Bulls fall to Jazz in double OT thriller |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
SALT LAKE CITY - As if losing six of their last seven wasn't bad enough for the Chicago Bulls (6-6), they are about to enter a frantic stretch of basketball that will see them play five games in seven days. That all started with the Utah Jazz (5-8) at the Delta Center on Sunday, as this was the first of two back-to-back games during this stretch.
Despite the team's struggles since their hot start, help is on the way as Coby White made his season debut on Sunday and is looking to add even more scoring punch to a Bulls lineup that has had plenty of scoring to go around. White did his part, scoring 27 points off the bench to lead the way for Chicago, but it was their defense that let them down as the Jazz escaped with a 150-147 double overtime victory. Keyonte George delivered the game-winning bucket on a late triple in what was otherwise an extremely fast-paced game from start to finish. You got a sense of how things would go for both teams, as they ended the first quarter tied at 33, with the Bulls’ bench contributing a solid 21 points in the frame. That remains one of the team's strengths, as they boast one of the best benches in the league. It was in the second quarter when the Bulls began to take control as the Josh Giddey and White duo took over to spark a huge run. White and Giddey put the team on their back to close out the first half, scoring all 14 of Chicago's points in the last 2:19, building a 70-61 halftime lead for the Bulls as both of them finished the first half with 12 points. Before that run to close out the half, the Bulls attacked the rim, drawing fouls and creating open threes off drives, with Patrick Williams' corner triple making it 54-46 at one point. Chicago managed to score one more bucket to make it 58-48 before that duo took over to end the half. Early in the third quarter, Nikola Vučević hit a three-pointer to give Chicago a 15-point advantage at the 7:50 mark, which was the high watermark for the Bulls in the game. From there, Lauri Markkanen (12 points in the quarter) led the Jazz back, trimming the Bulls’ nine-point halftime lead down to four at 98-94 heading to the fourth. Markkanen may have struggled shooting, going 6-17 from distance, but with a game-high 47 points, he continues to play the best ball of his career and continues to show the Bulls' front office that they made a mistake letting him go. As the fourth quarter got underway, the Bulls’ lead shrank quickly in the early fourth quarter, as Utah used an 8-0 run to take a 102-101 lead on Brice Sensabaugh’s three-pointer with 9:23 left. That was only the beginning of what was to come, as both teams hit several clutch shots in the final frame, keeping things within one possession for most of the quarter. Trailing late in the game, it was that man again in Markkanen who tied things at 127 with a free throw with 19 seconds left, sending the game to overtime. In the extra frame, it was the Bulls searching for answers early as Utah jumped ahead 136-132 in the final minute. After watching Markkanen tie the game late for the Jazz, it was the Bulls' turn to return the favor as Matas Buzelis (18 points) dunked with 27 seconds left to pull the Bulls within two. One possession later, White drove for a layup with 0.2 seconds remaining to tie it at 136 and force a second overtime. Despite White putting forth a strong effort to get the game into double overtime, the Bulls struggled in the second overtime with fatigue and turnovers. Even at that, Chicago still kept things close with White hitting two free throws with 8.4 seconds to go, tying the game at 147. On the next possession, George hit a contested three-pointer with two seconds left to put Utah back on top by three. Chicago had a chance to force a third overtime late, only to have Nikola Vučević miss a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer, sealing the victory for the Jazz. Along with the big game from Markkanen, George picked up 33 points, including his game-winning triple to end the game. Utah also saw a pair of 16-point performances off the bench from Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh, as those were the top performers for the Jazz. As has been the case all season, Chicago continued to receive plenty of production from top to bottom, with White leading all scorers with 27 points off the bench. Giddey paced the starting five with a 26-point, 13-rebound, and 13-assist triple-double, with Vucevic adding 21 points and 12 boards for another big night. Ayo Dosunmu added 18 points off the bench to pair with Buzelis and his 18 as the Bulls' offense continues to deliver despite coming up short.
WINDY CITY STAYS UNBEATEN WITH BLOWOUT WIN
While the Chicago Bulls may be going backwards, Windy City is doing its best impression to match the Chicago start as it continues to play inspired basketball. Fresh off a home-and-home sweep of the Wisconsin Herd to open the season, the Windy City Bulls (3-0) returned to the NOW Arena on Sunday for an afternoon showdown with the Sioux Falls Skyforce (3-2).
For the third time in as many tries, it was the Bulls' offense setting the tone as they scored a season-high 152 points to roll past the Skyforce 152-112 in another impressive performance. Even without first-round pick Noa Essengue, who is currently on the Chicago roster, the Windy City Bulls have proven they have far more scoring talent this season than in the past, which was on full display in this one.
Kevin Knox led the way for the Bulls with 28 points, as he was one of three players to score 20 or more points for Windy City. The Bulls also benefited from Emmanuel Miller and Mac McClung, who added 22 points each as those three had the hot hand all night. Chicago also saw Trentyn Flowers (15 points), Mouhamadou Gueye (11 points), Wooga Poplar (11 points), and RJ Nembhard Jr. (14 points) come away with double-figure outputs as they were dialed in from the start.
Despite having seven players top double figures themselves, the Skyforce didn't match the Bulls' production, as none of those players reached 20 points in the loss. Myron Gardner led the Skyforce with 17 points and 10 boards, with Steve Settle III adding 14 off the bench.
