Pacers Own the Paint in Win Over the Bulls
Pacers own the paint (Chicago, Illinois). After losing to the Atlanta Hawks 124-104 on opening night, the Bulls hoped to bounce back in their second game under new head coach Billy Donovan.
Their opponent was the Indiana Pacers, a team that also has a new head coach this season in Nate Bjorkgren.
Coming into the game, the Bulls had lost nine in a row against the Pacers, with their last win over the Pacers being in December of 2017.
Chicago started off the game strong
Chicago started off the game strong, jumping out to a 16-10 lead behind three 3 pointers from Coby White. TJ Warren also got off to a quick start for Indiana, as he scored 10 of their first 18 points.
White and the Bulls had a 28-27 lead going into the 2nd quarter, but the Pacers went on a 21-0 run in the middle of the quarter that gave them the momentum.
Domantas Sabonis led the Pacers assault with 14 of his 22 points coming in the 2nd quarter. This translating to a 66-56 lead for Indiana going into halftime.
The beginning of 3rd quarter was very similar to the 21-0 run the Pacers went on in the 2nd. The Pacers scored the first 18 points of the second half, jumping out to an 84-56 advantage in less than 4 minutes.
Lauri Markkanen scored the Bulls first points of the half around the 7 minute mark, but Indiana continued to overwhelm Chicago. The Pacers outscored the Bulls 33-15 in the quarter, going into the 4th with a 99-71 lead.
Despite being down, the Bulls continued to fight as a 15-2 run midway through the 4th brought them within striking distance. They only trailed 114-103 with 4 minutes left in the game.
Indiana responded with a 7-0 run of their own to go up 121-103 and never looked back, as they won their 10th straight against the Bulls by the score of 125-106. The main difference of the game was points in the paint: 76-34 Indiana.
Warren, Victor Oladipo and Sabonis all scored 20+ points, but it was Sabonis who led the way for the Pacers with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Zach Lavine led the Bulls with 17 points, with Markkanen chipping in 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Up next
Next, Indiana(2-0) will attempt to extend their winning streak tomorrow as they will play the Celtics(1-1) at 7pm CT.
The Bulls(0-2) will look to get their first win of the season tomorrow, at 7pm CT against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors(0-2).
Pacers own the paint
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