The Bulls ran up a 20-point lead by the end of the first, but had to hold off a scoring barrage from Kevin Durant to secure the win.
The Chicago Bulls had lost back-to-back games coming into Monday, looking to avoid the all-too-familiar three-game losing streak. After the 1st quarter, it was clear Chicago was very serious about getting back on track and in the win column. The Bulls scored a whopping 41 points in the 1st quarter, led by a masterful scoring performance from Collin Sexton off the bench.
Sexton scored 17 points in just eight minutes. His career-high 1st quarter scoring binge had the Bulls in control early, as Houston was downright dreadful from the 3-point line all night. Sexton was mostly picking on young guard Reed Sheppard early, who struggled to keep Sexton out of the paint.
Kevin Durant--who recently passed Michael Jordan on the NBA all-time scoring list--was part of the Rockets three-headed attack on Monday, with Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson joining him in giving the Bulls' defense fits all evening long.
Houston used a big third quarter to close the gap. In third quarter the Rockets turned up the defensive intensity, and really started to punish the Bulls in the paint. Sengun had 12 points and 6 assists in the third quarter alone.
Chicago had no answers for him in the paint, and things got progressively worse anytime the Bulls tried to send help. By the start of the fourth, the Bulls only possessed an eight-point lead after controlling the game comfortably for most of the evening.
The fourth quarter saw the Rockets finally surge ahead and appear to take control of the game behind the duo of Sengun and Durant continuing to dominate whoever stood in their way.
All of that being said, Chicago put up a physical effort and battled all night. While Sengun, Durant, and Amen Thompson (23 points on 8-12 shooting, 7-9 FT) all had efficient nights, the Bulls did a solid job of containing "the others," namely Sheppard, who struggled his way to a 5-17 shooting night.
Despite the effectiveness of the Rockets frontcourt, they simply couldn't close the gap with the Bulls shooting so well from deep. Giddey continues to do an excellent job of orchestrating the offense, collecting 13 assists over 38 minutes and only two turnovers. He is on an incredible playmaking streak, even for his high standards, racking up at least 10+ assists in seven of his last eight games.
Not to be outdone, Buzelis was two points off of the team-lead in points (23). He continues to look more and more like a legit inside-out scoring threat capable of shouldering a decent chunk of offensive responsibility.
Buzelis went 3-4 from the field in the final frame, including a massive 3-point make and an aggressive driving layup to keep the Bulls ahead for good with about a minute left in regulation.
Buzelis and Giddey (a combined 11 rebounds between them) were helped tremendously by Leonard Miller in the paint. Miller--who has been impressive in his brief stint with Chicago--posted a career-high 17 points to go with a team-leading 9 rebounds on the evening, garnering some praise from Billy Donovan.
In a game that featured a very loud 40 points from Durant, 33 points on 16-19 FG from Sengun, a career-high scoring outburst from Sexton, and some massive crunch time shots from Giddey and Buzelis; it was Miller's 9 rebounds, hustle for loose balls, activity level, and overall fit with the Bulls that stood out.
Jalen Smith was as instrumental as Miller in the win, providing solid rim protection all night (2 blocks) while capably stretching the floor on offense (3-5 from 3-point range). The Bulls, who have routinely fielded small lineups, are starting to see better results when they provide roles in the rotation for at least five of their players ranging between 6-foot-8 to 6-foot-10. Chicago looks to keep the positive momentum rolling when they take on the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday.