CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Amid their struggles early in the season, it often felt like the Bulls needed a herculean individual effort or a stroke of fortune to earn a rare win. In short, their avenues to victory weren’t all that replicable.
Those days are long gone, and the Bulls believe sustainable basketball is back.
The Bulls continued their recent surge with an impressive 124-108 win against star LeBron James and his Lakers on Wednesday evening at the United Center, where Chicago went a scorching 18-of-34 from 3-point range. While that 52.9% shooting from long range won’t sustain, the Bulls feel just about everything else can.
Their scoring effort was well-balanced Wednesday, with eight players landing in double figures. They shared the ball well again in compiling 25 assists, and coach Billy Donovan thought the Bulls got into their sets quickly, which helped them “flatten the defense out” and have multiple opportunities to create and exploit advantages within a possession.
The Bulls were led by DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points and nine assists, while Coby White had 17 points and Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams added 15 apiece. DeRozan’s willingness to draw attention and then get off the ball helped the Bulls get a number of good looks from 3-point range.
“This is how we need to play,” Donovan said.
“Stylistically, we’ve got to play that way with the force and the pace. And not so much shoot it quickly, but we got to go. And like I said, DeMar is so smart, (Nikola Vucevic) is so smart, there are times inside the half-court where those guys can get to their spots and manipulate the game and do what they’ve done for their entire careers.”
The Bulls are now 7-3 in their past 10 games, which coincides with star guard Zach LaVine’s absence due to right foot inflammation. Entering Wednesday, the Bulls ranked last in the NBA in pace in that stretch, but they also ranked first in the league in passes per game over than span.
In short, the Bulls aren’t hoisting up shots any faster than they were earlier in the season when they got off to a 5-14 start and LaVine was in the lineup. They’re simply moving the ball better than they have all season.
Whether LaVine ever returns to the Bulls’ lineup remains a mystery, given that his soft trade request has the team searching for a deal that will ship him out of Chicago. If LaVine does get healthy enough to play again before a deal is reached, Donovan believes LaVine can fit in well. LaVine is expected to be out at least a few more weeks.
“Hopefully he is back sooner than later,” Donovan said. “We pray his rehab and everything goes well for him. But I think with his skill set and the way he shoots the basketball, he’s always been a guy that’s been out in transition and is really, really good in those situations.
“Zach can play any style. Because he can put it on the floor, he can shoot threes and he can get to the rim. So for us, with him coming back in, I think he fits in to how we’re trying to play. Now you may say, ‘Why weren’t you playing that way in the beginning? Why does it look different?’ I think there’s been some improvements that we’ve made of how we need to play, and as long as we’ve moving the ball, passing the ball and not holding it … it’s just collectively what we’ve got to do. And I think that we’ve done a better job of that. But I’m certainly hopeful when he gets himself healthy, he can get back to where he was. Because I think what he was dealing with with his foot for a long period of time, I’m not so sure he was ever right.”
The Bulls improved to 12-17 with their win over the Lakers, and they suddenly have an opportunity awaiting them. After the recent success came amid a tough stretch – the Bulls earned wins over the 76ers, Bucks and Heat, among others – Chicago’s schedule softens up in the next three weeks.
In the Bulls’ next 12 games, they play the Spurs (4-22) twice and the Hornets (7-19) twice. That starts when Chicago hosts San Antonio on Thursday at the United Center.
“I feel like now we're just starting to hit our stride and everybody as a collective, we're starting to make shots," White said. "And we're starting to trust each other. Like I always said, we believe in each other and we give each other confidence each and every day."
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.