Bulls’ shedding streak climbs to 3 with blowout to Pelicans

After a 124-110 loss to the Pelicans in New Orleans on Wednesday night time, the Chicago Bulls have misplaced three straight video games and 5 of their final six, dropping them to 6-9 on the season.

The final two defeats have are available in blowout vogue.

Listed here are 10 observations:

1. The Pelicans, which entered play seventh within the NBA in 3-point share (37.5), shot a woeful 3-for-19 from that distance final Wednesday on the United Heart, after they beat the Bulls 115-111. However constructive regression got here early and infrequently on Wednesday.

Within the first quarter, New Orleans made 5 of its six 3-point makes an attempt, taking pictures 6-for-11 within the first quarter general, en path to constructing as a lot as an eight-point lead within the first 12 minutes. Within the first 99 seconds of the third, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy (19 factors, 5-for-6 from deep) every netted triples to make a five-point halftime lead 14 in a rush.

In all, New Orleans shot 17-for-33 (51.5 p.c) from distance in comparison with 11-for-32 (34.4 p.c) by the Bulls, an 18-point distinction in a 14-point loss. The Bulls entered play taking pictures 28.6 p.c from 3-point vary of their final three video games.

2. Zach LaVine staggered alongside the Bulls’ second unit continued to seek out success within the first half. Donovan turned to a five-man unit of LaVine, Goran Dragić, Alex Caruso, Javonte Inexperienced and Andre Drummond on the 3:03 mark of the primary quarter, with the Bulls trailing 26-20. By the ten:14 mark of the second — and with Derrick Jones Jr. spelling Inexperienced on the flip of the quarter — the guests had pulled forward 37-32 behind energetic protection and high-octane, ball-pinging offense.

 

The unit of LaVine, Dragić, Caruso, Inexperienced and Drummond entered play +15 in 20 minutes collectively this season; and in 20 minutes with Jones as an alternative of Inexperienced, +33. These are the Bulls’ two greatest five-man lineups by complete plus-minus.

3. LaVine, who remains to be discovering his footing after offseason knee surgical procedure, had three encouragingly explosive finishes on the rim within the first half. First, there was an acrobatic up-and-under and a blow-by of Larry Nance Jr. within the first quarter. Then, there was the above fastbreak slam within the second.

However finally, it was a nondescript efficiency. LaVine completed with 25 factors on 9-for-22 taking pictures (4-for-11 from 3-point vary), however that line was aided by 14 factors and three 3-pointers within the fourth quarter whereas the sport was out of attain. And within the second half, he didn’t discover as a lot success inside, taking pictures 0-for-3 within the paint and getting blocked by Pelicans rookie Dyson Daniels on a layup try early within the fourth.

The Bulls can solely hope that fourth quarter flurry, whereas non-impactful on this night time, will get LaVine rolling on a constant foundation shifting ahead.

4. DeMar DeRozan scored 9 factors on 3-for-6 taking pictures within the first half and picked up his third foul late within the second quarter. As the sport was slipping away from the Bulls within the third, he put his head down and scored 10 factors whereas making 5 of his six pictures (completed with 28 factors on 11-for-15 taking pictures).

5. However nonetheless, that was the quarter through which the Pelicans gained the sport. The aforementioned 3-point flurry by Ingram, McCollum and Murphy finally gave approach to New Orleans successful the third 37-25, taking pictures 6-for-11 from 3-point vary and drawing 10 free throw makes an attempt. Humorous sufficient, the Bulls entered play with the second-best third quarter level differential within the NBA, a statistic Wednesday night time’s efficiency douses in ice water.

By the start of the fourth, when the hosts pulled forward by as many as 26, it was an evisceration of drives, cuts and open soar pictures. The Pelicans certainly have been sizzling from lengthy vary, however the Bulls’ protection did them no favors, permitting 50 p.c taking pictures for the third straight sport and 30 assists.

6. Billy Donovan has made some extent to emphasise the Bulls’ turnover problems with late, notably in transition. In his eyes, it is a significant component within the staff’s offensive ranking lagging behind expectation early within the season.

Ball safety was not as a lot of a difficulty on paper on Wednesday, because the Bulls completed with simply 12 turnovers, properly under their common of 18.3 over their final six video games. However 10 of these turnovers got here within the first half, and a few have been careless, like Patrick Williams closing a strong defensive possession on Ingram with a defensive rebound and laser straight out of bounds attempting to push the ball up ground to DeRozan.

 

7. Dragić (six factors, seven assists in 20 minutes) once more outplayed place to begin guard Ayo Dosunmu (4 factors, 0-for-3 from 3-point vary). And with the Bulls’ beginning unit getting blitzed to begin the primary and third quarters, pondering a lineup change is affordable.

However be warned: The Bulls have projected since coaching camp that they are going to handle Dragić’s minutes fastidiously this season; the 36-year-old entered play averaging 19.6 for the season and has touched 25 simply twice. Plus, the Bulls’ issues — defensive focus, ball safety, taking pictures, amongst others — run deeper than lineup tweaks.

8. Within the first half, there seemed to be an intention to contain Nikola Vučević. He entered the break with a team-high 12 factors on 5-for-10 taking pictures, 2-for-4 from 3-point vary. However he completed with 14 factors and 10 boards and was once more largely outplayed by Jonas Valančiūnas, who was a dominant bodily presence on the inside and completed with 22 factors and 7 rebounds.

9. Halfway by means of the fourth quarter, with the sport all however determined, Williams seemed to tweak his proper ankle combating over a display screen. Donovan referred to as a timeout and instantly substituted him. Keep tuned for updates right here. Williams equipped some strong protection on Ingram (4-for-15 taking pictures) however notched simply 5 factors and 4 rebounds on this one.

10. Bulls followers are actually entitled to frustration that this loss got here with Zion Williamson, who missed his second straight sport with a proper foot contusion, out. However the reality is that this Pelicans staff is lots fierce even shorthanded.

This victory moved the Pelicans to 3-1 with out Williamson this season, together with wins over the Mavericks and Grizzlies. And so they after all ran by means of the play-in match and took two video games from the Phoenix Suns within the first spherical of final yr’s playoffs with out their celebrity ahead.

Subsequent up for the Bulls: Again house to face the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.