Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s matchup between Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls against Paul George and the Indiana Pacers.
Continuing with their strong start to the season, the Chicago Bulls bullied the Indiana Pacers to a 118-101 victory.
More from Pippen Ain't Easy
- The dream starting 5 for the Chicago Bulls 5 years from now
- Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu inspires the future with new school program
- Chicago Bulls NBA 2K24 full roster ratings, risers, and fallers
- Bulls sign a pair of promising guards to Exhibit 10 contracts
- When does NBA Training Camp start? Dates Bulls fans need to know
After a relatively even first quarter, the Bulls’ bench went on a 16-0 run in the second quarter and George’s Pacers could never recover. The Bulls got solid contributions all the way down the roster, with 11 different players scoring.
The game was heavy on highlights, including the return of the Jimmy Butler alley-oop (with Rondo throwing the lob instead of Pau Gasol), a nasty Robin Lopez dunk on Pacers big man Myles Turner, and plenty of long bombs from Doug McDermott and Isaiah Canaan.
Although the Pacers got solid play from their two stars George and Turner, it wasn’t enough to pull out the win. George and Turner both finished the game with 20 points, and Pacers reserves Glenn Robinson III and Joe Young both chipped in 11.
For the Bulls, it was a career night for Doug McDermott. He led the game with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting (5-for-6 from 3-point range). Rajon Rondo spread the love with 13 assists as well.
Let’s take a look at some of the other biggest takeaways from the Bulls win.