Tuesday night at the United Centre, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks 118-113 to spark optimism. The Bulls, still licking their wounds from losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-95 the night before, depended on a number of clutch performances from DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso to secure their third victory of their six-game home stand and raise their record to 14-18 overall.
Due to Nikola Vucevic’s adductor injury, Andre Drummond was thrust into a starting role for the first time this season, and he proved he still had plenty left in the tank. The 6-foot-10 big man had a performance reminiscent of his All-Star days in Detroit, scoring 24 points and pulling down 25 rebounds.
With 3:57 remaining, Drummond’s basket was finally completed by DeRozan and Caruso, who both drained three-pointers to put the Bulls up, 109-106. With fewer than two minutes remaining, DeRozan scored two straight jumpers to give the Bulls a 113-110 lead after a few plays.
After he broke through Jalen Johnson’s defence with a shimmy and up-and-under combo to give Chicago a 115-111 lead, DeRozan replied with a hard finger roll. Hawks standout Trae Young split his charity to bring the Hawks closer, 113-111.
After 13 games, the Bulls have now won nine of them. Eleven of DeRozan’s twenty-five points came in the fourth quarter. Coby White shot poorly once more, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. Upon finishing, the former Tar Heel recorded 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Ayo Dosunmu, the backup guard, added 19 markers, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Jevon Carter pitched in ten, while Alex Caruso finished with eleven markers.
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