Chicago Bulls: Kris Dunn’s efforts not enough to stick with Magic

Kris Dunn provided a rare bright spot for the Chicago Bulls in their 112-84 loss at home against the Orlando Magic Wednesday Night.

With the Chicago Bulls down big to the Orlando Magic for most of the game, it was another night to forget in the United Center on Wednesday.

Kris Dunn did his best to keep Chicago’s hopes alive during the rout, dropping 14 points on six-for-twelve shooting, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Dunn started off the game on the wrong foot, following up an airball with a missed layup, a foul, and a turnover off of a mistimed alleyoop.

But the third-year guard quickly found his step, largely by pushing the ball up the court and finding guys in transition. It was a bit of a departure from the offense coach Jim Boylen has allowed for most of the season, with Boylen even encouraging some of Chicago’s players to run the break.

And while the shift couldn’t compensate for the team’s other shortcomings, it lit a spark for Dunn and got him into a groove. He finished the first half with seven points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Dunn only played 28 minutes and had his minutes predictably corralled in the blowout, but continued to contribute in the third. Despite taking tough shots in Chicago’s your-turn, my-turn offense, Dunn remained efficient.

Above all else, Dunn brings energy and some semblance of knowing what he’s doing on defense. While the Bulls continue to improve on that end of the floor, Chicago is still plagued by lapses in their rotations. If their defensive revolution is going to come to fruition, Dunn will likely need to be a focal point of change.

Honorable Mention: Shaquille Harrison

Shaquille Harrison had a big impact on the game during his 26 minutes of run.

As has been typical all year, Harrison came in as spark plug for the Bulls, bringing much-needed hustle and energy to the offense.

He finished with 11 points on five-of-14 shooting, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Despite getting more burn than usual, Harrison actually filled up most of his stat sheet early on in the night during his first 15 minutes of play.

Harrison ran the floor well and penetrated on dribble drives, which have been his bread and butter all year. Despite being down big in the fourth, Shaq brought his usual motor to the floor and had a great steal leading to a transition layup followed by a rare three for the guard.

Despite his struggles shooting so far this season Harrison continues to impress in limited minutes on a team in desperate need of guard depth.