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 shot throughout their recent stretch of losses.
“I cannot tell you the number of threes in the Portland game that we bypassed,” coach Billy Donovan said. “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 their respective back-to-backs. The Clippers were missing Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac while the Bulls were missing 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 matchup.
That was certainly true in the third quarter of Monday’s win, where LaVine ripped 15 points to lead the offense to a 36-16 rally. LaVine relocated 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, going four games without scoring 30 points — and two without scoring 20 points — in that short span. But the guard reasserted himself Monday, scoring 35 points off 11-for-21 shooting as he sank five 3-pointers to anchor the Bulls in scoring.
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Monday marked LaVine’s 109th game with 30 or more points, tying Bob Love to become second in all-time 30+ point games in Bulls history. But he has ways to go to catch No. 1 on the list in Michael Jordan, who recorded 537 such games in his career.
2. Transition changes the game.
Hours before tipoff, Donovan warned about the dangers of mishandling the ball in transition. The Bulls offense is trying to maintain their breakneck pace set at the start of the season.
But in recent weeks, players have fallen into the trap of getting sped up and losing control — a flaw that results in turnovers and defensive breakdowns on both sides of transition breakaways. That pattern continued in Inglewood, where the entire game pivoted on the Bulls’ ability to execute in transition.
In the first half, the open court was the enemy for the Bulls, who gave up 15 points in transition and seven points off turnovers. The Clippers rattled off three consecutive transition buckets in the second quarter as they pulled ahead by seven points.
But that script flipped quickly in the second half, when LaVine took control of the Bulls in transition to outscore the Clippers. And after cleaning up the turnovers — allowing only four in the second half for six 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.
Josh Giddey is still struggling to find his footing as the team’s starting point guard. But Monday highlighted an improved version as the guard 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 Lonzo 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 before finishing 2-for-9 from the floor — the pair jumpstarted each another in transition and created a higher level of creativity on offense, combining for 12 assists. And the pairing was particularly helpful for Giddey, whose defensive inadequacies are 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 like Matas Buzelis, Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips. This meant rare rotations such as Buzelis and Patrick Williams sharing the floor, something they had previously only done for 65 minutes over a collective 20 games.
Extended minutes were a benefit for Terry and Phillips, who hounded the Clippers on the boards for a combined 12 rebounds.
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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 dismissal from the game in the second half.
Buzelis tried to impose himself throughout two first-half rotations, hunting dunks and grabbing four rebounds. But he struggled mightily with his shot, going 1-for-6 from the floor 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 newly constructed Intuit Dome, which offers the most modern NBA arena experience in the league.
Bulls players were impressed by the high-tech installations, such as indoor fireworks during the pregame introductions and a halo board that wraps around the circumference of the court. However, Ball also appreciated less flashy details, such as an expanded away locker room that provided visiting teams 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, which was hung as part of a display of more than 1,550 high school jerseys from across California.
