Pelicans 114, Bulls 104: No winning streak for Chicago

Key Highlights

• He’s dramatically improved as a driver, with a willingness to lower his shoulder and attack the basket.
• While it didn’t result in a high assist (five) or free throw attempt (two) total on Sunday, it bodes well for his game moving forward. After riding the bench for the final 18 minutes of the loss to Charlotte on Friday, Nikola Vucevic was back in to close against New Orleans.
• He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds on 5-of-16 shooting, making his only two three-pointers in the final futile minutes. The Bulls shot just 13-of-49 from three on the evening, contributing to their low scoring output, but that’s no excuse, as the Pelicans were even worse, 8-of-33.
• The Bulls were more active on the offensive glass than the Pelicans, and had fewer turnovers, but also put the Pelicans to the line for eight more attempts. Up next: The Bulls will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at home and again on Friday in Cleveland. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTune into the CHGO Bulls postgame live:With the Bulls incorporating a third big into their rotation, there have been a few interesting byproducts. First is the offensive rebounding.
• The Bulls aren’t active enough on the offensive glass to justify the double-big look, especially when it comes at the expense of the transition defense.“So much of the game now is about answer backs, whether you score, answering back to defense, or whether you get scored against, answering back to offense,” Billy Donovan said.