The Chicago Bulls are in a fight to keep their spot as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference above the Atlanta Hawks. The two sides are all but locked into facing each other in the first round of the Play-In Tournament, but their performance down the stretch of the year will determine who gets home-court advantage in the game.
Brooklyn’s three-point shooters led the way in the win, as the Bulls made just nine threes to the Nets’ 25. Mikal Bridges drained seven triples, Dennis Schroder added seven of his own, and Cam Johnson hit five. Those three combined to make more than double the number of threes the Bulls totaled as a team.
After the game, head coach Billy Donovan spoke about the Bulls’ defensive lapses that led to Chicago’s offensive success. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)
“Whether it was rotations or close-outs, just a little bit late, not what they needed to be, and sometimes you allow a team to make a few shots and then the basket becomes a lot bigger,” Donovan said. “They shot an incredible percentage in the second half [75%]. Some of them were highly contested, but you also have to look at the early part of the third quarter when they started making a few, and they found a rhythm. Generally, when that happens, guys at this level, it doesn’t make a difference.”
Just one night after an impressive defensive showing against the Indiana Pacers, the Bulls struggled against the Nets.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]