The Chicago Bulls ‘Slash Bros’ DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine did it again as the dynamic duo combined for 56 points on better than 55 percent shooting and 6-of-10 from long distance combined in a 113-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. They are the sixth and seventh-leading scorers in the NBA.
They also have an All-Star in Nikola Vucevic to take some of the load off. He did just that with a 16-point, 15-board double-double against Indy.
On Monday, they travel to play the second leg of a back-to-back in what is the first game of a home-and-home with a walking-wounded Atlanta Hawks team that will get Trae Young back but is missing John Collins, and a host of others.
The Bulls just placed Tony Bradley and Alfonzo McKinnie in protocols.
A friendly stretch of games could see the Chicago Bulls strengthen their position in the conference
Ball joins fellow defensive stud guard Alex Caruso on the shelf; the former in health and safety protocols while the latter is dealing with a sprained foot. But with the Hawks so banged up, they are relying on their best healthy perimeter defender in Cam Reddish on offense. They’ll likely need a monster game from Clint Capela to keep up.
The Bulls have won six of their last eight while the Hawks have lost eight of their last 12.
This kicks off a portion of the schedule that could allow the Bulls to not only make-do without their starting and top backup point guards, but make some progress towards the top spot with the Brooklyn Nets just two wins and one loss ahead.
Over the next two weeks, the Bulls will face opponents with a combined record of 68-97. Only one of those teams, the Washington Wizards, have a winning record
Here is Zach LaVine’s full answer on what he’s learned from how DeMar DeRozan operates in late-game situations: pic.twitter.com/F6kQocqkAG
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 27, 2021
Washington has also lost eight of their last 12 games.
The Mavericks have been without Luka Doncic for the last two weeks, even before he was placed in health and safety protocols. He should be back by the team they host the Bulls. But Chicago beat them earlier in the year, on the road, 117-107. That was back in early November and the Bulls are undoubtedly an even better team now just from the experience together.
Even when this “easy” stretch is done they face the Brooklyn Nets who they beat, 111-107, and who have had to welcome Kyrie Irving back as a part-time player to alleviate their own health and safety protocol-related woes.
They do host the Golden State Warriors after that and then will have seven of eight on the road which adds some urgency to maximizing this imminent stretch.