INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Nothing lasts forever for the Chicago Bulls, including losing streaks.
The Bulls finally snapped out of a five-game slump Monday with a 112-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, reigniting their offense by returning to their roots: the 3-point shot. Volume won out for the Bulls, who took 46 attempts from long range after overlooking the 3 during their losing streak.
“I cannot tell you the number of 3s in the Portland game that we bypassed,” coach Billy Donovan said of Sunday’s 113-102 loss. “And it led to — almost always — something not very good. The message tonight was: ‘If you’re open, shoot the basketball. Don’t complicate it.’”
Both teams showed clear signs of wear and tear on the second night of back-to-backs. The Clippers were missing Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, while the Bulls were without Ayo Dosunmu (calf) and Coby White (ankle).
Here are five takeaways from the win.
1. A return to form for Zach LaVine.
LaVine is a game changer — and he doesn’t need much time to upend the entire momentum of a game.
That was certainly true in the third quarter Monday, when LaVine scored 15 points to spark a 36-16 rally. He rediscovered the effortless version of his game, scoring eight consecutive points that included a ferocious hammer dunk in transition as the Bulls picked the Clippers apart in the open court.
LaVine had sunk into a slight scoring slump over the five-game skid, failing to score 30 points in four of those games and twice not reaching 20 points. But he reasserted himself with 35 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including 5 of 12 3-pointers.
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It was LaVine’s 109th game with 30 or more points as a Bull, tying Bob Love for second in team history. But he has a ways to go to catch No. 1 on the list: Michael Jordan recorded 537 30-point games for the Bulls.
2. Transition changed the game.
Hours before tipoff, Donovan warned about the dangers of mishandling the ball in transition. The Bulls offense is trying to maintain the breakneck pace it set at the start of the season.
But in recent weeks, players have fallen into the trap of speeding up and losing control — resulting in turnovers and defensive breakdowns on both sides of transition breakaways. That pattern continued Monday, when the entire game pivoted on the Bulls’ ability to execute in transition.
In the first half, the open court was an enemy for the Bulls, who gave up 15 points in transition and seven points off turnovers. The Clippers scored three consecutive transition buckets in the second quarter as they pulled ahead by seven.
But that script flipped quickly in the second half, when LaVine took control in transition. And after cleaning up the turnovers — only four in the second half, leading to six Clippers points — the Bulls regained control of one of the most important parts of their game.
3. Lonzo Ball brought out the best in Josh Giddey.
Giddey still is struggling to find his footing as the team’s starting point guard. But he balanced a strong night of passing (nine assists) with consistent scoring, going 2-for-4 from 3-point range while attacking the rim to finish with 18 points.
One key to unlocking that improved performance? Playing alongside Ball, who joined the starting lineup to fill in for White.
Although it wasn’t the strongest scoring night for Ball — he missed his first four 3-point attempts and finished 2-for-9 from the field — the pair jump-started each another in transition and brought more creativity on offense, combining for 12 assists. And the pairing was particularly helpful for Giddey, whose defensive inadequacies were quietly absorbed by Ball.
4. Let the young guys play.
With White and Dosunmu out, the Bulls were forced to dig deeper into the bench — an optimal opportunity for a team looking to provide more development minutes to young players such as Matas Buzelis, Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips. This meant rare rotations such as Buzelis and Patrick Williams sharing the floor, something they previously had done for only 65 minutes over 20 games.
Extended minutes were a benefit for Terry and Phillips, who hounded the Clippers on the boards for a combined 12 rebounds.
Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest
But even with a shortened bench, the game played out in familiar fashion for Buzelis — a long stretch in the first two quarters followed by a complete absence in the second half.
Buzelis tried to impose himself during two first-half rotations, hunting dunks and grabbing four rebounds. But he struggled mightily with his shot, going 1-for-6 from the field and scoring his only basket from behind the arc. After playing nearly 13 minutes in the first half, Buzelis did not see the court again.
5. Taking in a new arena.
Monday marked the first time the Bulls played in the new Intuit Dome, which offers the NBA’s most modern arena experience.
Bulls players were impressed by high-tech installations such as indoor fireworks during pregame introductions and a halo board that wraps around the circumference of the court. Ball also appreciated less flashy details, such as an expanded visitors locker room with amenities such as cold tubs, which are often not available on the road.
Ball had his own piece of history on display in the arena: his high school jersey from Chino Hills, part of a display of more than 1,550 high school jerseys from across California.
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