![]() Neither LaVine nor DeRozan like missing games, but with the Bulls only having two games over the next seven days, sitting out one game could pay dividends. DeRozan also missed his second game, although his first was for personal reasons. DeRozan also sat with the left ankle sprain he suffered in Boston, which forced him to leave that game early. “He’s dealing with the foot soreness,” Donovan said. On Tuesday, LaVine called his situation “complicated.” He also sat out the Oklahoma City loss.Īsked if it’s a day-to-day situation, Donovan said he didn’t know. ![]() It’s the second game LaVine has missed with the injury. LaVine sat with his right foot soreness that flared up and forced him to exit Tuesday’s loss in Boston early. More often than not, the Bulls’ defense turned Antetokounmpo into a jump shooter. He finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds, but the Bulls did a better job than in these teams’ first meeting at limiting his drives with full heads of steam. Giannis Antetokounmpo managed just four points before halftime, partly due to three fouls. "It was one of those games where everybody in their own way made major contributions to the game." "We pushed the pace and got down the floor and were pretty aggressive, which was good," Donovan said. The Bucks dropped a 10-0 run in the final 1 minute, 26 seconds before Caruso beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to force overtime.īut overall, the Bulls placed a season-high eight players in double figures, again reflective of good ball movement. The Bulls’ reserve unit also played well, with Drummond posting 10 points and 14 rebounds in 13 minutes, Jevon Carter reaching double figures and Torrey Craig doing the same while supplying stout defense. ![]() This came from several sources, including Ayo Dosunmu, who played well in his first start with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. But throughout this one, they played with the force and pace that Donovan has been seeking. The Bulls haven’t been the aggressors too often this season. The Bulls opened the fourth quarter with 10 straight points to extend a run that began in the third quarter to 14-0. We did a good job of sharing it when we got downhill." "We knew if we got them into rotations and touched the paint, we were going to have open shots. We tried to just talk to each other about not trying to do it all on our own," Caruso said. "We knew with Zach and DeMar out, there were going to be a handful of shots and minutes to go around. "But on missed shots, we have to generate more on transition opportunities."ĭonovan praised the screen-setting of Vucevic and Andre Drummond, saying they sprinted into screens that helped guards get downhill, putting the Bucks into rotation defensively. "We’re not going to be this speed merchant team on made baskets," coach Billy Donovan said. The obvious question, then, is: Why hasn't it happened more consistently with them playing? When they’re locked in, we’re a good team." The thing for us is watch the film, see what we did right and continue to try to play at that level. Guys step up and you have a little more focus. "Sometimes you have that heightened sense of urgency when you have two of your best players out. "We’ve shown it in spurts this year," Caruso said. In fact, Alex Caruso said the Bulls can play this style with LaVine and DeRozan. If we want to achieve anything, we need them." "That has nothing to do with it," Vucevic said. "I thought the guys did a really good job of finding me on the pops or in the pocket."īut Vucevic, and others, quickly shot down the notion that the faster pace and better ball movement that created a season-high 32 assists resulted from the loss of more isolation-based players like LaVine and DeRozan. "I just try to be a little more aggressive, whether it’s shooting or creating or trying to make the right plays for the team," Vucevic said. Vucevic said he looked to be more aggressive with those two main scorers out. Perhaps not coincidentally, it came without Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who both sat with injuries. The huge effort came after three straight games in single digits. Vucevic scored a season-high 29 points with 10 rebounds and six assists. It was great to do it, especially against a good team like Milwaukee." And we have been losing by big margins the last couple games. "The way the season has been going, we haven’t played really good basketball. But it’s big for us at this moment," Nikola Vucevic said.
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