Thunder rains down on Bulls
Maybe the Bulls should be thankful they’ve got Miami as a primary conference rival. The alternative could be much worse.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has been making a strong case as not only the best team in the NBA but also the most talented set of teammates.
Sunday’s showdown in Oklahoma City didn’t go well for the Bulls. They were blown out in the third quarter and needed a good showing in garbage time to turn a 30-point deficit into a 92-78 loss at a noisy Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“They came out, got us back on our heels,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after the game.
“We had problems to start the game, problems at the end of the first quarter, problems at the end of the second quarter, problems to start the third quarter. Against a quality team you can’t overcome that.”
The Bulls (42-12) played once again without Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton. Even so, they should be concerned about their inability to slow down either of the Thunder’s star players.
Guard Russell Westbrook hit 10 of 18 shots for 27 points, while forward Kevin Durant knocked down 11 of 16 attempts for 26 points and 10 rebounds. Both players sat out the entire fourth quarter after the lead reached 80-51.
“For us to lose like that is bad,” center Joakim Noah said. “But we have to bounce back. They definitely played well and they definitely played with more energy than we did. I think we’re a better offensive team than we showed. I’m just disappointed.”
The Bulls shot a season-low 33 percent from the field. Guard John Lucas III led the visitors but got 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. Kyle Korver started in place of Ronnie Brewer and scored 14 points, while Taj Gibson contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Oklahoma City (40-12) has won six in a row, which includes a 16-point home win over Miami. The Bulls and the Thunder are now even in the loss column for the league’s best record.
The Heat lost at Boston on Sunday, which leaves the Bulls 2 games ahead in the loss column for the Eastern Conference lead.
Westbrook and Rose are summer-workout buddies in Los Angeles. Traditionally, it’s also a tough individual matchup for Rose, so his absence was felt more than usual Sunday. C.J. Watson couldn’t slow Westbrook or make him work hard on the defensive end.
The Bulls struggled to stay close throughout the first half but were within 43-39 with 2:18 left before halftime after a Lucas 3-pointer.
That was the game’s last competitive moment.
The Bulls missed their final 4 shots of the second quarter and trailed 49-39 at intermission. The Thunder opened the third quarter by hitting its first 5 shots and 8 of the first 9. The spread quickly soared beyond 20 points as the Bulls were outscored 31-12 in the third quarter.
“Obviously we’d prefer to have (Rose),” Thibodeau said. “We have more than enough. I was more concerned with the mental aspect. I thought we made a lot of mental mistakes. I didn’t think our defense was very good.”
For the second straight game, Hamilton seemed ready to return from a bruised right shoulder, but Thibodeau decided to play it cautious and not use the veteran shooting guard. There’s a chance he could play at home tonight against Houston.
“I told him I’m comfortable with whatever he wants to do,” Hamilton said, according to espn.com. “If we need to get out there and shoot more or take a couple more hits, whatever.”
Rose still is running half-speed, so he probably will be out another week or so with the groin strain.
Asked Sunday if he will play again in the regular season, Rose said yes. That scenario seems far-fetched, but today will mark three weeks since the injury first occurred.
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com.
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