Bulls return their early holiday gift from Hawks in overtime loss
The Bulls messed around for most of the night, refusing to take control of a winnable game Sunday in Atlanta.
So it felt like basketball karma got this one right. After taking the lead on a lucky break in the final second of overtime, the Bulls gave it right back. Rookie A.J. Griffin hit a flip shot at the buzzer to give the Hawks a 123-122 victory.
The madness kicked into gear when Atlanta's Trae Young drained a 20-foot step-back jumper against Coby White, putting the Hawks ahead 121-119 with 1.0 seconds on the clock.
The Bulls needed a miracle and got one when Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanovich lunged at DeMar DeRozan and clearly fouled him across the arm as he attempted a fallaway 3-pointer. DeRozan hit all 3 free throws to put the Bulls ahead by 1.
When the referees checked the replay, they put 0.5 seconds on the clock. That was just enough time for the Bulls to return the thoughtful gift.
The one thing they couldn't give up was a lob pass into the lane - and that's exactly what happened. Griffin put a move on Derrick Jones Jr., who turned his back and didn't see the pass coming. Jones got his hand up on the shot, but Griffin, whose father Adrian was a player and coach for the Bulls, flipped the ball into the hoop as time expired.
"I feel bad for DJ on the play, just because he played so well and a big part of why we got back in the game," Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters after the game. "It was just kind of like we switched and (Griffin) back-cut him. (Jones) kind of lost vision of the ball and I think he probably could have made a play on the (pass)."
Donovan felt the Bulls took away Atlanta's first two options on the final play, and also forced the Hawks to call a timeout when they couldn't get the ball inbound on the first attempt.
"Obviously, give them credit," Donovan said. "The guy (Jalen Johnson) threw a great pass and he caught it and spun around in the air and shot it in. Give them credit for making the play."
At the end of regulation, Jones saved the Bulls by leaping high to grab a missed shot by DeRozan. Jones was fouled and went to the line with 0.4 seconds on the clock. He hit the first free throw to tie the game, missed the second that might have clinched the win, but at least he got the Bulls to overtime.
Jones and Coby White played down the stretch with both Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu sidelined by injuries. White hit a clutch 3-pointer with 22.8 seconds left in overtime, off a pass from Jones, to tie the score at 119-119.
It was the reserves that got the Bulls back into the game after falling behind by 10 points late in the third quarter. Backup center Andre Drummond was a spark, piling up 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals in 16 minutes of action. Jones scored 14 points, White had 12 and Goran Dragic dished out 6 assists.
DeRozan had an impressive stat line with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. He hit 14 of 15 free throws and landed 2 short of his career-high in rebounds.
The Bulls took a 105-103 lead with 3:32 left on DeRozan free throws, then came up empty on four straight possessions. The Bulls piled up 19 turnovers in the game, 7 by Zach LaVine. Then after hitting a season-high with 19 made 3-pointers on Saturday against Dallas, the Bulls went 7-for-27 in Atlanta.
Late in the second quarter, Dosunmu tried to be aggressive going to the hoop against Young. The result was a violent collision with 2:16 left in the second quarter as Young successfully drew a charge.
Dosunmu took a knee to the gut as he fell and stayed on the ground grimacing in pain for a couple minutes before walking to the locker room. The Bulls calling the injury an abdominal contusion.
Javonte Green, back after missing three games with right knee soreness, took Dosunmu's place in the starting lineup when the third quarter began. Caruso went down with a low back contusion on Saturday and didn't make the trip.
"(Dosunmu) wanted to try to come back in," Donovan said. "I don't think the medical staff loved the way he was moving in the auxiliary gym."
Donovan said he didn't want to send Dosunmu out for the third quarter to test the injury while trying to guard Young, then the medical staff declared him out. Bogdanovich led the Hawks with 28 points, while Young had 14 assists.
Twittter: @McGrawDHSports