Bulls snap 6 game losing streak, beat the Nets – On this Easter Sunday, the Bulls have a chance to rise up and end their losing streak against the Brooklyn Nets. Even though they lost against Utah in their last game, Chicago defended much better as a team and held Donovan Mitchell to 7/21 from the field.

Chicago will need another strong defensive effort against the Nets, who rank 2nd in the league in scoring, at 119 points per game. Brooklyn will be without Kevin Durant and James Harden today due to injury, but they still have a star active in Kyrie Irving. Irving has the capability to win this game on his own if he catches fire, which the Bulls need to prevent. Coby White won’t be able to help Chicago with that on the court, as he is out today due to health protocols.

Late 2nd quarter surge grants Bulls the lead

The Bulls struggled taking care of the ball to start, with three turnovers by the 7 minute mark. Brooklyn missed their first six shots of the game, but jumped out to a 10-8 lead because of the extra possessions. The Nets then made 10 out of their next 13 shots, to go up 24-15 with 3 minutes left. Chicago responded with a 10-4 run to reduce the Nets lead to 28-25, going into the 2nd. On his birthday, Daniel Theis led the Bulls with 8 points off the bench.

Chicago tied the game at 37, with 5.5 minutes remaining in the 2nd. Getting to the line has been a big part of the Bulls offense thus far, as they have made 9 from the charity stripe compared to 4 made free throws Brooklyn. The Bulls closed the quarter out on a 20-9 run, to lead 57-46 going into halftime.

The Bulls held the Nets to only 18 points in the 2nd quarter, arguably their best defensive showing of the season. Vučević led Chicago with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the first half, but Zach LaVine and Tomas Satoransky also scored 12 and 11 points respectively. Irving and Blake Griffin both had 10 points for Brooklyn

Vučević and LaVine keep the Bulls in command

Chicago came out aggressive in the 3rd, as they extended their lead to 69-52 within the first three minutes. The Nets got themselves back into the game behind 4 points and 3 assists from Irving. His efforts reduced the Bulls lead to 76-67 with 3 minutes left in the quarter. Chicago countered with a 13-5 run, to go up 89-72 going into the 4th. Vučević and Lavine scored 15 of the team’s 32 points in the 3rd

Bulls maintain their lead, beat the Nets

Brooklyn scored 8 points in the first minute of the 4th, showing no signs of letting up. Chicago immediately took a timeout, with their lead being cut down to 89-80. The Bulls responded well as they took a 100-84 lead, but the Nets kept coming. Behind 8 points in the quarter from both Jeff Green and Irving, Brooklyn made it a single digit game again at 102-95 with 5 minutes left.

Behind jump shots from Patrick Williams and Vučević, Chicago went up 109-97 with 2.5 minutes left in the game. Green and Irving scored five straight points for Brooklyn to keep hope alive, but LaVine hit a huge three to put the Bulls up 112-102 with 1 minute left. The Bulls beat the Nets, 115-107.

Chicago turned in a team effort today, as six players scored in double figures. Brooklyn had seven players in double figures themselves, but the free throw line was the difference. The Bulls made 21 shots from the line, compared to only 6 for Brooklyn. Irving led the Nets with 24 points and 15 assists, while Vučević led the Bulls with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Satoransky also had a double-double, with 19 points and 11 assists.

Up Next

The Nets(34-16) will play the Knicks(25-25) tomorrow night at 6pm CT.

Chicago (20-28) will hope to win again on Tuesday night at 6pm CT, when they face the Pacers (22-26).

Bulls snap 6 game losing streak, beat the Nets

Related Articles

Responses