Oklahoma City Jan 25 (BUS): Nikola Vucevich scored 26 points and 15 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls withstood a fierce rally by Oklahoma City to beat the Thunder 111-110 on Monday night.
The Bulls had a 28-point lead in the third quarter, but the Thunder had a chance to hook it in the final seconds. Shay Gilgus Alexander of Oklahoma City missed a 3-D pointer that would have equaled the score with 2.3 seconds to play, the AP reports.
Bulls were short-handed. DeMar DeRozan, who averages 26.3 points per game, rested. Lonzo Ball bruised his left knee and Alex Caruso missed the game with a broken wrist when Milwaukee’s Grayson Allen shoved him to the ground.
With Ball and Caruso out, Thunder harassed the Bulls in the fourth quarter.
“Two of our key ball players at Lonzo and Alex are not here, and when you get into these situations in the fourth quarter where teams increase defensive pressure and capture an entire court, you have to be able to handle it,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
Rookie Ayo Dosunmo scored 24 points, the highest level of the season, and Zach Lavigne added 23 points for the Bulls.
And Chicago, one of the best teams in the Eastern District, lost six of seven and lost 19 points to the NBA, Orlando’s worst team. Lavigne, who has been out since January 14 with a bruised left knee, was happy to generate the spark.
“It was a good feeling,” said Lavigne. “I am tired of just sitting at home watching. I am as healthy as I can get, but sitting at home is so bad and not being able to help.”
Gilgeos Alexander scored 31 points and 10 assists, and Lou Dort added 16 points for the Thunder team, which lost 11 out of 12.
Dosunmu scored 16 points at 7-7 in the first half to help the Bulls lead 58-48 at the break.
Jafonte Green’s right hand throw in traffic lifted the Bulls 66-50 early in the third quarter, and Chicago’s biggest lead was 84-56 midway through the period. Oklahoma City pared that deficit, but Dosunmu entered the 3-pointer from inside the half right at the bell to give the Bulls a 92-78 advantage.
Dort’s 3-pointer with 53.6 seconds left trimmed Chicago’s lead to three, and a ball-kick by Josh Giddey 14.8 seconds before made it a one-point game.
Lavigne made two free throws 9.9 seconds before the end of the match. After Giljus Alexander’s foul, Green sealed it when he hit a free throw one second before.
“I give our guys a lot of credit,” Thunder coach Mark Dennyault said. “The ball pressure really increased and they brought in a lot of energy. Getting out there and pressing the ball like that was huge for us because it took them out of their attack and didn’t allow them to use their size in (centre midfield).”
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Daigneault on Gilgeous-Alexander: “I think he’s been on a good run here for a while. He’s had a couple of low-production matches mixed in there, but I feel like he played a really good balance tonight. That was really effective 31 points tonight. He hit the streak a ton He made the right passes, got shots from his teammates, played quickly on the ground and played quickly inside the movement, making it difficult for the defense to help him.”
STAT lines
Dosunmu, a second-round draft pick, set a junior Bulls record for tackles made to start a game with a score of nine. Orlando Woolridge had eight consecutive runs during the 1981-82 season. Dosunmu fired 10 of 14 rounds overall.
Donovan’s Return
Donovan, who coached the Thunder for five years before leaving for the Bulls, received mixed reactions when it was announced during pre-game introductions. He had a record 243-157 with Oklahoma City.
Hint
Bulls: Derek Jones (right knee hyperextended) and Patrick Williams (torn left wrist) sat. Lavigne was shot in the face in the third quarter and came back with a bandage over his left eye. …forward Tyler Cook took his elbow in the face in the third quarter, left the match and never came back. … Dosunmu made a mistake after playing 35 minutes.
Thunder: Gilgeos Alexander scored 19 points in the second half. …Chicago set up a 6-for-22 shooting in the fourth quarter. … Mike Moskala scored 14 points in 15 minutes.
next one
Bulls: In Toronto on Wednesday.
Thunder: Indiana hosts Friday.