Validity of Bulls’ recent success questioned after lopsided loss to Thunder
Ouch. That one hurt.
The Chicago Bulls suffered a 145-117 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 28-point defeat was Chicago’s third-worst loss of the season. The Bulls shot 44.9 percent from the floor, 31.4 percent from beyond the arc, and committed 20 turnovers.
Only three Chicago starters reached double-digits, not including Coby White, whose 20-plus scoring streak was snapped at 15 games. White scored only seven points on five shot attempts. It was White’s second-lowest scoring output and the fewest number of field goals he’s attempted in any contest this season. The two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week was a woeful minus-39 against the Thunder.
In his return to Oklahoma City, Giddey scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. However, the fourth-year guard shot only 40 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range. Giddey’s plus/minus wasn’t too distant from White’s, at minus-24.
The Bulls were abysmal against the top-ranked Thunder
Arguably, no Bull played well. Patrick Williams scored 16 points, his most in two months, but finished the contest as a minus-32. A caveat could be included for every Bulls’ performance. The only three Bulls to net a positive plus/minus were reserves and recent DNP-CDs, Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, and Talen Horton-Tucker. The trio combined to score 43 points, with all but two coming in the second half.
