Last week, the Bulls won 2 games in a row to close out the week. That doesn't sound too impressive but both of the wins came without Zach Lavine, and fans are hoping this is the turning point to the poor start to the season. Well, it just might be. The Bulls picked up wins against the Hornets and Spurs in Week 7, both without Lavine again. They are now on a four-game win streak, their longest of the year. Zach is rumored to be out 3-4 weeks with his "foot injury", so it's time to see if the Bulls can keep it together during their tough stretch of games. Their next six games are all against teams that made the playoffs last year.
12/6 - Charlotte Hornets
Chicago hosted the Hornets and came away victorious for their 3rd straight win, 111-100. The game was close in the first half, with Chicago leading 48-44, but once the second half started, it was all Bulls basketball. They started the half going on a 19-4 run. After that, Charlotte never got closer than eight points for the rest of the contest. "In the third quarter, we came out ready to play," White said. "Right now we're playing a lot faster and making quicker decisions". Coby White continues to take advantage of this opportunity while Lavine is out, and doesn't look like he's ready to take a step back any time soon. The Hornets were without Lamelo Ball (right ankle sprain) and Mark Williams (back contusion). Nonetheless, it was a much-needed win for the Bulls to continue their momentum.
Four Bulls scored in double figures tonight, and all starters finished with six or more rebounds. Demar DeRozan led the pack with 29 points (8-20 FG), six rebounds, and three assists. Nikola Vucevic followed with 20 points (8-17 FG), 12 rebounds, and three assists. Coby White stood out again with 19 points (6-16 FG), nine rebounds, and five assists. Caruso and Williams were the other two starters, and they played a pivotal role as well. Caruso added 12 points (4-7 FG), and six rebounds, while Williams totaled eight points (3-6 FG), and nine rebounds. The bench wasn't as productive tonight (22 points), but the starters found a way to get it done without them. The team is starting to gel now, as it looks as if everyone is comfortable with the current state of the team.
12/8 - San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama had a career night totaling 21 points (8-20 FG), 20 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks. But it wasn't enough to take down Chicago. The Bulls were in a similar scenario as the last game. The first half was close as they found themselves down one at the break (52-53). Then they broke it open in the third quarter and thought it was smooth sailing from there on out. The Spurs never gave up though. With five minutes remaining, San Antonio closed the lead to 107-105. Chicago did not want that win streak to end, wrapping things up as strong as they could. They sealed the game with a 7-1 run, which was enough to prevail. This was much needed as the Bulls were 1-8 on the road prior to this game.
Four starters scored 20+ points tonight. Of the four, Coby White had the most. He had an efficient shooting night, totaling 24 points (9-15 FG, 5-7 3PT), six assists, and four rebounds. Vucevic played a great game, tallying 21 points (9-22 FG), 16 rebounds, and two assists. DeRozan had an inefficient shooting night (7-24 FG) but still ended with 20 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. When DeRozan gets a lot of assists, you know the Bulls have a good chance to win. Pat Williams also had 20 points (8-11 FG), plus six rebounds and three assists. Coby White has been getting all the praise as he's done a tremendous job filling in for Lavine, but Pat Williams needs to start getting more attention. In his last 10 games, he is averaging 12.1 PPG, 5.1 REB, 1.0 STL, 1.1 BLK, while also shooting 42.4% from three. He has also been putting on a highlight reel with all his monstrous dunks. If he keeps this up, the Bulls can turn their season around and potentially make a run for the play-in after a terrible start to the year.
Week 8 Opponents:
12/11 - @Bucks
12/12- vs. Nuggets
12/14- @Heat
12/16- @Heat
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