Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Bulls improved to 3-1 on their home court with a 118-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at the United Center.
Here are 10 observations:
—Before the game, coach Billy Donovan said Nikola Vučević would be out at least in the short term with a left groin strain. That meant Andre Drummond made his first start as a Bull. Drummond had 630 career starts before Tuesday night, most of them coming from his All-Star days with the Detroit Pistons. But Tuesday was the first time Drummond heard announcer Tim Sinclair's familiar “man in the middle” call for the starting center.
—Drummond counted his first rotation play. He scored six points, including an alley-oop dunk from DeMar DeRozan and two putbacks off offensive rebounds. Drummond also emphatically blocked Clint Capela's hook.
—Donovan also said he would use small-ball lineups to weather Vučević's absence. Donovan has often favored such lineups, as he has made a habit of playing the now-retired Derrick Jones Jr. at center. Against the Hawks, Donovan played as a small-ball center against the rarely used Terry Taylor, who is 1.95 meters tall. Patrick Williams might also want some time at backup center.
—For the third straight game, the Bulls started slowly from 3-point range and missed their first six attempts. But Jevon Carter sank two and Ayo Dosunmu sank one in the final minute and 27 seconds of the first quarter. Carter has struggled from distance lately, but that hasn't stopped his preferred approach of launching open 3-pointers in transition. His second brand fits this description. Still, the Bulls finished just 7 of 25 from distance.
—DeRozan recorded four assists before scoring his first points, which came on two free throws, with 3:04 left in the first half. DeRozan missed his first four field goals before making his first at 1:14 of the second quarter. DeRozan has talked about wanting to get others involved early and then be more aggressive later if the game calls for it. But with Zach LaVine and Vucevic sidelined, the Bulls could have used more offense from DeRozan early on, even though he received effusive praise from Donovan for his play. Case in point: He scored 10 points in the third period as the Bulls got back into the game. And then DeRozan scored 11 points in the fourth period and finished the game in style.
The Bulls placed six scorers in double figures.
“It makes my job easier in the fourth quarter,” DeRozan said. “These guys expect me to finish the game. Sometimes it's not necessarily about scoring, it's about playing and trying to make the right decisions these guys. And I know when they look at me like that, it’s time for me to do my part.”
— Alex Caruso recorded his 200th steal in his 134th game as a Bull, according to the team's public relations staff. Only Michael Jordan (311), Wilbur Holland (282), Kris Dunn (245), Ron Artest (230) and Scottie Pippen (201) recorded more steals in their first 134 games with the franchise.
—Trae Young entered after tying Oscar Robertson's NBA record of seven straight games with at least 30 points and 10 assists. Young, who received plenty of protection from Caruso, finished the game with 21 points and 13 assists. His streak ended.
—Drummond posted his second 20-point game as a Bull and his first 20-point/20-rebound game since Jan. 31, 2021 as a member of the Cavaliers. It's the 45th 20-20 game of Drummond's career, tying Bob Lanier for 15th in NBA history. He finished the night with a monster night with 24 points, 25 rebounds, three steals and two blocks and hugged his mother in the audience after the game. Drummond shot 11 of 13.
—After shooting 0-for-8 from 3-point range against the Cavaliers on Saturday, Coby White missed all seven of his 3-point attempts on Tuesday. White has been playing with a sore wrist on his shooting hand, which he records, but he refuses to use the problem as an excuse. And don't worry: White still finished the game with 19 points and five assists, proving once again that he can make an impact even when he doesn't shoot well. And Ayo Dosunmu stepped up as a scorer in his absence with 19 points and a huge offensive rebound in the final period.
“I like the shots he takes,” Donovan said of White. “His 3 doesn’t work, but he impacts the game with the other things he does.”
—Caruso and DeRozan made key plays down the stretch. Caruso sank a big three-pointer and attacked Dejounte Murray. DeRozan used top-notch footwork on an up-and-down movement for a huge basket late in the final period. DeRozan doesn't always show great emotion, but after this basket he did.
Donovan left the court with DeRozan after the win. When asked about the moment, Donovan gave an impassioned speech about DeRozan's professionalism and dedication.
“I appreciate him. He’s a consummate professional,” Donovan said. “What I love about him is that he does whatever he has to do to help the team. Talking to him about how we need to play faster and he needs to get on stage, he does what is asked of him.”
“He’s an elite closer. And that's what he did in his career. When the game slows down, you try to get him into areas of the field where he does what he does. But the selflessness and sacrifice that he tried to do for 36 minutes. “Getting rid of the ball, advancing the ball, helping us play fast, getting the other guys involved, creating shots for those guys and still keeping his head in the game.” keep it, that speaks for its size.
“I just told him I appreciated everything he did. He doesn't just finish the game at the end. He also includes everyone else and plays stylistically in the way that is best for these guys. To his greatness, he can play a lot.” In different ways. As long as I'm training, you meet people who are really unique and special. And he's really special because not only is he an elite talent and probably a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he just wants to win. And he can see the bigger picture of what we need to do.”
When asked what that moment meant to him, DeRozan responded equally eloquently.
“I never take anything for granted. “I’ve had great coaches throughout my career who allowed and trusted me to be myself,” DeRozan said. “Whatever is asked of me, I try to do my best. It definitely feels good when a coach like this trusts you. You just want to give it back and give it back the respect for the game.” “
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