advertisement

Carter comes alive with 28 points, but Bulls lose to Pistons

The Bulls have a history of getting knocked around by Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond.

He had a 33 points and 21 rebounds against the Bulls in 2015, and a 26-26 game against them in 2014.

So 19-year-old rookie Wendell Carter Jr. breaking out of a recent mini-slump and taking it to Drummond, that was, well, an interesting development.

The Bulls couldn't keep up as a team, losing to the Pistons 107-88 on Friday at Little Caesars Arena. But Carter scored a career-high 28 points, to go with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Carter had just gone through a stretch of five straight games where he finished with either 5 or 6 fouls. His previous season-high of 25 points was also the last time he scored as many as 20, on Oct. 31 against Denver.

"If I was to score that many points and we win, yeah I'll be bragging about it then, but there's not really too much to say," Carter told reporters after the game. "Yeah, it's great to have a lot of points and all that good stuff. But I feel like team wins matter more. I think that would get us going more."

Carter scored 15 of his points in rapid fashion, during the first five minutes of the third quarter. He scored mostly on layups or jumpers in the lane, working well in the screen-and-roll with Zach LaVine. During the first half, Carter dropped an impressive running one-hander over Drummond.

When Carter dropped a floater in the lane with 7:22 left in the third quarter, the Bulls were within 62-57. The Bulls had a few bad trips after that and the Pistons pulled away quickly. Carter buried a foul-line jumper late in the third to get to 28 points, then played only about 3½ minutes in the fourth quarter as he took a rest and left early due to the lopsided score.

"Each one of those games where I got in a lot of foul trouble, I just go back and watch film, find ways to not pick up those fouls, show my hands at all times," Carter said. "Each game I try to practice that. Even if the player may score, I think I'm building that great defense where I'm not fouling, but I am giving a great effort on the defensive end."

Besides Carter, Jabari Parker was the only other Bulls player in double figures with 12 points. LaVine finished with 8 points on 3 of 12 shooting, his first single-digit scoring game of the season. The Bulls were also just 3-for-21 from 3-point range.

"Wendell was hot, so I had to get him the ball," LaVine said. "He had a career night with all those points and with good defense, but the rest of us didn't play well enough to win."

Carter became the third Bulls player to score 20 points while still a teenager, joining Tyson Chandler and Luol Deng.

"Wendell was terrific," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It was a big confidence booster for him. I was proud of him for coming out and helping us get back in the game."

The Pistons (12-7) got off to a hot start and the Bulls never recovered. The home team knocked down 5 of their first 6 shots from 3-point range and led 23-10 early.

Point guard Reggie Jackson knocked down his first 5 attempts from long range and set a career-best by hitting 6 of 8. Jackson and Blake Griffin scored 20 points each to lead Detroit.

Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls

Holiday joins Bulls' record book twice with 3-point shooting

Markkanen joins Bulls practice, but return to game action probably a week away

Bulls grab Bucks by the antlers, but can't finish off a victory

Markkanen's comeback on track after full practice

Cascade of whistles spoil Carter's promising start

Extra scoring fits into Arcidiacono's style

Scouting report

Bulls vs. Houston Rockets, 7 p.m. at the Toyota Center

TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WSCR 670-AM

Outlook: Houston beat the Bulls 96-88 at the United Center on Nov. 3. SG James Harden returned after missing three games with a hamstring injury and scored 25 points that night. ... PG Chris Paul missed three games this week with a hamstring injury and was set to return Friday at San Antonio. The Rockets carried a four-game losing streak into that one. ... Harden is averaging 31.1 ppg on the season, while Paul is at 17.9 points and 7.7 assists. C Clint Capela continues to improve, averaging 17.4 points and 11.8 rebounds. ... SF Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points against the Bulls on Nov. 3, but only played in two more games before leaving the Rockets. ... The Bulls have dropped their last two games in Houston and five of the last six.

Next: Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse

­- Mike McGraw

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.