Bulls pull off road upset against Pelicans |
NEW ORLEANS - No one will sit here and tell you that the Chicago Bulls (27-30) are going anywhere this season, but should they make the play-in, let alone the playoffs, they could be a tough out. Yes, their record is what their record shows, but if the fans have learned anything from this group it would be that they not only fight, but have no trouble going up against some of the best teams in the game.
That was the case on Sunday when the Bulls hit the road for the Big Easy as they met up with the New Orleans Pelicans (34-24) at the Smoothie King Arena. One of the more surprising teams out West this season, the Pelicans were expected to be a better team this year as long as Zion Williamson found a way to stay healthy. For the most part, that has happened, and you have seen the results of that as the Pelicans have done a great job stockpiling young and athletic talent that is paying dividends this season. The Bulls didn't care about that last night, as they used one of their best performances from their starting five, who accounted for 95 combined points, to pick up the impressive 114-106 win on the road. Ayo Dosunmu was the story of the first half and continues to show what happens when you let your young players play. Not only did he lead the Bulls with 18 first-half points, but 14 of them came in the first quarter as he was on fire early. That was also half of the Bulls points in the opening 12 minutes, as it was the Bulls leading 28-21 after one. Dosunmu cooled off in the second half, and it was up to others to step up, but with 21 points and eight assists in 39 minutes, he continues to show he is more than capable of filling in for Zach Lavine. While the second quarter was ugly for Chicago, to the point where they were down by three at the half, it was the second half, in particular the fourth quarter, that changed the game as the Bulls outscored the Pelicans by 11 in the second half including a 33-24 fourth quarter. Mr. Clutch Demar DeRozan played a role in that as he overcame a slow start and got rolling in the second half. Not only did he lead the Bulls in minutes with 40, but he finished with a team-high 24 points while adding seven assists in six rebounds for another complete game effort. Nikola Vucevic followed that up with another impressive game, as his 22 points and 13 rebounds won't be discussed enough. That gave Chicago three players with at least 20 points to lean on, as the offense was on fire most of the night. While those three were the key to the Bulls, Coby White and Alex Caruso added to the fun as they ensured all five starters landed in double figures. White had an off night scoring-wise with 16 points, but when you have the production the starting lineup put forth, you can live with it. Caruso also stepped up with several clutch shots to finish with 12 points as the Bulls starters accounted for 95 of the team's 114 points. Jevon Carter ( 8 points) and Andre Drummond (7 points) provided most of the spark off the bench for what was a big win for this team. Looking at the Pelicans, their success all starts and stops with the Duke boys, as Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the ones that make this team go. That was once again the case on Sunday, but credit the Bulls' defense for, at the very least, keeping them in check for most of the game. Ingram led the way for the Pelicans with 22 points, with Williamson adding 19. However, the other part of Williamson's game showed up as he picked up a game-high 11 assists and eight rebounds for a near triple-double. Like Chicago, five players landed in double figures for the Pelicans, but only one finished with more than 20 points. Also, only four of those five players came from the starting lineup, as the Bulls' defense held the Pelicans to just 35 second-half points. Herbert Jones added 15 points, with Jonas Valanciunas picking up 14 points and 17 boards. Valanciunas is a name Bulls fans should be familiar with, as they nearly acquired him at the deadline two years ago before the deal fell through. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for the evening was former Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan. Just kidding, he isn't a former NFL QB, but his name is Matt Ryan, and he came through with 14 points off the bench for New Orleans. With the win, the Bulls remain the No. 9 seed in the East and are two games ahead of the Hawks for the final play-in spot and 5.5 games up from being out of contention. The good news is that unless the Bulls go into a tailspin, it looks like this team will be in the playoffs again. The Bad news is that they will have to come out of the play-in round, and unless they get hot soon, they will be the No. 9 or No. 10 seed. With a very challenging schedule coming up, every win is crucial, but the Bulls do get the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday in a game they need to have.
