Offense in midseason form as Chicago Bulls win preseason opener
On the first night of the preseason, the Chicago Bulls' offense was well ahead of the defense, and it probably will stay that way for a while.
Rolling to a 128-116 victory over New Orleans on Sunday night at the United Center, several Bulls looked sharp.
Bobby Portis scored 21 points in 19 minutes, and Zach LaVine got 21 in 24 minutes. Kris Dunn added an efficient 12 points and 8 rebounds, while Antonio Blakeney woke up ready to shoot, as usual, adding 21 points off the bench.
"We're going to run fast, get open shots," LaVine said. "Whenever somebody has it going, we're going to look to go at him. We played at a good pace, we all contributed, didn't really force up any tough shots. For the first time, it was good."
The only negative offensively was the Bulls hit just 4 of 18 shots from 3-point range, but they made up for it by knocking down 26 of 27 free throws. The Bulls played without two injured regulars, Lauri Markkanen (elbow sprain) and Denzel Valentine (ankle sprain).
"I did like our pace; that's something we've been working a lot on is getting the ball up the floor," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We struggled early, never really got it going from the 3-point line. We actually shot a good percentage the first five days of camp.
"To still be able to attack and get in the paint and get to the free-throw line 27 times, that's what you have to do when your outside shot isn't falling."
Jabari Parker produced 15 points and 8 rebounds in his Bulls preseason debut. Rookie Wendell Carter Jr. looked like the steady, versatile player from summer league, with 11 points and 7 boards. Cameron Payne finished with a team-best 7 assists.
The starters got a decent run, with both Robin Lopez and Carter playing center. Parker returned to the floor for the start of the fourth quarter with four subs. New Orleans used its usual lineup, with Anthony Davis and without ex-Bull Nikola Mirotic (Achilles tendinitis). The Pelicans starters did not play in the second half.