Tag: Chicago Bulls

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NBA (Basketball)

After being eliminated from the NBA Cup, the Spurs aim to recover against the Bulls

San Antonio Spurs (NBA)

The San Antonio Spurs will try to improve their shooting when they face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday in an interconference game.

This will be the only time the teams meet in San Antonio this season, where the Spurs have lost their last two games to the Bulls.

The Spurs are coming off a 104-93 loss to Phoenix on Monday, which was their second loss in the last three games after a four-game winning streak.

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 25 points off the bench, and Victor Wembanyama had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Stephon Castle scored 16 points, Jeremy Sochan added 14, and Keldon Johnson contributed 10 points for San Antonio.

The loss eliminated the Spurs from the NBA Cup, as they struggled with their shooting, hitting just 35 percent of their shots and only 18.2 percent (8 of 44) from three-point range. Wembanyama was scoreless in the first half and made just 1 of 9 from beyond the arc.

San Antonio’s defense performed well, limiting the Suns to 48.7 percent shooting.

“The defensive effort was really good,” said Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson. “But we turned the ball over and missed a lot of shots. Those two things really put a lot of pressure on your defense, and I thought it held up pretty well.”

The Spurs trailed by 13 at halftime but reduced the deficit to two with 7 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. They were down by only four heading into the final period, but Phoenix opened the fourth with a 7-0 run and stayed ahead.

San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings

Chicago heads to San Antonio after a 128-102 victory over Brooklyn on Monday, ending a two-game losing streak. Josh Giddey recorded his first triple-double of the season, scoring 20 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and making 11 assists.

Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls. Rookie Matas Buzelis scored a career-high 20 points, Zach LaVine contributed 18 points, Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker scored 11 points for Chicago.

“It was cool,” Giddey said about his triple-double. “The guys made my job easy. We played the right way. I was able to throw the ball ahead. Guys made shots, got to the rim. Team effort. We did it by committee, and that’s how it’s got to be every night.”

The Bulls shot 52.2 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range, while they also had big advantages in rebounds (54-41), fastbreak points (32-15), and points in the paint (62-40).

Buzelis, 20, has taken on a bigger role with the team, playing at least 17 minutes in four consecutive games off the bench. Chicago coach Billy Donovan praised him for his determination.

“The thing I admire is Buzelis keeps coming back and that he understands there is a learning curve for him in this process,” Donovan said. “If he does something, he tries to learn from it and move forward. It doesn’t deter him in his energy and the way he plays.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Celtics knock Bulls out of NBA Cup race

Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls

Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Payton Pritchard came off the bench to add 29 points, leading the Boston Celtics to a 138-129 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night in their fourth NBA Cup game.

Tatum made a free throw to give Boston a 125-115 lead with 4:11 left in the game. Chicago reduced the gap to just three points after a 3-pointer from Zach LaVine with 3:03 remaining but couldn’t get any closer.

Pritchard hit 7 of 11 shots from beyond the arc, scoring 19 of his points in the fourth quarter. Boston also got 21 points each from Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown.

With this loss, Chicago was eliminated from the NBA Cup, finishing with a 2-2 record. A win would have allowed them to advance as the East Group C champion.

Boston’s chance to win the group ended when Atlanta defeated Cleveland 117-101 on Friday. Since the Hawks beat the Celtics 117-116 in a previous NBA Cup game, Atlanta became the East Group C champion with a 3-1 record. The Celtics, also 3-1, have a small chance to advance as a wild card.

Jayson Tatum celebrates in the 2nd half

Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 32 points and 11 rebounds, while LaVine added 29 points, including four 3-pointers. With his third 3-pointer, LaVine surpassed Kirk Hinrich as the Bulls’ all-time leader in made three-pointers, finishing with 1,051 career 3-pointers for Chicago.

Boston took its first double-digit lead when Porzingis dunked to make it 23-12 with 5:38 left in the first quarter. The Celtics extended their lead to 33-20 after a Tatum 3-pointer, and they finished the first quarter up 39-30, making 9 of 16 3-point attempts.

The Bulls responded with a 16-3 run to tie the game at 42-42, then used an 11-0 run to go ahead 55-46. Boston answered with a 14-0 run, ending with a Derrick White 3-pointer to put the Celtics up 60-55. The game was tied 67-67 at halftime.

In the third quarter, a 13-2 run gave Chicago an 80-72 lead with 8:07 left. However, the score was tied 97-96 heading into the final quarter.

White, who had 16 points in 24 minutes, left the game with a foot injury in the second half and did not return.

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NBA (Basketball)

The Magic, led by Franz Wagner, will take on the Bulls as they look to keep their winning momentum going

Franz Wagner (NBA)

Franz Wagner has been making it easier for the Orlando Magic to cope without Paolo Banchero.

Over the past 10 games, Wagner has been putting up an impressive 27.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. He will look to keep up this strong performance when Orlando faces the Chicago Bulls at home on Wednesday night.

During Wagner’s outstanding stretch, the Magic have won 9 of their last 10 games, most recently defeating the Charlotte Hornets 95-84 on Monday. Wagner led the team with 21 points and seven assists, but it was the bench players who helped push Orlando to victory. Reserves Moritz Wagner (16 points), Cole Anthony (16), Jonathan Isaac (11), and Anthony Black (10) all scored in double figures, and the bench contributed 55.8 percent of the Magic’s total points.

Orlando’s head coach, Jamahl Mosley, is hoping his team can keep playing well, even with some key players out. Banchero hasn’t played since Oct. 30 due to a torn right oblique muscle, and the Magic were also missing Jalen Suggs (hamstring) and Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) in Monday’s game. Guard Gary Harris only played seven minutes before going down with a hamstring injury.

“Gutsy win — gritty and gutsy win,” Mosley said after Monday’s game. “Bodies down and we didn’t make excuses. This group doesn’t make excuses. That’s the second game where we found a way to win. Guys stepped up, stepped in.”

Paolo Banchero shoots a free throw in the 1st half

Suggs and Carter are expected to return on Wednesday, but Harris has already been ruled out for the game.

While Orlando has faced a lot of injuries, Chicago has been struggling to find consistency. The Bulls have a 5-9 record this month. However, they did manage to beat the Washington Wizards 127-108 on Tuesday night.

Coby White was one of seven Bulls players to score in double figures, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds. Nikola Vucevic, who played for Orlando from 2012-2021, added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Although Chicago’s win was solid, it came against a Washington team that has only won two games this season. Now, Bulls coach Billy Donovan is eager to see how his team performs against the hot Magic.

“I think you have to play who is in front of you, and you look at it as, ‘Did we do the things we’ve talked about doing?’” Donovan said. “No question there was growth. Coming out of this game (against Washington), it’s not like, ‘Oh, wow, everything is fixed.’

“My thing is, can we do it (Wednesday) night against a team that’s bigger, stronger, more athletic?”

Like Orlando, Chicago could get some extra help on Wednesday, as guard Lonzo Ball is hoping to return after missing 15 games with a right wrist injury. Ball played in three games earlier this season, coming off the bench, and averaged 4.7 points per game.

“In terms of his workout and whatever (the medical team) has to do, as long as there’s no setbacks, there’s a strong possibility he’ll play,” Donovan said. “He has been doing some contact one-on-one, some shooting, catching, shooting off the dribble — he’s doing all that stuff.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Bulls race past Wizards, who suffer their 12th consecutive loss

Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards

Coby White scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 127-108 win over the struggling Washington Wizards on Tuesday in an NBA Cup East Group C game.

White made five 3-pointers, and Zach LaVine hit four to finish with 18 points.

The Bulls had a strong second quarter, outscoring the Wizards 40-18, which helped them take control of the game.

Talen Horton-Tucker scored 13 points, while Jalen Smith and Ayo Dosunmu each had 12. Josh Giddey contributed 11 points and eight assists, helping Chicago send Washington to their 12th straight loss.

The Bulls shot 50.0 percent from the field and made 19 of 22 free throws.

For the Wizards, Kyle Kuzma led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds. Rookie Alexandre Sarr added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 points and grabbed six boards. Washington has not won since sweeping the Atlanta Hawks on October 28 and 30.

Washington’s Jordan Poole missed his second straight game due to left hip flexor soreness.

Boston Celtics vs Washington Wizards (NBA)

Kyshawn George gave the Wizards a 39-36 lead in the second quarter with a 3-pointer, but Chicago responded with a 25-8 run to close the half, with White contributing seven points during the run.

The Bulls continued their strong play into the third quarter, with White and LaVine hitting 3-pointers, and LaVine’s driving layup helping extend the Bulls’ lead to 77-56.

Washington tried to rally, with Sarr’s 3-pointer cutting the deficit to 101-90 in the fourth quarter. However, the Bulls quickly answered with a three-point play by Julian Phillips and a hook shot from Smith. The Wizards couldn’t make a serious comeback after that.

Kuzma scored 15 points in the first quarter to give Washington a 29-21 lead. The Wizards scored 16 points in the paint and took advantage of Chicago’s poor shooting from the 3-point line, where the Bulls made just 1 of 13 attempts.