Warriors upend Bulls in Summer League action |
LAS VEGAS - Coming off a very sound Summer League opening victory on Saturday, the Chicago Bulls were back on the court Sunday to face off against the Golden State Warriors. For the second consecutive game, Billy Donovan III's defense was locked in as they surrendered 90 points after allowing just 89 points the night before.
Should the Bulls continue to play that well defensively during both the NBA and G-League regular seasons, they will be tough to beat as they will make things challenging for teams defensively. However, as you have seen in the past with this team, a lack of shooting and long-scoring droughts have hampered it, and you saw both of those fall into play on Sunday as the Warriors took down the Bulls 90-80. When you look at who is on the Bulls Summer League roster this season, you could make the case that this is the most crucial season of Summer League basketball in quite some time. Several players on this roster will be key pieces for the Bulls this season, including 2024 first-round pick Matas Buzelis. After putting together a solid first game despite a rough shooting night from the floor, Buzelis had his coming-out party on Sunday. He led all scorers with 28 points, added five rebounds, and showed off a tremendous three-point touch, which could be the deciding factor as to how far he goes as a player this season. Matas Buzelis can HOOP. HELLO MATAS BUZELIS. pic.twitter.com/peL7kSNnMn While Buzelis may have had the hot hand most of the game, Chicago still had four other players who landed in double figures, as balanced scoring has been the theme for the Bulls this summer. Another player expected to make a significant impact this season is second-year man Adama Sanogo, who responded from a double-double in his first game to finish with 16 points and eight boards. With Andre Drummond no longer in Chicago, look for Sanogo to take over his role as the team's primary rebounder. Another young player to keep an eye on this season, especially on the G-League circuit, is former Maine Celtic DJ Stewart, who is auditioning for a job somewhere. Whether that is with the Bulls or elsewhere, Stewart has the potential to be a solid role player somewhere, and with 15 points and nine assists, he showed his potential as a player. Henri Drell closed out the double-digit scorers with 12 points, as the G-League players led this team. After a great Summer opener for Julian Phillips, he had a night to forget, going 1-9 from the field to finish with five points. When it comes to the Warriors, they didn't have the lethal scorer the Bulls had, but they still had plenty of production, which helped them get the win. Look no further than Brandin Podziemski, who came away with an impressive 21-point and 12-assist performance to lead the way. Joining him in having great days were Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevin Knox II, as the duo provided an excellent inside-out game. Jackson-Davis joined Podziemski in double-double performances, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds. Knox also scored 16 points, as those three combined for more than 50% of the team's scoring in the win. While those were the Warriors' three main scorers, they still had plenty of scoring to go around, including two more landing in double figures. Daeqwon Plowden added 14 points with three assists, while Donta Scott finished with 10 points. Chicago shot just 38% from the floor as a team, including 25% from deep, as a lack of shooting continues to be an issue for this team. With the loss, the Bulls are almost guaranteed to be out of the Championship hunt, but they can still finish strong by winning their final three games. The Bulls will be back on the floor Tuesday when they take on their Central Division Rivals, the Detroit Pistons.
28 pts | 10-22 FG | 4-5 threes | 5 reb pic.twitter.com/h7ikCQJ6mO
