Bulls get back on track with blowout win over Wizards |
CHICAGO - Playing .500 ball typically isn't going to get you very far during the season, but at this point, that will be good enough for the Chicago Bulls (33-35) to make the playoffs. Ideally, they would like to be playing better, but if Chicago can manage to play .500 the rest of the way, they are forcing the teams behind them to play at least .750 to pass them up in the standings.
Coming off a very tough stretch in their schedule, things are going to lighten up a bit for the Bulls as they have a chance to reach or even surpass the .500 mark if they can take care of the teams they should take care of. That all started with a matchup against one of the worst teams in the NBA at the United Center on Saturday as the Washington Wizards (11-56) came to town. No one will ever say an NBA game is easy to win, but there are some games that are must-wins or must-haves, and this was one of those games for the Bulls. Chicago took that message to heart, jumping out to a 32-19 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Granted, the rest of the game was much closer, but Chicago did outscore the Wizards in every quarter, which is a rarity in today's game, as they cruised past the Wizards 127-98. One of the biggest questions heading into the game was about Coby White's status, who continues to be day-to-day with a hip injury. Had this been a more challenging opponent, White would probably have played, but Billy Donovan chose to sit him one game as they need him to be 100% healthy down the stretch. In his absence, it was up to others to step up in a big way, as Ayo Dosunmu took it upon himself to do just that. Since taking over for Zach Lavine, Dosunmu has been playing the best basketball of his career, but he still wants to improve one aspect of his game. That aspect is being more aggressive on offense, which he did on Saturday. Dosunmu led all scorers with 34 points and dished out nine assists, knocked down four triples, and shot an efficient 14-22 from the field. If this season has taught us anything, Dosunmu has been worth the extension and is a massive part of this team's future. Chipping in with another big game was Nikola Vucevic who has quietly put together his best stretch of basketball this season. Vooch added 29 points, but with 13 rebounds, he continues to be a double-double machine and ranks near the top of the league in total Double-doubles. Surprisingly, those were the only two players to top 20 points for Chicago, but they still had plenty of production across the board, leading to a terrific scoring attack. Alex Caruso continued his sudden hot streak with 16 points while adding two more triples, as he has 12 triples in his past three games. Wherever this scoring has been the past three seasons, the Bulls could've used it, and it is finally coming at the perfect time. Demar DeRozan struggled a bit offensively but still finished with 13 points, and Andre Drummond also added 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Those were the only players to have double figures, but the Bulls saw every player except Henri Drell see action in this one, as Drell and Andrew Funk were the only two who didn't score. Games like this allow coaches to rest some of their starts, and when you look at the minutes that DeRozan and White have logged this season, any time off could be crucial down the stretch. When you look at this Wizards roster, yes, they have some talented players, but not much. This is a team that doesn't appear to have a direction for the future. Of all the teams struggling to pick up wins, this may be the team with the most challenging future, as it could be a long few years for them. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole are the most notable players on this roster, but with Kuzma finishing with 11 points and Poole adding 13, neither of them was able to get much going. Leading the way for Washington was Corey Kispert with his 16 points, as the third-year player has started to come into his own this season. Anytime you have a game without 20-point scorers, things will be challenging, and this was challenging for the Wizards. Bilal Coulibaly added 15 points to join Kispert, Poole, and Kuzma, but that was it in terms of double-digit starters for the Wizards, who simply couldn't get much going. Justin Champagnie added 11 points off the bench to lead the second unit, as that was the last of the double-digit scorers for Washington. Not only did Poole and Kuzma struggle to get things done, but so did rising start Deni Avdija, who has been one of the better role players this season. Avdija injured his knee a few games ago and continues to sit with a knee contusion, which takes another scoring threat away from the Wizards, further challenging an already struggling team.
