Getty
John Collins #20 of the Utah Jazz.
THE Chicago Bulls won a hard-fought victory against Utah Jazzwith an emphasis on fighting (by NBA standards) in the final moments.
The Bulls led by one point with nine seconds remaining and DeMar DeRozan ready to go to the free throw line for two shots. But the mistake that got him there didn’t please his teammate Torrey Craigwho started to chew with Collin Sextonwho made the mistake.
A fight ensues, with Jazz’s big man John Collins and Bulls assistant coach Chris Fleming get physical with each other.
“Collin and Craig were kind of, you know what I mean, just talking,” Collins told reporters post-match on March 5.[I] I ran over, I’m there, and the coach comes and pushes me for no reason. You can go see the movie, and I just protected myself. Literally, I’m standing there and the guy just puts a forearm in my chest and pushes me.
“He needs more self-control. …I don’t know what to say about this. It was weird.
“I’ve talked to coaches, but none of them have ever touched me like that,” Collins said. “It was a first.”
Critical victory for the Notch Bulls against the Jazz
Collins and Fleming were both called for technical fouls, as was Craig, giving the Jazz a free throw. Jordan Clarkson converted it and tied the game. DeRozan made both free throws while a pair of missed threes by the Jazz sandwiched a turnover of Coby White to complete the game.
DeRozan finished with a game-high 29 points, adding seven assists, six rebounds and a steal. He scored 17 points in the fourth quarter alone.
The win helped maintain their 2.0 game lead over the Atlanta Falcons for ninth place in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Atlanta also recorded a victory on the night, taking the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There are only 20 games left in the regular season, and the Bulls will face the Hawks again on April 1. As crucial as this victory was for the Bulls, it did not please the head coach. Billy Donovan.
Billy Donovan slams bulls for losing their cool
“I saw DeMar get fouled, I don’t know if he was holding his face or grabbing his face. I think Torrey said something. Everyone came. Chris Fleming was trying to keep everyone from splitting up. And then from there it kind of escalated. …At that point, I just stepped in to break it up a little bit,” Donovan said during his media availability.
“I don’t see the situation in Utah at all. I watch it for us, and we have to be better in those moments, in my opinion. Not only do we lose a point on a technical foul, but we also freeze our shot on a free throw.
The Bulls also had a late-game explosion in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on March 1st.
“I understand the emotion and the intensity of the games,” Donovan said. “But at the same time, whether it’s complaining or feeling upset or frustrated, it doesn’t help.”
Donovan once again called on everyone on his side to do better in these situations in the future.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Vikings. He has covered the NBA and NFL since 2016, including on FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He is based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck Learn more about Josh Buckhalter
