Bulls
Fresh off a 34-point, nine-assist night, Dosunmu not only discussed how he’s not even close to being satisfied, but agreed with his coach that there’s still a lot of improvement to make.
Thanks to a career-high 34 points from Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls treated the 11-win Wizards just like an 11-win team should be treated, easily winning 127-98.
It would be great for Donovan to throttle back on the minutes for some of his veteran players, especially with the NBA’s second-easiest remaining schedule, but he also knows his team doesn’t do anything easy.
Coach Billy Donovan didn’t want to use the word ‘‘frustrating’’ in describing his team’s inability to reach .500 and get out of the No. 9 spot in the East, but center Nikola Vucevic didn’t have that problem.
DeRozan tried to get his cape on in the fourth quarter against the Clippers on Thursday, but with Coby White injured and Paul George red-hot, it wasn’t meant to be.
The minutes have been piling up for White, but it was an accidental collision with Indiana’s Pascal Siakam that left him in street clothes a day later. The hope is the injury isn’t serious and that White continues to learn about the speed bumps of being a high-minutes player.
There was very little DeRozan didn’t do on Wednesday, including missing a last-second free throw on purpose to set up his own game-tying shot in regulation. He then finished off the home team in the overtime.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan is used to watching opposing teams run pick-and-rolls at his defense the last few seasons, but it has been amplified this season, especially the last few weeks.
The Mavericks reminded the Bulls on Monday of just how mediocre they remain and how far away an NBA title is.
Doncic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds. Two other Mavs added at least 20 points, including former Bulls big man Daniel Gafford.
It was DeRozan’s 15th career player-of-the-week award and his fourth with the Bulls, which ties him with Ben Gordon and Jimmy Butler for the fourth-most in franchise history. Michael Jordan leads the way with 23.
Since the beginning, sports fans have complained about how much money star athletes make.
While White isn’t caught up in where he stands in the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award, his Bulls teammates definitely are. One former two-time All-Star gave the latest endorsement for White to win it walking away.
The Bulls hoped Ball would be sprinting by January, but it’s happening now.
LaVine not only spoke with reporters Saturday for the first time since season-ending foot surgery, but he made it clear that he still fits in with the Bulls.
While DeMar DeRozan has lived up to his nickname on this West Coast trip, he’s not the only player on the Bulls’ roster that is playing hero late in games. Caruso just does it in a different, grimier way.
Billy Donovan has done a good job with his undermanned team lately, but he’s saving his best work for off the court by ensuring his players understand the big picture of what they’re trying to accomplish beyond April 14.
Coach Billy Donovan was not only busy talking with his front office Thursday about what took place late in the win over the Jazz, but he even made a call to the league office to make sure all parties understood what happened from the Bulls’ perspective.
In what should’ve been an easy win over the short-handed Jazz, a late-game scuffle almost came back to haunt the Bulls in their 119-117 victory.
As much as Bulls fans like to poke at Vucevic’s defense, statistically he has been one of the team’s better defenders the last three seasons. The numbers show it, and he also passes Billy Donovan’s eye test.
Paxson’s appointment was announced by Golden Touch founder Karen Phelps, whose father, Digger Phelps, coached Paxson at Notre Dame.
White put up a career-high 37 points in Monday’s comeback win against the Kings, but all he could do afterward was credit teammates and talk about the resiliency of the locker room. Sounds like DeMar DeRozan has finally found a true co-closer.
It’s been quite the week for Dosunmu, as he showed off his voice in huddles, his forearm strength on Patrick Beverley, and in the Monday win over the Kings, kept the Bulls afloat in what could have been a sinking first half.
The versatile forward has been sidelined since the All-Star break with a sprained right knee, but he showed significant signs Monday of returning sooner than later.
Arturas Karnisovas’ “competitive” crew sits comfortably ninth in the Eastern Conference. While the executive would love to see them climb, that doesn’t seem to be in the forecast with the teams in front of the Bulls.
Beverley’s stay with the Bulls last season was successful in the standings, not so much in the locker room. But just because the organization moved off the hometown guy doesn’t mean toughness still isn’t an issue.
Frustrations boiled over for the Bulls in the second half. DeMar DeRozan was issued a technical foul in the closing minute of the third quarter, and Nikola Vucevic was ejected after a flagrant 2 foul in the fourth.
After yielding 46 points and 16 rebounds to Giannis Antetokounmpo in a 113-97 loss Friday to the Bucks, the Bulls (28-32) sat in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. A spot in the play-in tournament is all that comes with it.
Long before he signed a two-way contract this summer, which was converted to a standard deal last week, Bitim’s professional career began in Turkey at just 17 years old.
During the Wildcats’ game against Iowa on Saturday, McKinney, 68, will become the school’s first athlete in any sport to have a jersey retired.