Bulls lose to Pacers, fall to 0-2 in preseason
It was a good night for the point guards, but the Bulls fell to 0-2 in the preseason with a 115-108 loss at Indiana on Thursday night.
Backup point guard Spencer Dinwiddie had an impressive game and led the Bulls with both 19 points and 6 rebounds. Starter Rajon Rondo got to the basket early in the game and added 14 points. Together, Rondo and Dinwiddie hit 15 of 20 shots from the field.
The biggest negative was the first-half defense, even though the Bulls led at intermission 67-65. It was an uncharacteristic result for both sides, since they were two of the league's best defensive teams in recent years. The Pacers made a coaching change this year, elevating assistant Nate McMillan, while Frank Vogel was let go and moved on to Orlando.
Indiana started running early and opened a quick 19-10 lead. The Bulls rallied quickly, thanks in part to Doug McDermott going 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the first quarter. Unfortunately, McDermott couldn't keep it going and finished with 9 points.
Nikola Mirotic got the start at power forward and continued to struggle, posting his second straight 1-for-7 shooting night. Robin Lopez and Tony Snell each finished with 11 points.
The Bulls weren't looking for much from Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. Wade scored 10 points in 22 minutes, while Butler logged just 12 minutes. Taj Gibson added 10 points, and second-round pick Paul Zipser scored 7 in his first action of preseason.
Rodney Stuckey led the Pacers with 20 points. These teams will play again Saturday at the United Center.
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