The Chicago Bulls fell to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night 120-108. For much of the first half, Bulls fans were feeling great about things. Zach LaVine was on an absolute tear offensively and the Bulls opened up a 13 point lead by the time halftime hit.
Things changed pretty quickly after the break, unfortunately. The Hawks held the Bulls to an 18 point third quarter after allowing 33 points in each of the first two quarters. As they swung momentum back in their favor the Bulls struggled to fend off the run being made.
It is a frustrating loss for the Bulls but isn’t one that should be causing any overreactions. Although they missed an opportunity to beat a team they are chasing in the eastern conference there is still plenty of time left. Not only is there time to continue working things out, but there’s enough time to pick up the wins they need to get into the playoffs.
Still, the Hawks were shorthanded in this one. The Bulls should have won it coming in and that’s even more true when you looked at things at halftime. Hopefully Billy Donovan and his group can learn from this game.
It certainly seems there are adjustments that could be made to fix some of the issues that led to the loss. That’s looking ahead, though, and right now the focus is on the studs and duds from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
There is one obvious stud you’re already well aware of if you watched the game or went on social media during the first half. There is no shortage of duds to consider, either. Some just stood out a little bit more in the absolute wrong way.
Chicago Bulls Dud: Lauri Markkanen
The frustrating season of Lauri Markkanen continued in this one. Markkanen was coming off a very promising performance the game prior where he played a major role in the Bulls bench unit looking like they could be onto something.
That is what makes this showing extra frustrating. It makes no sense to see him play the way he did against the Hawks after shooting 8-10 the game before. That kind of shooting night would give any player an extra bit of confidence in their next game.
Markkanen didn’t have that confidence at all. He only took four shots in just under 27 minutes, making one of them. That resulted in a five-point, five rebound game for the big man. He needs to hit shots for this team to maximize what they can accomplish this season.
In order to hit shots, one must take shots. This game was an absolute dud from Markkanen mentally and physically. Hopefully Donovan gets on the same page with him shortly. If he doesn’t, Markkanen’s Bulls tenure could be coming to a sad ending very soon.
Chicago Bulls Dud: Thaddeus Young
Unlike Markkanen, who has left Bulls fans frustrated quite often this season, this dud is from one of the team’s most reliable players all season. Forward Thaddeus Young, who quite frankly has an argument as this team’s third-best player, dropped a dud against the Hawks.
It was quite surprising to see. Young is a high IQ, versatile veteran that is able to make an impact in a number of ways. Against a vulnerable Atlanta Hawks team, he failed to make an impact in any way. Not what most people would expect from him, myself included.
Young’s three assists were matched by his three turnovers and he wasn’t noticeable anywhere else on the court. He chipped in four points on four shots while also grabbing five rebounds.
Young is an important player on this team if they are going to be winning games. He doesn’t need to dominate but he does need to help out in the multiple ways he is capable of. Both offensively and defensively Young is going to need to play better moving forward.
Chicago Bulls Stud: Zach LaVine
Not much to debate on this one. LaVine went nuclear in the first half offensively and put on an absolute show. Obviously, it doesn’t mean much in a loss, but it was still a stud performance on an individual player level.
He finished with a career-high 50 points on 18-31 shooting. LaVine added 8 rebounds and 5 assists to his eye-popping box score but obviously would have rather picked up the win instead of the box score stats.
In reality, it’s tough to imagine what more he could have done. The Hawks made adjustments at halftime that forced the Bulls guard to count on his teammates and they failed to answer the call for the most part.
It wasn’t surprising to see the Hawks doubling him so aggressively after the break considering what he did in half number one.
39 points at the break is absolutely absurd and LaVine did it efficiently. He shot 13-19 from the field, including 7-9 from behind the arc. He also knocked down all six of his attempts from the charity stripe as the cherry on top.
More from Pippen Ain't Easy
- The dream starting 5 for the Chicago Bulls 5 years from now
- Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu inspires the future with new school program
- Chicago Bulls NBA 2K24 full roster ratings, risers, and fallers
- Bulls sign a pair of promising guards to Exhibit 10 contracts
- When does NBA Training Camp start? Dates Bulls fans need to know
When the Hawks started forcing the ball out of his hands the game started swinging back in their favor. LaVine didn’t force bad shot after bad shot as he might have in the past, instead opting to make the right basketball play and move the ball to the open man.
There is a reason all five of his assist came in the second half. In the first, he was working against one defender and knew every time he touched the ball he could score at will. In the second,d he was getting the ball to the right guys.
Ultimately, the team just didn’t have enough support for him to hold off the Hawks.