Zach LaVine scored 26 points, and Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White added 20 each, helping the Chicago Bulls win 136-122 against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday in an NBA Cup game. Seven Bulls players scored in double digits, leading the team to its highest point total of the season.
Nikola Vucevic contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Josh Giddey scored 18, Jalen Smith added 13, and Dalen Terry finished with 12. Chicago also blocked a season-high 10 shots, led by four from Vucevic, which helped offset the three Hawks who scored over 20 points.
The Bulls have now won two of their last three games after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets, where they gave up at least 143 points.
For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Trae Young added 25 points and 13 assists, and Clint Capela scored 21 points with 11 rebounds.
Atlanta had an early four-point lead but struggled offensively. They shot 45.8% from the field, while the Bulls shot 57%. The Hawks struggled from three-point range, making only 10 of 34 attempts (29.4%).
Bogdan Bogdanovic helped Atlanta with 16 points, hitting 4 of 8 three-pointers, while De’Andre Hunter added 14 points. White also had nine assists for Chicago.
LaVine and Dosunmu led the Bulls early, each scoring 12 points in the first half, which helped Chicago take a 58-51 lead at halftime. Johnson and Capela led the Hawks in the first half, with Johnson scoring 13 points and Capela adding 11.
The Hawks trailed by as many as 12 points in the final minute of the second quarter but ended the half on a 5-0 run, including a layup by Young on a goaltending violation by Dosunmu.
With the win, the Bulls improved to 1-1 in East Group C of the NBA Cup, while Atlanta dropped to 2-1. Group play will continue on Tuesdays and Fridays through December 3 to determine the eight-team knockout bracket later in the month.
This season, the Bulls have now won both of their matchups with the Hawks, having previously defeated Atlanta by 12 points on November 9.
