Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers: 3 Takeaways from Monday’s Loss
2. Nikola Mirotic made some contributions offensively
The numbers have supported it since he came over to the NBA to join the Bulls.
When Nikola Mirotic is good, the Bulls are in a much better place. When he’s not, the Bulls aren’t either.
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On Monday night, Mirotic was good, scoring 18 points on just eight shot attempts, including a 3-for-4 shooting exhibition from long range against the Blazers. Mirotic also chipped with a pair of steals and a pair of blocks in the defeat, too.
Monday could’ve been a big step for Mirotic moving forward this season. Mirotic had only scored 14 points combined in the last four games before the loss on Monday. He had only made two 3-pointers in the last five games.
Yeah, it’s safe to say he was due for a game where the ball actually went through the rim.
Monday marked the ninth time that Mirotic had reach double figures in scoring. In the previous eight games that Mirotic scored 10+ points, the Bulls went 5-3.
It’s not necessarily a case of “he go, they go” like Dexter Fowler and the Chicago Cubs this past season, but when Mirotic is going, the Bulls are better off.