With their four straight wins, the Pelicans are off to the best start, and unsurprisingly, it’s under the boards that Stan Van Gundy’s players make the difference.
Steven Adams scores with the fault, then he sends Eric Bledsoe to the touchdown, and New Orleans escapes after only two minutes (14-8). The defenses stayed in the locker room, and Zion Williamson has no trouble slipping to the basket on pick-and-rolls.
A flurry of 3-pointers
Opposite, there is better, and the Bulls rely on speed to compensate for their lack of size. Speed in runs with Zach LaVine finishing off a counterattack, but also in passing and shooting like Coby White in the corner. Chicago went ahead (25-21). Zach LaVine has fixed the wrist, and it’s starting to hurt a lot. In the corner, facing the circle… The 3-pointers rain down and Chicago escapes (34-25). And the Bulls star doesn’t stop there! He is simply on fire, and after 12 minutes, Chicago took a 10-point lead (44-34).
It’s the youth of the Pelicans who will calm it all down, first with Kira Lewis Jr whose first step destabilizes the entire Bulls defense. At the finish or the pass, the rookie hurts a lot. His agreement with Zion Williamson is promising, and between them, he brings the Pelicans back into the game (54-51). Opposite, the 3-point contest continues, and White takes over from LaVine. It’s Lonzo Ball who answers him, and LaVine decides to referee their duel by going to the circle. Twice, he goes to dunk, and the meter is ticking…
Except up front, the Pelicans continue to move forward. Zion Williamson attacked the circle, then Lonzo Ball planted a 3-point in the corner, and they went ahead (71-66). Ball is as good as his brother and he puts a layer of it in the corner. At the break, the Pelicans dug a small gap (74-66).
Kira Lewis Jr shows off
Back from the locker room, the Bulls ignite again. It’s a playoff game, and the LaVine-White duo resume their 3-point contest. Each on one side, and Chicago goes back in front (80-76).
The Pelicans defense adapts and comes out higher, but Zach LaVine takes advantage of the spaces to go after. In three minutes, Chicago signs a 17-2, and Coby White shoots further and further! Stan Van Gundy looks for solutions, a spark, and he sends Kira Lewis Jr. back to the floor. But nothing helps … The Bulls place their basketball, and the gap reaches 16 points (97-81). And as Denzel Valentine invites himself into the 3-point contest, we are approaching a 20-point gap (106-88).
Once again, it is the young Lewis Jr. who sounds the charge, but the Bulls have mastered their subject. Zion Williamson is untenable under the circle, but Denzel Valentine answers him easily. And then there is again and again Zach LaVine who adds a 3-pointer in the corner to restore the 17-point lead (123-106).
We think that Stan Van Gundy will open his bench, but he leaves his holders, and until the end, Brandon Ingram then Lonzo Ball cling. And it’s Zach LaVine who puts an end to all suspense for a victory of 13 points (129-116). In his wake, the Bulls won a franchise record with a 25 of 47 from 3-pointers!
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