Bulls let another late lead slip away to Wembanyama, Spurs
The Bulls have put themselves in position to win for two games in a row. But they've got to figure out a way to stop these final two-minute disasters.
In Cleveland on Saturday, they led by 6 with 1:40 left and let the Cavs go on a 12-0 run. Monday at the United Center, they led San Antonio by 5 with 1:43 left and watched the Spurs unleash a 10-0 surge.
Victor Wembanyama drained the tying and go-ahead 3-pointers, giving himself a 38-point night, and the Bulls lost their third game in four days, 121-117.
Josh Giddey missed the game with a right ankle sprain, which put the Bulls in a tough spot. Giddey has meant everything to the Bulls' offense this season, leading the team in points (21.4) and assists (9.3). He's also second in rebounds, behind Nikola Vucevic.
Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls (6-4) with 20 points each, but with the game on the line and the defense tightening up, the shots were difficult to find. Dosunmu hit a 3-pointer off a cross-court pass from Kevin Huerter to make it 114-109 with 1:43 left.
Defensively, it's tough to contest the 3-point shot of a 7-foot-5 player, but the Bulls also struggled to stop Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo before that.
“(Great players) can do that, go create double teams and get the ball moving from there,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “And we've got to do it collectively. It's just a different way to go about doing it. So I think for us, I was really pleased with the way we competed and fought.”
In each of the last two games, second-year forward Matas Buzelis was on the bench down the stretch. He would seem to have the best chance of making something happen, given his size, speed and passing ability. Buzelis scored 15 points in 25 minutes Monday.
“I just think, the (Spurs playing) two bigs out there and him having to be in coverage, I think that was really challenging for him, quite honestly,” Donovan said. “We weren't switching. But he was in coverage, and there was a couple times where (Luke) Kornet got behind him, and it was just, I think, the coverage was different for him. So I just tried to go with a little bit more experience out there.”
Vucevic had the unenviable task of trying to guard Wembanyama and he pointed out the third-year pro had made just 8 3-pointers all season, then went 6 of 9 on Monday.
“The first one was in transition, great shot,” Vucevic said. “The second one, I was thinking maybe trying to pressure him, but then you're thinking, 'What if you just goes by me?' It's tough, with his size and athleticism, he will finish over anybody that's there (in the paint). So, you kind of play the numbers, he hasn't shot it really well. Then he just makes two great shots.”
Huerter took Giddey's spot in the starting lineup and the early minutes of Monday's game were sloppy as no one really took charge for the Bulls. Sloppy offensive possessions led to defensive breakouts by the Spurs, who led 30-18 at one point. The Bulls led by 13 in the second half.
Giddey was injured in Saturday's loss in Cleveland, on a play that made the rounds on social media. Giddey hit the deck trying to guard a DeAndre Hunter crossover and immediately reached for his right ankle. He stayed in the game, but sat out Monday.
“We don't feel like it's anything too severe with his ankle,” Donovan said. “I think he just didn't feel great today. We'll see how he feels going into Detroit (on Wednesday). I don't think, after the Detroit game, it would be any longer than that.”
On Monday afternoon, Coby White and rookie Noa Essengue scrimmaged with the Windy City Bulls. According to Donovan, everything went well with White, who has been nursing a right calf strain since August and has yet to play this season.
The plan is for White to practice with the NBA Bulls during a three-day break at the end of this week, then ideally return to game action during a three-game trip to Utah, Denver and Portland, which begins Sunday.