The Chicago Bulls put on a dominant second-half performance against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Chicago Bulls looked like they were headed towards another disappointing loss at the United Center when they fell behind by 23 points, 61-38, with five minutes left in the first half. However, the Bulls showed incredible perseverance and firepower in a dominant second-half performance that turned things around en route to the Bulls picking up a morale-boosting 128-107 victory.
Largest comeback this season
The turnaround was the Bulls’ largest comeback this season. It was remarkable, considering how often Chicago folded when faced with adversity in games. On Sunday, the Bulls put on a shooting display in the third, culminating in a 40-16 run that turned a 15-point halftime deficit into a nine-point lead, 93-84, heading to the fourth.
The team’s defense also came alive in the second half, forcing the Grizzlies to commit 10 turnovers during that pivotal third-quarter stretch, fueling Chicago’s 17-0 run that helped place them in front for good. Overall, the Bulls made the Grizzlies pay for their lackluster ball-protection, scoring 31 points off their 18 turnovers—29 of which came in the last 24 minutes of play.
“That’s how you get easy baskets,” Coby White said. “You reach out and get deflections, get steals, get out in transition. And tonight, it helped us a lot.”
Dynamic duo
The Bulls’ All-Star wingmen Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan also made some history, becoming the first duo in franchise history to combine for 20 30-point games in a season. LaVine had a game-high 6 points and nine assists, while DeRozan finished with 31 points and seven dimes.
“When me and DeMar are able to click like that, it’s incredible. It shows how good of scorers we are and how we’re able to complement each other. It takes a lot for two guys to get 30 in a game. You obviously have to make shots, but you also have to be unselfish. Hopefully we can have more of that going forward,” LaVine said.
Source: si.com
