Defensive woes continue as Rockets blast Bulls |
CHICAGO - It was a tough day for Chicago Sports Fans, but that has become the norm over the past five years. It all started with the Chicago Bears falling to the Green Bay Packers on a blocked field goal, and they have now gone nearly six years since they last beat Green Bay. Then came the nightcap at the United Center as the Houston Rockets (10-4) took on the Chicago Bulls (5-9).
After being one of the most improved teams in the league a season ago, Ime Udoka and his team faced many questions about what would come next as they looked to take the next step forward this season. They have shown what they are capable of so far this season, as their ability to knock down threes makes them one of the better offensive teams in the league. Compare that to the Bulls, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. This had the makings of an ugly game, and it lived up to that mantra. Despite a very close first quarter that saw the Bulls trail 27-26, it was the Bulls' defense that let them down. They allowed back-to-back 40-point quarters in the second and third to pave the way for a 143-107 defeat. That's 287 points allowed by the Bulls' defense in their past two games, and if they continue to play that poorly defensively, wins are going to be tough to come by. Not only did the defense struggle, but anytime you go through a game with only two players in double figures and none hitting 20 points, wins will be tough to come by, as the Bulls packed this one in by the end of the third. Zach Lavine led the Bulls with 15 points, but he didn't do much in the second half. He was the only player to start hitting double figures, as Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic each had nine points. Anytime you're getting blown out by as much as the Bulls did, it's one of those games where the Bench becomes the focus, as they played significant minutes in the second half. Talen Horton-Tucker led the Bulls bench, scoring 12 points in 10 minutes and playing solid on both ends of the floor. Ayo Dosunmu struggled to find his shot and finished with nine points, but he managed to dish out six assists as he continues to do many of the little things right. Fresh off his 24-point night on Saturday with the Windy City Bulls, Matas Buzellis continued to show promise on the floor. He connected for two more triples and finished with eight points. The same can be said about Jevon Carter, who finally saw some minutes on the floor to add eight points. Torrey Craig picked up five points, as the Bulls bench scored more points than the starters. While Chicago may have had trouble scoring, Houston certainly didn't, as they had this game well in hand by halftime. Unlike most of their games, where the three-point shot pushed them to victory, they were outscored from distance as Houston did so many other things right. Fred VanVleet continued to lead this team offensively, as he led all scorers with 28 points and picked up seven assists. He wasn't alone in having a big game, as all five of the Rockets starters cracked double figures, and seven players in total. Alperen Sengun was one of those guys, as he joined the 20-point party with 20 points and pulled down 11 boards. Houston also received 18 points from Jalen Green, 15 points from Dillon Brooks, and 10 points from Jabari Smith Jr., as their starting five gave the Bulls fits all game. As if that wasn't bad enough, try winning a game when you're struggling to score, and you have a team pulling guys off the Bench capable of putting up big games. Amen Thompson came through off the Bench to lead the second unit with 16 points, while Reed Sheppard rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points. Like Chicago, everyone who saw minutes on the floor scored at least two points as the Bulls defense continued to be laughable in the early season. MOTOR CITY SWEEPS WEEKEND WITH WINDY CITY Like their parent club, the early part of the G-League showcase hasn't gone as planned for Windy City, which fell to 1-4 on the season. Their most recent defeat came against the Motor City Cruise, who came into Hoffman Estates and swept the Bulls this weekend, winning 112-97 on Sunday to improve to 3-0 vs. Windy City this season. Even with their loss, the Bulls had to love what they continued to get offensively from Javon Freeman-Liberty as he led the way for the Bulls with 26 points. He was one of three starters to land in double figures, joining Chicago Area native Ben Coupet Jr, who finished with 20 points, and Adama Sanogo, who added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Sanogo is one of those players who dominate the G-League and, at some point, needs to be put on the Bulls NBA roster permanently. The Bulls also received 11-point efforts from fellow two-way player DJ Stewart and long-time Bull Ryan Arcidiacono, who both continue to play well. When it comes to the Cruise, the man of the hour was Cole Swider, who led all scorers with 32 points. Swider has dominated the Bulls in all three contests thus far, as his ability to knock down eight of his 10 triples made him difficult to contend with from the tip. Swider wasn't alone in having a big game, as all five Motor City starters topped double figures. Lamar Stevens had a massive 18-point, 14-rebound double-double, with Alondis Williams picking up 12 points. You also had 10 points from Cam Martin and Daniss Jenkins to set the tone for a difficult night for Chicago area sports.
