The Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons had both suited up on Sunday night, but only one team was showing tired legs from the jump.
While Detroit looked sluggish offensively at times during the first quarter, the Bulls found their rhythm fast. One night after shooting 14-56 from downtown, they went a stunning 8-10 in the first 12 minutes. Nikola Vucevic drained two of those long-range buckets, doing a great job of stretching out the Pistons’ 6th-ranked defense.
Chicago would go on to score 36 points in the opening frame, which serves as their highest-scoring first quarter of the season. This also came one night after failing to score 30 points in a single quarter against the Rockets.
The Pistons started to find their footing in the second quarter and were able to bring the game within single digits heading into the locker room. Nonetheless, the Bulls’ remained in control and got some great minutes from their second unit. Jalen Smith looked just as comfortable as Vucevic against the Pistons’ frontcourt, while Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry brought loads of energy.
To Detroit’s credit, they continued to hang around in a game that felt like it could be broken wide open. New head coach JB Bickerstaff has done a nice job helping this Pistons team clean up the little mistakes and establish a more well-rounded identity. Detroit started the quarter on a 6-0 run to bring the game within a single basket, but the Bulls clapped back with a 7-0 run of their own. A game of cat and mouse continued for a lot of the third quarter, which inevitably led to Chicago entering the final frame with the same 8-point lead they had at halftime.
Still, the Pistons refused to go away. A 10-2 run later and the score was suddenly tied with over 8 minutes remaining. Thoughts of another fourth-quarter collapse started to pop into my brain. But, lucky for the Bulls, the Pistons are still looking for their Donovan Mitchell or Anthony Edwards. Josh Giddey would score clutch back-to-back buckets to push the Bulls back up two scores. Then, it was Zach LaVine’s turn to play closer.
Over the final 6:46 of the quarter, LaVine would nail SIX shots from behind the arc. Yes, you read that right. He came into the fourth with only 7 points on the night … he finished with 25 points in a +24 performance. There was nothing the Pistons could do.
Ps: This game is a perfect example of how Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic may make the Bulls too good down the stretch. If the Bulls want to eventually go after their 2025 draft pick in earnest, moving on from one or both is probably needed.
Players Grades
Nikola Vucevic – A (Ankin Law: “Making it Personal” Player of the Game)
Stats: 29 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST
I have to be honest, I was skeptical of how Nikola Vucevic would perform in this one. Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart offer a tough one-two punch of athleticism and physicality, which is why the Pistons hold a top 3 REB% in the league. But Vucevic’s veteran savvy and offensive versatility prevailed. He finished 11-18 from the field and 6-8 from deep. This tied the big man’s career-high in three-point makes!
Zach LaVine – B+
Stats: 25 PTS, 6 REB 5 AST
The dude went 6-8 from three in the fourth quarter alone. What more has to be said? The Bulls closed this game out because of him.
Coby White – B+
Stats: 25 PTS, 4 AST, 4 REB
Engaged from start to finish, Coby White looked motivated to right the wrongs of last night’s ugly loss. He scored 25 points on just NINE made field goals and did a nice job hustling off the ball.
Josh Giddey – B
Stats: 11 PTS, 10 AST, 8 REB
All things considered, this was a really solid performance from the Bulls’ new guard. He did a nice job letting the scoring opportunities come to him and capitalizing when they did. And, per usual, he played a big part in the Bulls’ shooting success by setting up guys behind the arc.
Jalen Smith – B-
Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
He was only on the floor for 13 minutes tonight, but I liked what I saw from the backup big man. He was very active on the glass and nailed two of his three attempts from long range.
Box Score
Check out the full box score here.
