For the second time this year Chicago Bulls won three games in a row.
Defeating the Atlanta Hawks 152–150 Bulls improved to 13-15, continuing their eternal quest for Play-In glory.
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Scoring an impressive 83 points in the first half, highest scoring first half in franchise historyAccording to Basketball-Reference, the Bulls' offense continued. They had 21 assists while making 12 of 24 shots from three and 61 percent from the field.
While the offense was humming, the defense was not. Giving up 73 points in the first half kept the Hawks in the game and allowed them to surge in the third quarter, cutting the lead from ten to one heading into the fourth.
Credit the Bulls for taking care of business in the fourth as they relentlessly pursued Trae Young. Was it Coby White or Josh GiddyThe Bulls looked for Young in screens to draw switches, allowing them to get into the paint where they could get to the rim, the line or spray it on three.
The 152 ties are the second most points the Bulls have ever scored in regulation. according to basketball reference.
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In addition to the Bulls shooting from three (48 percent), the Hawks were even better (49 percent). But thanks to the fact that the Bulls have more attempts at the free throw line (39 for the Bulls vs. 32 for the Hawks) and more offensive rebounds (11 for the Bulls vs. six for the Hawks).
Matas Buzelis kept an eye on his 24 points in Clevelandwith 27 points on 10-for-11 shooting. He started the game 9-for-9 and 6-for-6 from three. He sets a new season high with 28 points and scores 20 or more points in consecutive games for the first time in his young career. Despite the stunning result, Bouzelis pulled back the final score at 2:30. Billy Donovan looked for a more defensive-oriented lineup with Isaac Okoro, Nikola Vucevic, Tre Jones, Giddy and White. Bouzelis returned to the game with 41.5 seconds left after Okoro fouled.
Depth was again crucial for the Bulls, with nine different players scoring in double figures.
Next: The Bulls will face Atlanta again on Tuesday in the second game of their baseball set.
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Tune in CHGO Bulls post-game live:
Why does it seem like the Bulls either have everything working perfectly or nothing?
During this season, the Bulls won five straight games, went on a five-game losing streak and a seven-game losing streak en route to a 4-14 stretch, and have now won three straight games after beating the Hawks.
It may be simplistic, but the 3-point shooting of the Bulls and their opponents tells the story well.
In October, the Bulls shot 40.2 percent compared to their opponents' 30.1 percent, and the Bulls went 5-0. In November, the Bulls shot 36.4 percent to opponents' 37.3 percent, and the Bulls went 4-10. So far in December, the Bulls are shooting 32 percent while opponents are shooting 39.2 percent and the Bulls are 1-5. Now, thanks to their last three wins, the Bulls are at 42.6 percent to their opponents' 39.2 percent.
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Yes, make or miss the league. But the Bulls can't control whether the ball goes in or not. They have a lot of work to do when it comes to creating the right shots while playing with pace, tempo and aggression downhill. If they can do that more consistently, maybe they'll start hitting more shots consistently, too.
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— Will Gottlieb
Was it the Bulls vs. Hawks or the NBA All-Star Game of the modern era? Same difference. The Bulls and Hawks really took their usual “let's not play defense” pregame agreement to a whole new level, didn't they?
Speaking of scoring… MATAS. MIRACLE. BUZELIS. As of this writing, with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter, the young dude is 9-10 on the field, including 6-7 downtown. A couple of dunks and a great juke move drives to the rim. No mid-range shots yet, which some of us still want to see him create himself. I will wait patiently for this, but I will gladly accept any game in which Bouzelis' attacking potential shines.
Another game – the third in a row – with 34 or more team assists. It was also their third straight game with at least seven players in double figures. Has balance returned to the Bulls offense now that some of their injured players are back in the game? Maybe. Can they continue to show that while facing a better defense after doing so against the Cavaliers without Evan Mobley and the Hawks without a defense? We'll find out.
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Oh, and most importantly: always F the Packers. Bear. . F. Down.
— Matt Peck
Have you seen Bears game?!?!?!? LFG!!!!!!
The Bulls and Hawks have ALWAYS played crazy games, and this one was no exception.
Protection in this case was optional.
Hot start for the Bulls. 14 assists in the first quarter alone. Kids, this is crazy.
Bears.
BUZELIS. Man, it's so nice to watch them roar. Gives me hope for his future.
Bouzelis looked comfortable, but he wasn't the only one. The Bulls offensively were outstanding as a team. They couldn't miss. But they couldn't stop the Hawks (not that the Hawks were any better), so the game was called off because of that.
BEARS. Ben Jonson. Caleb Williams. BEARS.
— Big Dave
