Bulls comeback falls short against Nets |
BROOKLYN—I know we are only six games into the season, but the Chicago Bulls (3-3) are getting the reputation of being comeback kids. That can work in the short term, but you can't expect your team to continue to fall behind by 20 points and manage to come away with a victory as they have the past two games.
After getting above .500 for the first time since 2021, Chicago was looking to keep things rolling as they hit the road to take on the Brooklyn Nets (3-3) at the Barclays Center. As has been the case in most of the games this season, the Bulls fell behind early, were down by double digits again, and were forced to play catchup after the first quarter. For the most part, the Bulls played catchup. Zach Lavine, Coby White, and Nikola Vucevic led the comeback charge to pull the Bulls within two points after three and then again had the Bulls within one late in the fourth. It was at that moment when the Nets put the game away, as Brooklyn managed to pull away late for the 120-112 win. As has been the case in most of the games this season, Vucevic has not only played well, but he remains the most consistent player to start the season. He led the Bulls with 28 points to go with 11 rebounds, making five double-doubles in six games this season. He continues to be a walking double-double. It takes more than one player to put forth a competitive effort, and the Bulls had that with five players in double figures, including three of them finishing with at least 20 points. Lavine and White were the other two who grabbed 20 points. Each of them finished with 21 points, and they combined to go 10-18 from deep, with both guys going 5-9 in the game. They accounted for more than half of the Bulls 17 made triples as they continue to be one of the more improved teams from distance this season. Coming off his best game as a Bull, all eyes were on Josh Giddey and how he would respond as he continued to look like the player of old. Although not his best game, as he struggled to shoot the ball from start to finish, he did a bit of everything to finish with 11 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Rounding out the double-figure scorers for the Bulls was Ayo Dosunmu, as he led the bench with 10 points for his third consecutive double-digit performance off the bench. For the most part, the Bulls starters continued to do the heavy lifting, but Patrick Williams was a liability once again. With just six points in 28 minutes, his days as a starter are numbered, especially if Jalen Smith's injured ankle is back to 100% by next week. Despite this being a much different-looking Nets team than in previous seasons, they are in rebuild mode and have plenty of talent across the roster. Leading the way, as expected, was Cam Thomas, who continues to turn himself into one of the better players in the league. Thomas finished with a game-high 32 points while dishing out four assists, as he was the go-to guy from start to finish. Thomas was the only player for the Nets to score 20 points or more, and when that happens, your chances of winning a game aren't great. However, with five players in double figures and several others close to double figures, the Nets had enough balance to overcome some of the poor shooting. Cameron Johnson was the only other starter to top double figures with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Brooklyn also saw Keon Johnson and Nic Claxton come away with 12 points off the bench, with Ziaire Williams adding 10 points. Those men played a massive role in the Nets' ability to not only get the lead but to hold it for most of the game. Unlike the Bulls, whose scoring was dominated by three players, the Nets benefitted from an odd night when not many players had big games. Dorian Finney-Smith added nine points in the starting lineup, as did Dennis Schroder, who also came away with seven assists. Ben Simmons also had a surprisingly good game. Although he finished with just eight points, he added 11 rebounds, which has been a massive part of his game. Chicago will return to action on Monday when they host the struggling Utah Jazz.
