The Chicago Bulls barely snuck away with a win tonight in Sacramento. Here are some things I loved and some things I hated from the much-needed win.
Tonight, the Chicago Bulls ended their three-game road trip with a nice win in Sacramento. The Kings are an alright team, but without Marvin Bagley III and De’Aaron Fox, it was a very winnable game for Chicago.
Despite a slow start right off the tip, the Bulls looked pretty good for most of the game prior to the fourth quarter. In the final period, everything came crashing down for Chicago. Thanks to Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, though, the Bulls were able to hang on and secure a much-needed win. Here’s my love/hate list from the big W.
Love – LaVine and Markkanen balling out
This is something I haven’t said in a very long time, but… Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen each had a good game on the same night. Yes, you read that correctly.
Normally, if LaVine has a good game, Markkanen looks like he doesn’t belong on an NBA floor and vice versa. Tonight, though, both dudes scored over 20 points for the first time all season. It only took 21 games.
The scoring totals were nice, but their efficiency is what’s leaving a good taste in my mouth. They combined to shoot 13-of-25 from the field, 9-of-15 from 3-point range and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. Not bad, boys.
Hate – Fourth-quarter mishaps
Nothing is more frustrating than watching the Bulls blow fourth-quarter lead after fourth-quarter lead. They’ve done it all season long and tonight was no different. They were sloppy with the ball, porous on defense and simply dysfunctional all around.
The Bulls have to find a way to smell blood and bury the other team when they have a big lead. No more of this slacking off stuff. It’s unbearable to watch.
Love – The bench
I didn’t love Jim Boylen’s rotations tonight. I wish he would’ve played seven or eight guys instead of 10, but to his credit, the bench guys played well. They shot an efficient 13-of-25 from the field, and all five of them had a plus/minus of +10 or better.
Coby White had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. He also had zero turnovers. Denzel Valentine made some questionable decisions but also made two big threes. Thaddeus Young was solid in his 18 minutes of action. Daniel Gafford was a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. Ryan Arcidiacono did his usual stuff.
Overall, it was a pretty nice showing from the bench mob.
Hate – Tough entry passes to Wendell Carter Jr.
I’ve complained about this before, but it’s still a problem. Whether it’s passing from an impossible angle, trying to squeeze the ball into too tight of a window, or throwing a 100 mph fastball from five feet away, the Bulls are tossing uncatchable passes to Wendell Carter Jr.
The Bulls need to make life easier for the big man. Over and over again, they put him in tough, impossible-to-win positions. Let’s get back to the fundamentals.
Love – Tomas Satoransky’s craftiness
Tomas Satoransky is starting to find his way on offense and I’m here for it. He still needs to be more aggressive, but he’s on the right track.
Watching Sato when he gets the ball in the paint is nothing but fun. He uses a myriad of ball fakes to get his shot off and plays at his own pace. Nobody speeds him up.
Tonight, he scored 14 points and added five assists. He shot 3-for-5 on 2-pointers and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. I love this man.
Bonus love – Kris Dunn’s defense
Kris Dunn didn’t have a spectacular game tonight, but he still deserves to be mentioned on this list. The box score doesn’t tell the whole story with Dunn.
His ball pressure on opposing guards is sensational. He constantly makes life difficult for his man. There’s not much I love more than watching Dunn pick someone’s pocket and go the other way with it. He’s an absolute menace on the defensive end of the court, and he needs to keep playing major minutes for this team.
The Bulls will look to keep up their winning ways on Wednesday when the Grizzlies come to town.