CHICAGO — A 26-point win over the Indiana Pacers would have been a lot more impressive if the Chicago Bulls hadn’t squandered a home win against the Washington Wizards two nights earlier.
Or if the Pacers weren’t playing the final contest of a five-game trip, two nights after notching a 17-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
“They seemed a little tired,” Bulls guard Alex Caruso said after Chicago’s 125-99 victory, “but we played well.”
If anything, this week’s two-game sample showed how inconsistent the Bulls remain. After dropping Monday’s game against the Wizards, the second-worst team in the league at 14-59, the Bulls responded by becoming the first team this season to hold the Pacers, the league’s second-best offensive team, to fewer than 100 points.
With nine games remaining in the regular season, it’s not a formula the Bulls can bank on in the postseason. This week’s erratic results were reminiscent of a two-game set from the end of February when the Bulls lost at home to the league-worst Detroit Pistons before defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, now a top-four seed, one night later.
Still, fans inside the United Center gave the home team a standing ovation as the final seconds trickled off Wednesday’s game clock. The Bulls snapped a three-game losing streak and won the season series 3-1 against the Pacers, a potential matchup in the Play-in Tournament.
Billy Donovan saw a connected team defensively against the Pacers.
Donovan said he liked how the Bulls responded following their home loss to Washington. pic.twitter.com/dWL1v22HDz
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) March 28, 2024
And despite all the factors that led to a rare dominant Bulls performance, they undeniably did a lot right. Indiana shot just 40 percent, only the fifth time all season the Bulls have held an opponent to 40 percent shooting or less. Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with only 13 points on 4-for-15 shooting.
The Bulls also outscored the Pacers 37-20 in the second quarter, which allowed them to build a 23-point lead before Indiana cut it to 9. Instead of folding, the Bulls bucked back and bumped their lead to as many as 29 before Pacers coach Rick Carlisle pulled his regulars midway through the fourth quarter.
“We really were very connected defensively,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “There was really good communication. We were on point when we needed to switch. We were on point when we were in coverages and needed to stay with our man. And the only way that happens is through communication. The way they helped each other was really important.”
It’s also worth noting how the Bulls overcame Coby White’s rough shooting night.
In his fourth game back from injury, White scored 18 points but went 8-for-21 from the field. At one point, he was 3-for-16. But the Bulls had all five starters score in double figures, with a 14-point, 11-rebound effort from Andre Drummond off the bench. Chicago dished 28 assists and shot 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) on 3-pointers. The Bulls also turned it over only eight times.
A lot of positives but too much inconsistency, not only from one game to the next but also quarter to quarter.
White’s rhythm, or lack thereof, warrants a close look. If any player on the team can heat up in a hurry, it’s White. One game, one hot-shooting quarter, can flip his fortunes. But White hasn’t shot at least 40 percent from the field since rejoining the lineup.
Rather than settling for jumpers Wednesday, however, White relentlessly attacked the basket. He struggled with many of his finishes, but his effort and leadership never wavered. Donovan noted White’s vocal leadership after the game, and White and Bulls forward Torrey Craig were discussing it in the locker room.
“I give him credit,” Donovan said. “He didn’t have a great shooting night at all. But he was into the game. He was into it on the bench. He was into it in huddles. He did a phenomenal job. Torrey Craig acknowledged after the game how much it helped him and thought it brought a lot of life to our team.”
So did old friend Javonte Green.
The springy forward who signed a 10-day contract last Saturday made his first appearance early in the second quarter. It didn’t take him any time to make his presence felt. On his first possession, Green turned it over. Pacers guard T.J. McConnell swiped the ball out of his hands, off Green’s leg and out of bounds.
But on the next trip, Green darted down the lane at the perfect time to receive a pass from Andre Drummond before converting a layup. One minute later, Green blocked an Andrew Nembhard driving layup, and in the final two minutes of the second quarter, he buried a corner 3-pointer off a kick-out from Nikola Vučević.
“He played great,” Caruso said. “That’s the Javonte that we’ve all known and loved for a long time. He does all those things that we need. Hard defense. Protecting the rim. Rebound. Play with energy. Catch-and-shoot when the opportunity is there. He did those tonight well.”
One small measure of Green’s impact: He was a game-high plus-26. He played ahead of Jevon Carter and bumped Onuralp Bitim out of the rotation. He gives the Bulls another wing defender, but just because Chicago is familiar doesn’t mean Green is growing comfortable.
“I know the reason of a 10-day,” Green said. “(I’m) just going out there and staying focused and keeping my head down until I come up. So I’m just going out there and playing my game, knowing what the end goal is here.”
(Photo of Coby White and Doug McDermott: David Banks / USA Today)