Bulls Dominate in Transition
The Bulls finally played at that fast pace that we’ve been hearing about ever since Fred Hoiberg took the reins at the beginning of last season. 30 of their 118 points came off of fast breaks, compared to only 14 fast break points for the Pacers. Rajon Rondo was a huge part of this feat. He played with his eyes up all game, seeing the open man down the court when the Pacers failed to get back on defense.
The Bulls’ offense was rolling from the opening tip, complete with the ball movement and blistering pace that we expected from Hoiberg. The Bulls had 34 assists on their 45 total field goals, and it was plain to see on the court. The frequent ball-stopping and iso-ball that dominated the Bulls of the past was almost nowhere to be seen. We saw a bit of iso-heavy ball early in the third with Jimmy in control of the offense, but otherwise the ball flicked around the court, searching for an open 3.
Going 19-for-21 from the free throw line didn’t hurt the offensive side either. Butler and Wade did what they do best: drawing fouls and getting to the line, and the Bulls also managed to keep the turnovers low, giving the ball away only 12 times.