Bulls defense collapses late in road loss to Hornets |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
CHARLOTTE - You knew that at some point, the start the Chicago Bulls (9-9) got off to wouldn't be sustainable. What no one expected was how quickly this team would come back down to earth, as they have now gone just 4-9 in their last 13 games. Friday was another one of those ugly games for the Bulls as they hit the road for the first leg of a back-to-back against the struggling Charlotte Hornets (5-14) at the Spectrum Center.
As was the case against the Washington Wizards just over a week ago, the Bulls let an inferior opponent, struggling to win games, hang with them most of the night, falling behind by double digits midway through the second quarter, only to grab the lead after three quarters. Once again, it was the Bulls' defense that failed to get the job done down the stretch, as the Hornets used a 30-22 fourth quarter to not only take the lead but pull away for the 124-117 win. Throughout the Bulls' recent struggles, especially over their last five games, it's been the sudden uptick in injuries, along with a defense that can't seem to stop anyone. While nearly everyone was back for the Bulls in this one, it was their defense that yet again struggled to make things happen, as Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges led the way for the Hornets in the early going. Had it not been for Nikola Vucevic getting his touches in the paint as part of his 13-point, 14-rebound performance mixed with Josh Giddey doing just about everything on the floor, Chicago may have been double-digit early, but instead were down just three after one. Giddey had himself a game once again, leading the Bulls with 25 points and grabbing 11 boards as he came one assist away from another triple-double. Early in the second, Collin Sexton (21 points) and the Hornets' bench pushed the tempo, helping stretch the lead toward double digits as Chicago’s offense stalled and the Bulls continued to struggle from three. All was not lost with Giddey and Coby White (25 points) answering with downhill attacks and midrange jumpers to keep the Bulls within striking distance, as Chicago wouldn't go down without a fight, only to have Miller and LaMelo Ball come through with some massive buckets heading into the break to keep the Hornets in front 67-62. It was in the third quarter that it appeared the Bulls were starting to take over, as White had himself quite a strong opening quarter of the second half. When you talk about someone having the hot hand, look no further than this as White dropped in 13 of his 25 points in that quarter to help the Bulls erase what was an early deficit to begin the half. Charlotte steadied itself with Bridges working as a scorer and playmaker in the half court, and Ball orchestrating just enough offense to keep the Hornets within striking distance, but it was the Bulls holding a 94-93 lead after three. Sometimes all it takes is one big run to flip a game on its head, and that is what the Hornets did to begin the fourth, which was the difference in the game. With White out of the game following a massive third quarter, it was the play of Bridges (22 points) and Sexton igniting the Hornets' offense as they used a 12-4 run to open the fourth to take a seven-point lead. Sexton added a massive putback later in the quarter to push the Hornets' lead to 11 as the Bulls appeared to be running out of gas at this point. The Bulls did their best to mount a late-game rally with the Giddey and Vucevic combo keeping the Hornets guessing, but in the end, it wasn't enough as the Bulls dropped another winnable game, 124-117. Once again, the Bulls' struggles on the boards contributed to this defeat, as the Hornets outrebounded them 59-54. Chicago also shot just 22% from beyond the arc, as that has been a massive part of their success all season.
BULLS BACK ON TRACK AFTER VICTORY AGAINST THE CHARGE
If you think the Chicago Bulls' defense has been bad, try watching the G League, where the Windy City Bulls' (5-2) defense has been atrocious, to put it lightly. Fortunately for them, their offense has bailed them out more times than not, and that was the case again on Friday as they knocked off the Cleveland Charge (4-5) 142-135 at NOW Arena.
As is the case more often than not, the Bulls relied on a heavy dose of balanced scoring, with Kevin Knox leading the way with 25 points off the bench. Knox knocked down four triples as part of his big night and was the only player off the bench to pick up double figures. He wasn't alone in having a massive night as Emmanuel Miller added 24 points to lead all Windy City starters.
Mac McClung added 22 points as part of the Bulls' massive offensive night, with Lachlan Olbrich coming away with 18 points. Noa Essengue and Trentyn Flowers chipped in with 15 points, with Essengue adding nine boards and six assists in the win. The Charge were paced by Killian Hayes and his massive 40-point night as he put the team on his back to try and win this game. These same teams will meet again on Sunday as the Bulls will go for the weekend sweep of the Charge.
