Windy City Bulls clinch Showcase Tournament spot in Vegas after win over Grand Rapids

The Windy City Bulls, the NBA G League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls, got revenge against the Grand Rapids Gold 129-118 Saturday night at Now Arena.

With the win, Windy City clinched a spot in the Showcase Tournament in Las Vegas.

Chicago Bulls Two-Way guard Carlik Jones led the Bulls with 22 points, shooting 8-for-17 from the field.

Both teams came out firing, but a half-court buzzer-beater from Windy City guard Javon Freeman-Liberty gave Windy City a 35-32 lead after the first quarter. Both teams scored 31 points in the second quarter, giving Windy City a three-point lead going into halftime.

The Bulls connected on six three-pointers in the third quarter, three coming from Chicago Bulls Assignment forward Dalen Terry. Windy City's hot streak continued into the fourth quarter, where the Bulls took their largest lead of the night, going up by 21 points before emerging with an 11-point win.

Chicago Bulls Assignment center Marko Simonović shot 7-for-10 from the field, scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Chicago Bulls Two-Way forward Malcolm Hill chipped in 18 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Windy City's bench poured in 44 points, led by guard Ethan Thompson's 17 points. Center Daniel Oturu shot lights out, going 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line to finish with 16 points.

The Bulls shot 54.9% from the field and 51.6% from the three-point line. The Gold shot 55.1% from the field and 42.9% from the three-point line.

Grand Rapids guard Peyton Watson led the Gold with 24 points, while forward Kellan Grady chipped in 18 points.

With the win, Windy City improved to 10-6 on the season, while Grand Rapids fell to 3-13.

Next up, the Bulls head to Las Vegas for the Showcase Cup in-season tournament Dec. 19-22.