in the second quarter, following up their seven made threes in the first with just two.
Fortunately for them, the Bulls were able to relocate their rhythm from downtown to start the second half. They actually outscored Detroit 18-3 behind the arc in the third quarter, but it didn’t switch things back in their favor as one would expect. Dealing with a double-digit deficit, the Bulls needed stops to make their sharpshooting worth it. The Pistons weren’t allowing them to get many of those, however, as they shot 9-12 in the restricted area and continuously overpowered the Bulls down low. To be sure, it doesn’t take much to do that. Chicago has allowed the single-most points in the paint per game practically all season long, and Detroit was well aware of the scouting report.
The absence of Jalen Smith, who was a late scratch due to an illness, also didn’t help the Bulls’ cause. While he isn’t known for his rim-protecting capabilities, he is the only other center on the roster (aside from two-way contract player Adama Sanogo). The Bulls desperately missed his length and flexibility around the rim. Now, would he have been the difference between winning and losing? No, but he could have kept this one closer.
The fourth quarter was more of the same. Chicago simply couldn’t string together the stops necessary, which resulted in them shot chucking as a last-ditch effort. The 127-119 final score reflects a closer game than it really was, especially when we consider the Pistons outscored them 80-44 in the paint. Yuck.
Player Grades
Nikola Vucevic – A
Stats: 20 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST, 2 BLK
While his defense left a lot to be desired, Nikola Vucevic shot 8-10 from the field and had only the sixth triple-double of his career.
Josh Giddey – A-
Stats: 20 PTS, 11 REB, 4 ASt, 3 STL
Josh Giddey was the only start to finish with a positive plus-minus. He helped the Bulls’ offense pull off a few scoring runs to keep them within striking distance.
Matas Buzelis – B
Stats: 12 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST
Buzelis is looking increasingly comfortable in his sixth-man role and now has his third straight games in double figures.
Coby White – C+
Stats: 22 PTS, 3 AST, 3 REB
Coby White had his moments tonight, but he was a big reason why the Bulls lost the points off turnovers battle 26-14.
Box Score
Check out the full box score here.