Bulls News: Vooch's late triple caps off 24-point comeback win over 76ers |
Dustin Riese
· · 3 hours ago
CHICAGO - Who would've thought that two weeks into the NBA season, the Chicago Bulls (6-1) and Philadelphia Sixers (5-2) would be the top two teams in the Eastern Conference? That's just the world we live in nowadays, and with both teams entering Tuesday's matchup at the United Center with identical 5-1 records, first place in the East was on the line as the Bulls looked to remain unbeaten at home. Keep in mind they have done this without Coby White, Zach Collins, and Ayo Dosunmu the past few games, which makes this start all the more impressive.
This was one of those games where it was not only a tale of two halves, but one of those games where you saw the ugly side of the Bulls, and the side that everyone has grown to love this season. Trailing by 24 points at one point in the first half, the Bulls began to take control midway through the second half, chipping away at the lead quarter by quarter to get within striking distance late. Then came the fourth, particularly the final five minutes of the game, where the Bulls' defense toughened up at the perfect time, holding Tyrese Maxey to just 2-8 down the stretch and Joel Embiid scoreless, as the Bulls pulled within 111-110 with less than a minute to go. That is when the veteran big man Nikola Vucevic came through with arguably one of his biggest shots of his Bulls career as he knocked down a corner three with three seconds to go to give the Bulls their first and only lead in a 113-111 comeback win. These are the types of games the Bulls wouldn't have stood a chance in last season, but there is something different about this team this season, and that all starts and stops with Josh Giddey, who posted his second consecutive triple-double and ninth of his career. That ranks him third in franchise history behind Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, which is an impressive feat in itself. After watching the Sixers open up a 45-27 first-quarter lead and push that lead to 24 at one point, Giddey started to take over like the player he has shown he can be, leading the Bulls once again with 29 points, all while adding 15 points and 12 assists for another huge triple-double. Giddey has been the story most of the season, but this team's success goes way beyond one person, as that Vucevic three was his only made three of the game and closed out another big 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. What makes this Bulls team so dangerous, at least in the early part of the season, is their ability to get balanced scoring, as six players once again reached double figures. That included a season-high 16 points from Isaac Okoro, who is starting to come into his own, with Matas Buzelis adding 10 points to round out the Bulls' starting five. Chicago also got two strong performances from their bench mob, with Jalen Smith once again leading the way with 14 points in 17 minutes. You also had Kevin Huerter come through with 12 points as they accounted for all but five of the Bulls' bench points in the win. After watching Maxey come out and dominate the way he did during the first quarter, many fans had the sense of reality that this was going to be a long night. Apart from that fast start, the Bulls outscored the Sixers in each of the remaining three quarters, but that doesn't detract from the game Maxey had, as he led all scorers with 39 points. Like the Bulls, Philadelphia had plenty of balanced scoring to go around, but he and Embiid were the only ones to hit 20 points as Embiid hit that mark with 20 points on the head before disappearing in crunch time. Kelly Oubre Jr continued his fast start to the season with 18 points, while the rookie VJ Edgecombe had one of his worst showings of the season so far. Credit the Bulls' defense for not only getting after Edgecombe, but also for making things difficult for him, as he finished with only 12 points on 4-12 shooting. He did, however, pull down 11 boards to show that aspect of his game, but he was much quieter than he has been, which played a role in the comeback win. Both teams shot the ball exceptionally well at times, but it was the Bulls' shooting that stood out, with a 47.2% field goal percentage, compared to the Sixers' 42.6%. Chicago also knocked down 13 triples compared to the Sixers' 11, including the biggest one of the game as time wound down, as Chicago continues to impress in the early stages of the season. Things don't get any easier for the Bulls, as they are in the midst of a brutal stretch of games that will continue Friday night against their kryptonite, the Milwaukee Bucks, at the Fiserv Forum.
