Chicago Bulls: 1 like/dislike from losing a shootout with the Spurs

It was a late-game thriller Monday night when the Chicago Bulls went head-to head with the San Antonio Spurs.

Despite the game remaining close throughout much of regulation, the Chicago Bulls let a win get away in a 108-107 loss to the Spurs.

Powered by the offensive prowess of Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker, the Bulls appeared to have the Spurs and its stars, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan, right where they wanted them.

In a matter of seconds, everything changed.

The Spurs fared well in regulation. The team had multiple opportunities to put away the Bulls, if they wanted to. The Spurs’ biggest lead amounted to 7 points during the game.

Patty Mills provided a touch of scoring off the bench. In doing so, he helped the Spurs’ bench outscore the Bulls’ reserves. Mills ended the game with 17 points.

What’s more is Aldridge proved to be too much for opposing big men to handle. He’s ability to get to his favorite, high-percentage spots on the floor created problems at times for the Bulls.

Recognizing that Aldridge was in a rhythm late in the contest, the Spurs kept feeding him the ball. He filled the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists by the end of regulation.

With a loss Monday night, the Bulls’ record dropped to 5-16

Let’s be honest, these are the growing pains of the Bulls’ rebuild. Still, there’s a lot to like and dislike from Monday night’s Bulls-Spurs game, and here is how it breaks down.

One like:

That moment when Ryan Arcidiacono pressured the Spurs into turning over the ball to give the Bulls the final shot in regulation

Arcidiacono continued to make the case why he should be considered the Bulls’ backup to point guard Kris Dunn.

Leading multiple timely stops in regulation, Arcidiacono proved hard work can pay off.

Take note of what Arcidiacono had to say after the game.

One dislike:

That moment when LaVine bails out the Spurs by taking a deep shot in the closing seconds only to miss it

Take a look:

The good news—to say the least—is Zach LaVine largely had an efficient night on the floor. He and Parker exhibited a style of play that can open up the court to create spacing, which is helpful for shooters like Justin Holiday.

Flirting with a near triple-double, LaVine took over the game in the fourth quarter seeing as how his jumper started to fall in consecutive possessions. In 35 minutes of play, he earned 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

Parker fell just shy of another 20-plus point game, but he continued to impress nonetheless. By the game’s end, he paired 18 points with 10 rebounds.

The game also featured the return of Bulls’ rookie Chandler Hutchison. He’s been sidelined the past three contests because of back spasms.

In Hutchison’s absence, the Bulls have leaned on Holiday to perform. He continued to impress Monday night with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Bulls have a lot to takeaway from Monday’s loss to the Spurs. The Bulls next game is Wednesday against the Bucks.