Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Washington Wizards 127-98 on Saturday night at the United Center.
“I know they are a team in difficulty and they have not played well this season, but they have very good players and they play hard. We approached the match very seriously, we especially miss Coby ( White) and a few other guys as well, “Nikola” Vucevic said. “I’m really, really happy with our approach from start to finish.”
Here are 10 observations:
—The Bulls recorded only their second 20-point victory of the season. They matched their largest margin of victory, which came on January 20 against the Memphis Grizzlies, a 29-point blowout. The last 11 victories had been by 10 points or less.
—Pregame, coach Billy Donovan talked about the need for Ayo Dosunmu to focus on creating shots by “touching the paint,” either via a drive or pass. Dosunmu entered averaging over 5 assists in his previous 10 games. And with Coby White in addition to the absence of Zach LaVine, the Bulls are missing two primary shot creators.
—Dosunmu tied his career high for most points in a half with 18 before halftime. He then scored 10 seconds into the second half and finished with a career-high 34 points and nine assists.
—Nikola Vucevic was the beneficiary of the Dosunmu painting investigation. He scored 16 points without missing in the first quarter and finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Dosunmu served and got to Vucevic twice early to set the tone for a big night in the paint for the Bulls.
Vucevic earned a technical score late in the fourth for shoving Eugene Omoruyi after the third-year big man stripped him naked in open court. On the next possession, Vucevic scored on an and-one on Omoruyi and gave him a “too small” move.
“When he stole the ball from me, I was then talking to Jacyn (Goble), the referee, and he came down and said things that I didn’t like and that I don’t think you should say to another man, especially not on the pitch. on the pitch and especially not being a young guy trying to impose himself against a player who has been there for a long time and an older player.
“He plays hard and competes. I respect that. But you have to be careful about what you say and how you talk to people. You have to be respectful. That’s the only problem I had with it That. That’s why I said something back to him and why when I got the and-one, I had a little fun with it. That was my way of responding.
“You can gossip and everything else. But you have to be careful about the words you use. The one he used is something you should never use. He said, ‘Shut up,’ and then he used the “B word.” “I just think it’s very disrespectful to tell anyone. As a young player you should know better than that. »
—Alex Caruso continued his career-best offensive season, reaching double figures for his third straight game. He scored 16 points and knocked down two more 3-pointers, giving him 12 points over his last three games.
—DeMar DeRozan didn’t take a shot until 3 minutes, 50 seconds into the second quarter, which he did. At this point, he had collected four assists. DeRozan scored 13 points on just seven shots, narrowly avoiding his second single-digit scoring night of the season. He made an uncharacteristic seven of 11 free throws.
—The Wizards recently went on a 16-game losing streak before recording back-to-back wins against Charlotte and Miami from March 8-10. They then lost two games in a row, entering Saturday as losers of 18 of 20. And they lost Deni Avdija to a late scratch from a bruised knee on a night when several other regulars were already out. “Every game is tough for us,” Donovan said when asked about the favorable matchup.
—White missed his second straight game with a right hip injury he suffered Wednesday in Indianapolis. Coach Billy Donovan said the organization’s hope is that White can play late next week if he continues to progress with his pain and discomfort. The Bulls play at Houston on Wednesday and against Boston at home on Saturday.
—The news is worse for rookie Julian Phillips, who wears walking boots for his sprained right foot. Donovan said he will be out at least two weeks, the first timetable regarding the second-round pick’s situation.
—Jevon Carter served as the sixth man, closing out three wild games for the veteran guard. He didn’t play by coach’s decision two games ago, scored in double figures in the last game, and was the first off the bench against the Wizards.
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