Chicago Bulls: Love/hate list from the wild game in Brooklyn

The Chicago Bulls nearly completed a crazy comeback in Brooklyn this afternoon. Here are some things I loved and some things I hated from the loss.

Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris and Co. were too much for the Chicago Bulls to handle today on the road. Brooklyn’s perimeter guys torched the Bulls all night long. LeVert did most of his damage in the first half. Dinwiddie got to the free-throw line 15 times. And Joe Harris was efficient on offense and solid on defense.

Final score: Brooklyn 110, Chicago 107.

Here’s this afternoon’s love/hate list.

Love – Coby White’s all-around play

Earlier in the season, some thought Coby White was simply a microwave bench scorer. Now, he’s proving he’s way more than that.

White didn’t shoot the ball particularly well today in Brooklyn (8-of-21 from the field, 3-of-9 from 3-point range), but he competed on defense, dished out eight assists, hauled in six boards and didn’t turn the ball over once.

He’s turning into a guy that can be a quality starting point guard in the NBA, and it’s been incredibly fun to watch his progression.

Hate – Lauri Markkanen’s shot profile

I understand that Lauri Markkanen is still trying to find his rhythm after returning from an injury, but this is the same stuff we saw before he got injured. It feels like all Markkanen does is shoot spot-up threes.

Today, five of his eight shots were from behind the 3-point line. To his credit, he knocked down four of them, so he shot it well. But still, he needs to do a better job of getting to the rim, and the Bulls need to do a better job of helping him get there.

Love – Shaquille Harrison’s ridiculous block

I really loved Shaquille Harrison’s whole game today, but his block on Caris LeVert deserves special attention.

LeVert had been torching the Bulls for most of the afternoon, but when he challenged Shaq at the rim, Shaq stepped up.

Try not to watch the rest of the Bulls rotate here because it’s not a pretty sight to see, but Shaq’s ability to spin around, rotate quickly and block a dunk attempt with his off-hand is utterly ridiculous. What a play.

Hate – Wendell Carter Jr.’s lack of aggression

I know that just like Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. is still working his way back from an injury. But he absolutely needs to be more aggressive when he’s on the court.

Today, Carter scored seven points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes. The Bulls need him to make a bigger impact.

Love – The near-successful comeback

The Bulls were down by nine points with less than a minute left. Normally, that means the game is a wrap, but Coby White had other plans.

White knocked down a three with 55 seconds left and then finished an and-one driving layup on the next possession.

Then, after the Bulls played the foul game a little more, White found an open Otto Porter Jr. with a beautiful cross-court pass. Porter knocked down the three.

After some more classic end-of-game antics, the Bulls found themselves down by three with possession of the ball and just under 13 seconds left. They drew up a play to get White the ball at the top of the key. He pulled up and barely missed it.

Chicago ended up losing the game, but they showed a lot of grit in the final minute. It was really fun to watch.