CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Early in the Bulls’ concerning 3-6 start to the season, a pattern has emerged.
After a brutal stretch in a game, often the start, they have to turn to guard Alex Caruso off the bench to spark them. Or perhaps to state it more appropriately, they turn to Caruso to save them.
That familiar theme was on display again Wednesday at the United Center, where the Bulls lost 116-115 to the Suns in overtime to waste another sensational effort from Caruso. The Bulls’ start in this contest was nothing short of catastrophic, as they were down 19-4 at the 7:36 mark of the first quarter when Caruso subbed in a bit earlier than usual. That deficit grew to as large as 18 points for Chicago before Caruso hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter and played his usual suffocating defense to get the Bulls out of their early funk.
By the end of the quarter, the Bulls were only down eight. By halftime, they were tied. Caruso was the driving force and the glue that held them together.
“He was phenomenal,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
“Once he got into the game, it kind of changed the flow of the game, quite honestly, with what he did. It’s great to see him doing what he’s doing offensively. I think he probably deserves a lot of credit in this early part of the season. Not only has he been great defensively and his plus/minus is off the charts, but he’s giving us a really good boost from behind the line making some threes when he’s got them.”
Caruso finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added four rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks in 31 minutes of action. He led all players in the game with a +24 plus/minus.
While he slightly trails teammate DeMar DeRozan in win shares accumulated early on, Caruso has probably been the Bulls’ most impactful player. The Bulls have outscored opponents by 4.9 points per 100 possessions with Caruso on the floor. They’ve been outscored by 12.0 points per 100 possessions with him off the floor. He also has a +2.0 average plus/minus per game on a team that has compiled a -5.0 mark.
On Wednesday, Caruso made a handful of key defensive plays late to help give the Bulls a chance. He made work uncomfortable for Suns star Kevin Durant (25 points on 7-of-16 shooting for the game) with a series of deflections and by denying passing lanes. On the final play of regulation, Caruso also hounded Durant as he missed a game-winning shot attempt from the right wing.
“I joked about that with (assistant) Mo Cheeks on the sideline after the end of regulation,” Caruso said. “I was like, ‘If you would’ve told young Alex Caruso you get to guard Kevin Durant one-on-one for game, he would’ve been pretty excited. Probably a little scared, but pretty scared. That’s cool, man. He showed me some love about the game. That’s what it’s all about. I think part of that is he recognizes I’ve gotten better, and I try to make it difficult for him. He’s a really good player, and I love competing against good players.”
As has been the case too often for their liking, the Bulls still faltered late. After Suns center Jusuf Nurkic’s driving layup put Phoenix up 116-115 with 7.3 seconds left, DeRozan missed a go-ahead jumper from the right wing late in overtime with the Bulls trailing by one.
It was an opportunity squandered and one largely created by Caruso, who continues to amaze his teammates.
“You’d see more people doing it if everybody could do it,” DeRozan said of Caruso’s defense. “There’s so much that comes into play with a guy like Alex – the awareness, the anticipation, the hand speed, the feet, understanding angles, shooting gaps, a student of the game. There’s so many elements that you just don’t see. The last guy that I can remember that played like that that was everywhere was a guy like Tony Allen. You don’t see guys like that. That’s what makes him one of a kind. When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, it doesn’t matter how big somebody is he’s guarding or how small he is. His attention to detail is incredible.”
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.