Zach LaVine was once again in the driver’s seat on Monday night, when the Chicago Bulls welcomed the Denver Nuggets, securing a win with a 97 – 109 final score.
Things are looking up for the Bulls, after they extended their winning streak to four games on Monday night, when the Nuggets came to United Center. In the hours preceding the Nuggets – Bulls game, Chicago fans had to endure a slew of bad news, the major one being the Bulls star forward DeMar DeRozan being sidelined after testing COVID-19 positive. This made DeRozan the third player to enter NBA’s health and safety protocols, after Javonte Green and Coby White went on isolation last week after they themselves tested positive. DeRozan was instrumental in the win against the Nets and his absence put in question the team’s prospects for a “W” against the Nuggets.
And with the way the game started – it seemed that without DeMar, the Bulls were going to break their winning streak. The Nuggets came out hungry and took control of the game right away. The Bulls had a hard time under the basket, failing to score consistently and by the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets had amassed a sizable 27-18 lead.
But that was the only quarter Denver would enjoy that night. Zach LaVine once again stepped up to lead the Bulls, and while he couldn’t lean on DeRozan, Vucevic and Ball made sure the team would get the points it needed. The Bulls managed to shave off 6 points from the Nuggets lead and went to the locker rooms with only 3-point deficit.
After the break, 12 points from LaVine and much improved defense saw the Bulls take full control of the game, scoring 31 points in the third against only 22 from Denver in the same time span. Bulls guard Lonzo Ball went for a double-double, scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds and 4 assists. In the final quarter the Bulls gave the Nuggets no chance to stage a comeback, outscoring the visitors by 6 points and closing the game 97 – 109.
Nikola Vucevic was another player on the Chicago team notching a double-double against Denver, with 20 points and 10 rebounds. But it was Zach LaVine outscoring everyone with 32 points netted at United Center, with season-high 8 assists and adding 3 rebounds to his tally.
And while Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished the game with a triple-double 17-15-12, the highest point production was delivered by the Nuggets guards. Barton and Morris both went for 19 points for the night, while Aaron Gordon managed only 18 in 39 minutes of play. The victory last night in United Center saw Chicago cement their second place in the Easter conference and going on a 4-game streak. The Bulls will be traveling to Cleveland next, to face the Cavaliers for the first time this season on Wednesday night. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who are on a 2-game losing streak, are currently holding a 13-12 record at the 9th place in the Eastern conference.
