The NBA season often is likened to a marathon, and so it seemed going into the All-Star break the Bulls had hit the wall, six straight losses, outside the four-team play-in tournament in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, their energy seemingly depleted. Marathon runners know what they have to do then when the body wants to quit, the mind turning to negative thoughts.
Get tough.
For the Bulls, it also was to add an Alex Caruso twin in Chicagoan Patrick Beverley, change the starting lineup to all veterans, and make Brooklyn feel maybe the worst it has since the Dodgers left.
“I thought we needed to try something different,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. “I just thought coming off the losses and being banged up we needed maybe a different energy. I didn’t know what it would look like.”
Just the best game of this mostly disappointing season as the Bulls scored the game’s first 11 points, held the Nets to 29 first half points, pushed the lead up to 50—like five-oh—and began the final kick to the finish with perhaps a milepost 131-87 win.
So here they come spinning out of the turn?
“That’s what we have to do from here on out,” said Zach LaVine with 32 points and four of six threes in just 28 minutes. “Throw everything at these last 22 games. We understand where we are. We’ve got to put that type of energy into it. We’re all real excited after the All-Star break, energetic. Now see what we can do these last 22 games, throw everything at it and not have any regrets.”
It was a heck of a start even as the Bulls remain 27-33 and in 11th. But the Bulls face the 10th place Washington Wizards Sunday in the United Center with a chance to move within a half game of Washington. And counting.
“That’s the way we have to come out,” added DeMar DeRozan with a supportive 17 points. “Now Sunday another challenge against a team that is right above us. Every single game we’ve got to treat it like a Game 7. We’ve got to be the desperate ones. We’ve got to come out with a sense of urgency and have fun with it. That’s what we did tonight and we’ve just got to carry it over.”
Fool’s gold? Or finally the alchemy that brings out the precious value in this Bulls team that has been hidden much of this season. Gold is said to be produced from a collision of stars, and perhaps the Bulls finally have the right formula.
It came with Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams, likely for the rest of the season, returned to the reserve unit with Caruso and newly-acquired Beverley in an uncommon makeup with current and former All-Stars LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vučević, the latter with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Although Donovan is not likely to phrase it that way, development is over for this season. It’s not about getting one of those top four draft picks. It’s about making it to the play-in tournament or/and the playoffs. And then perhaps a how-do-you-like-us-now surprise with the feisty Caruso and Beverley at the tip of the spear.
Caruso had four points and two rebounds and Beverley, after an enthusiastic welcome from the expectant home crowd, added eight points, five rebounds and four assists. But their influence was measured better in 37 percent Nets shooting, 27 percent on threes, and a game basically over by halftime—no blown leads with that lead—with the Nets’ 29 points the fewest the Bulls allowed in a first half in nine years and a 10-year low in opponent shooting percentage. The Bulls’ 44-point winning margin after the Nets had 51 points through three quarters tied the ninth largest in franchise history and was the third most in the last 15 seasons.
This Nets team did defeat the Bulls the night of the trade deadline earlier this month. But despite a 34-25 record, it’s mostly the skeletal remains of what was supposed to be maybe the last dynasty with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden now of the Brooklyn diaspora.
Still, the way the Bulls ran out and ran up the score with pressure and purpose would have held up fashionably against the league’s best in what they hope finally is a reset.
“Pat’s (Beverley) a really terrific defender as is Alex,” said Donovan. “I thought the communication out there was really good. The group that started the game defensively I thought put in the effort to contest and get out there and challenge shots and make it difficult.
“Pat has a really, really good feel as a veteran guy of what’s going on out there from that position,” said Donovan. “He can tell who’s got a shot, who’s got it going, what they are doing defensively. He’s a bright guy who’s been around a long time and knows how to manage the situation. I didn’t know what it would look like, but I thought our team needed just a jolt, so to speak. And even the energy of Ayo and Patrick (Williams) and Coby (White) coming off the bench was better.”
Williams had 17 points and did seem more comfortable. It just may be those young guys are better with less pressure and expectation playing off the bench.
“It’s always hard when you are a young player playing with veteran guys,” said Donovan. “Thank goodness our veteran guys are really great teammates and great to be around.”
And likely in that formation for this stretch run.
It’s obviously am undersized group, though Donovan tends to be fond of playing smaller in hopes of producing steals and deflections for transition play. Though Caruso was listed playing power forward for Williams, he and Beverley were in the backcourt on defense. This Nets group wasn’t big, so the larger tests still are to come.
The Bulls defense was more active, but particularly Caruso and Beverley were bothersome disrupting the screens teams use in almost all NBA offenses. As a result, the Nets were forced into more difficult three-point shots without the necessary penetration. And the Bulls were enlivened closing out to make those attempts less pristine.
When the Bulls forced a 24-second shot clock violation, Beverley ran to Caruso to slap hands. The Nets repeatedly moved the ball around less with great passing than being unable to get good shots, many late in the clock. It’s not just a make or miss league. You have to make them miss.
As if it wasn’t enough, Andre Drummond had 13 points and 10 rebounds in 14 minutes to become the first player in NBA history to record three double/doubles in less than 15 minutes played in a single game in a season.
When Beverley made a three in the second quarter and then was fouled on a drive for free throws putting the Bulls ahead 54-25, before he went to the free throw line he ran along the sideline yelling into the stands, raising his arms and imploring the fans to react. Then the Bulls closed the half on a 9-1 run for a 63-29 halftime lead.
This game needed a slaughter rule.
“When you’ve got a guy like Pat Beverley on the team, the intensity that he comes (with), the first second he came in the energy he brings, you’ve got to follow that,” said DeRozan. “He holds everybody accountable and is going to compete at a high level. When you see a teammate with that type of mentality, you’ve got to follow behind that and I think you saw that tonight.”
All eyes were on the 34-year-old veteran from Marshall Metropolitan High School who signed with the Bulls earlier this week after being traded and working out a buyout with the Orlando Magic. Beverley’s promise has been tenacity and disruption. He delivered along with the kind of point guard leadership that mostly has been missing without injured Lonzo Ball. And only was supplied in small doses by Goran Dragić, who sat out with an injury.
Beverley works himself pregame into something of a boil like a volcano about to erupt and comes rushing into the game, exhorting teammates and fans, one time slapping a high five with Donovan, barking out advisories.
“His talk is uplifting, inspiring, good and positive,” said Donovan. “There’s not negativity. If he’s getting on players, it’s lifting them up. He was talking about a switch he missed, ‘Zach, I’ll be better,’ he said. That’s the kind of dialogue it is with him. The enthusiasm and energy comes across very positive. He’s aways energized and trying to get guys going. Not over the top where it’s nonstop. He knows where the spots are and where he can talk and what he needs to do. His spirit was great.”
Communication is that elusive concept so much discussed by coaches and players while fans and media wonder about the points. But the insiders know what leads to them. And when asked post game about his effect, Beverley preferred to communicate about his communication.
“I just go out there and try to impact winning whatever it is,” said Beverley. “My job is not hoisting a lot of shots. My job is to make sure we stay in steady offense, make sure the key guys get the ball where they need to go. Obviously, stay aggressive on the offensive end. I just tried to make the game easy for Zach, make sure he didn’t have to do a ton of dribbling, make sure DeMar caught it in his spots.
“I believe communication is the biggest thing to be a human,” said Beverley. “In a relationship, married whatever the case may be, no communication the wife will get mad. You got a friend, no communication friend gets mad. So the same thing with basketball. Communication helps you get organized and stay together. I’m enjoying it right now.”
So are the Bulls. Maybe it’s not too late.
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