Staggered Bulls embrace chaos, pull out impressive victory against Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — Coach Billy Donovan knew the Bulls were staggered.

They hadn’t quite taken a knee, but the latest injury news that forward Patrick Williams (surgery on left foot) would be lost for the season had them gasping for air.

That’s why the Bulls’ 114-106 victory Sunday against the bigger, healthier Pelicans impressed Donovan. It was a gut-check, and they passed.

‘‘To sit here and say it hasn’t had an impact on them would not be the case,’’ Donovan said of the Bulls’ ongoing injury issues. ‘‘It definitely has.’’

In addition to Williams’ injury, the Bulls already had lost guard Zach LaVine (surgery on right foot) for the season and still have no timetable for when forward Torrey Craig will return from a sprained right knee.

Yet trailing by 12 points in the third quarter, they responded rather than give in. Sure, making the game ugly was the Bulls’ weapon of choice, but that’s just what they might have to be in the final 25 games if they want to reach the postseason.

‘‘It’s not a boxing match, it’s a brawl,’’ forward DeMar DeRozan said. ‘‘And in a brawl, anything goes. You gotta bite, scratch, pull. Whatever you gotta do to win the game, that’s kind of the mindset you’ve got to have. It ain’t always going to be pretty. We can’t expect it to be pretty. As long as we walk away with the ‘W,’ that’s the only thing that matters.’’

DeRozan would know.

It was his 10 fourth-quarter points, including a dagger three-pointer with 30 seconds left, that sent the Pelicans the canvas. He finished with a game-high 24 points.

Not that Donovan was the least bit surprised about DeRozan’s performance. While he praised numerous players for stepping up in what was a chaotic game at times, DeRozan was tops in that department.

‘‘It might not always be pretty for us, but they’re going to fight,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I don’t think they’re in the business of: ‘OK, Patrick’s done, Torrey is down, we’re playing against a really big team, we have no chance. We’ll just go through the motions.’ I don’t think they have that mentality.

‘‘I think DeMar thrives on that. I think he thrives on chaos. I think he thrives on uncertainty.’’

Growing up in Compton, California, uncertainty was all DeRozan knew. So of course he finds comfort in chaos.

‘‘One thing I talk to Coach about — and whenever I get to talk to guys — I just try and translate the perspective of what I’ve been through to the court,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘When you kind of do that, you realize that on the court is nothing close to the reality of what I made it out of. To me, I try and thrive in those moments and make the best of them. Kind of make it a contagious thing, not just for me but for everybody.”

It worked. Guard Ayo Dosunmu chipped in with 21 points, and Coby White delivered when it mattered most, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.

‘‘It’s always easy, whenever you have any adversity, to fold, to make excuses, to give in, whine, complain,’’ DeRozan said. ‘‘You don’t hear that from none of us. We just try and figure it out the best way we can figure it out every single day.

‘‘Nothing is ideal. That’s one thing I try and stress to the guys: I expect to get up every day, but I don’t expect the weather to be sunny and sunshine every single day. With that, I try and make the best out of every situation I’m in.’’