Short-handed Hawks top Bulls |
CHICAGO - Just when it looked like the Chicago Bulls (18-23) were starting to turn the corner, things went in the opposite direction, as it was more of the same for this team. Entering Wednesday riding a two-game home losing streak, the Bulls were looking to get back on track as they welcomed the Atlanta Hawks (21-19) to the United Center.
This was a Hawks team that was down not only Trae Young but also Jaylon Johnson, as they were the definition of short-handed. Knowing that, and knowing that Ayo Dosunmu would be returning for the Bulls, this was one of those games you had to have, especially coming off a heartbreaking loss in the first leg of this back-to-back. Instead of the Bulls taking advantage of a short-handed and battered team, the Hawks took advantage of the Bulls as they led things from start to finish to pick up an impressive 110-94 road win. Anytime your best player is held to just 15 points like Zach Lavine was, it will be a long night for the Bulls, as scoring was an issue. Despite having five players as top double figures, including four starters, none of them hit the 20-point threshold, as Coby White led the Bulls with 16 points. Give White some credit as he continues to work through one of the worst three-point stretches of his career, going just 1-7 in this one after going 1-8 against the Kings. Hitting from downtown was an issue for the Bulls, as they shot just 6-27 from beyond the arc, which is good for 22%. Not only did both White and Lavine have rough outings, but Nikola Vucevic was also held under his season average as the Bulls' Big Three had their struggles. Vooch added 14 points, but one night after picking up a season-high 15 boards, Vooch was at it again to grab 16 and post another double-double. Chicago also saw Patrick Williams round out the starting lineup with 10 points with Julian Phillips also picking up 10 off the bench for one of his best outings of the season. Given that the Hawks were arguably down their two best players, it would be up to others to step up, and boy, did the Hawks step up, as their future looks exceptionally bright. One of the players stepping up was Keaton Wallace, who was filling in for Young. Had you not known who either player was, you would think Wallace was an everyday player, as he led all scorers with 27 points. He was one of the many players to post double-figure scoring games, with Dyson Daniels picking up 18 points and Vit Krejci and Clint Capela adding 11 to give Atlanta four double-digit starters. Capela also hauled in 10 rebounds for another double-double, but the Hawks bench made the most significant difference and helped them pick up the win. It was mainly one player making the most significant difference, as Daeqwon Plowden came through with a massive 19-point effort off the bench to finish second on the team in scoring. Atlanta also benefitted from Onyeka Okongwu, who not only added 14 points but had 13 rebounds and seven assists for a near triple-double.
While the Chicago Bulls were too busy watching them get their buts kicked, their G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls (5-4), were also in action and doing a little butt-kicking of their own. That came at the hands of the visiting Birmingham Squadron (2-5), who came into NOW Arena on Wednesday and left with a 129-109 defeat. Despite playing just eight players in the game, all eight of the Bulls provided a jolt as seven of those eight landed in double figures. That included the game's leading scorer, EJ Liddell, who came away with 31 points in 36 minutes. Liddell was backed by the 21-point effort from Marcus Domask and a pair of 14-point performances from David Muoka and Alex Schumacher as Windy City gave the Squadron fits. As good as those performances were, the play of Jordan Hall stuck out as he did a little bit of everything on the floor. Hall didn't have the best game in terms of scoring, as he finished with 16 points. However, with 14 rebounds and 10 assists to post a triple-double, he showed he could do a bit of everything and helped deliver the Bulls to another win. Jordan Jackson (14 points) and Mike Miles Jr (13 points) had strong games off the bench. Like the Bulls, Birmingham had plenty of scoring, especially in their starting lineup. Antonio Reeves led the Squadron with 27 points with Lester Quinones adding 24 to give the Squadron a nice 1-2 combo. Birmingham also saw Jalen Crutcher and Keion Brooks Jr come away with 14 and 12 points to round out the starting five as they did their best to keep pace with the Bulls. Like Windy City, Birmingham only had eight players in scoring, but they saw a few more players on the court. When it came to the bench, Izaiah Brockington had a massive game. He led the Squadron bench with 18 points in the loss.HALL's TRIPLE DOUBLE LEADS THE BULLS PAST BIRMINGHAM
