Chicago Bulls pulled off a nail-biting victory against the Detroit Pistons
The Chicago Bulls won a nail-biting 94-88 game against the Detroit Pistons on opening night. The Bulls’ offence wasn’t as explosive as it had been throughout their unbeaten preseason schedule, but their defence stayed strong as they got stop after stop down the line to beat the Pistons on the road. The outer cacophony that screamed down on some Bulls players’ individual defence was deafeningly quiet tonight.
Chicago’s All-Star Zach LaVine led the team with 34 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 11-of-17 shooting, including critical free throws with under a minute remaining. With 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists, Nikola Vucevic recorded his first double-double of the season.
In his Bulls debut, DeMar DeRozan had 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Lonzo Ball scored 12 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in his NBA debut.
The ball was sent to Chicago to make easy buckets for his teammates, and that’s exactly what he did tonight. The numbers didn’t pop out of the boxscore, but that’s not usually how Ball’s genuine influence is measured. Lonzo offers clean passes while controlling traffic, driving the pace, and quick outlets on the fast break for easy buckets to the Bulls attack, which he saw flashes of tonight.
Just getting started! pic.twitter.com/gFeZlyk8nk
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 21, 2021
With LaVine, DeRozan, and even Vucevic as scoring threats, Lonzo will be the benefactor of easy looks from deep, which he will knockdown, as he did last season.
Zach LaVine was in mid-season form tonight, helping the Bulls secure the game down the line with key free throws, which he hit 11-of-11.
Against the Pistons, the 2021 All-Star appeared to be incomplete command. Despite just hitting 1-of-5 from 3-point range, LaVine’s efficient scoring punch led the way for Chicago in a low-scoring game.
Look for LaVine to have many more efficient scoring nights like this season, especially with new scoring threats and playmakers DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball alongside him.
DeMar DeRozan, like Lonzo, showed hints of why he was brought here in the first place in his Bulls debut. DeRozan provides the Bulls with an additional scoring threat on the wing, something Zach LaVine lacked last season.
This Bulls club can make some noise if DeRozan can continue to improve his chemistry playing within the offence and compete on the defensive end as he and the team did tonight.
Patrick Williams, who missed almost all of training camp and preseason due to an ankle sprain, was fine tonight. Williams will not be expected to score or produce offensively while playing alongside this starting lineup. Williams’ bread and butter for this club will be on the defensive end and making high basketball IQ plays.
What Williams brings to the table is holding the Pistons to only 88 points, with Williams assisting in forcing both Saddiq Bey and Jerami Grant to shoot under 40%.
On Wednesday, Nikola Vucevic was a handful for the Pistons on the glass, grabbing 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Vucevic will find his stride in this new scheme, despite his struggles shooting from the field (7-of-21).
DeMar DeRozan’s addition to the Bulls may limit Nikola Vucevic’s offensive opportunities this season, but he’ll be sure to make an impact in other ways and always be a danger to score when he’s on the court.