Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

The Chicago Bulls struggled after the first quarter

By Daniel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 18: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls on October 18, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 18: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls on October 18, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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It seemed like the Chicago Bulls couldn’t miss a shot in the first quarter, but they couldn’t sustain it. Bulls start the season with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Chicago Bulls entered this season as the second-youngest group in the NBA with an average age of 24.5 years old. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg has 13 players on his roster that aren’t even 25 years old.

The Bulls started the season on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers. Bulls all time record when they start the season on the road is 12-13.

Kris Dunn didn’t play because his girlfriend gave birth to a baby boy. Denzel Valentine and Lauri Markkanen also didn’t play. The stage was set for Bobby Portis and Zach LaVine to take over, and they didn’t disappoint.

The Bulls scored 41 points in the first quarter, which was the most first quarter points to start a season in franchise history. LaVine and Portis were feeling it in the first.

Zach LaVine shot 6-7 from the field for 15 first quarter points, while Bobby Portis shot 5-5 from the field for 13 first quarter points. At one point in the first quarter, the Bulls scored on 13 straight possessions.

In the second quarter the Bulls got sloppy. They had seven first half turnovers. Justin Holiday kept  the game close, as he scored seven of the Bulls 14 points to start the second quarter. After scoring 41 points in the first quarter, the Bulls only scored 17 in the second. Bobby Portis led the Bulls with 18 first half points. Bulls went into halftime trailing 65-58.

Second Half

The Chicago Bulls started the third quarter missing seven of their first eight shots. 76ers went up big after going on a 17-0 run. The 76ers outscored the Bulls 37-18 in the third quarter. Bulls also struggled in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls lost their season opener 127-108 to the 76ers. 76ers overpowered the Bulls, and out-hustled them on both sides off the court. For the 76ers, Ben Simmons finished with a triple double, and Joel Embiid finished with 30 points. 76ers had eight players that scored 10 or more points.

The Bulls had a really hard time defending. Giving up 127 points in a game is just unacceptable. Bulls players barely communicated on defense, and the 76ers just kept getting open shots.

Jabari Parker didn’t have his best Bulls debut. He had five dunks, and finished with 15 points. I thought Parker looked uncomfortable, and didn’t play with a lot of effort.

On the bright side, I thought Zach LaVine had an outstanding game. He shot 11-19 from the field with 30 points and, continued to play hard even though the Bulls were trailing big in the second half.

Next. How do Chicago Bulls fans think the team will fare in 2018-19?. dark

LaVine has been known to play bad defense, but I thought he was really active on that side off the court. Bobby Portis had a double double, and continued to play with a lot of energy.

The Chicago Bulls will look to bounce back on Saturday at home against the Detroit Pistons.

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