The Chicago Bulls are back to .500 after a 126-123 comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies highlighted by another high-scoring night from behind the arc.
Ayo Dosunmu forced an offensive rebound off a desperation heave by Coby White to position the Bulls to ice the game with 18.3 seconds left. Josh Giddey then went 2-for-4 in two trips to the free-throw line in that final span, but those misses didn’t matter as the Bulls squeaked out of Memphis with a three-point victory.
Here are six takeaways from the win:
1. The Bulls struggled early in the paint.
The Bulls fell into a 20-point hole in the first half due to their inability to match the Grizzlies in the paint. They did not log a single offensive rebound in the first quarter and did not score a second-chance point in the first half as the Grizzlies outscored them 36-14 in the paint.
But despite this disparity, the Bulls also couldn’t win the fast break. The problem with not rebounding the ball is it also makes it impossible to push the pace, a crucial aspect of the Bulls’ strategy for this season to outrun their larger opponents. With their pace lagging and no path through the paint, the Bulls seemed on track for another blowout at halftime.
2. Bench unit powered the third-quarter comeback.
JULIAN PHILLIPS CAUGHT A BODY. @CHSN__ | @ju1ianphillips pic.twitter.com/s2GGwMZ1el
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 29, 2024
A surging performance from the young Bulls bench cut a 20-point lead down to only four points with 24 seconds left in the third quarter. The Bulls outscored the Grizzlies 39-32 in the frame fueled by 23 points from the bench, including nine points from Jalen Smith.
The Bulls gave up only one turnover in the third quarter and that lack of mistakes allowed them to capitalize on the run in the opposite direction, scoring seven points off four Memphis turnovers. One of those included a behind-the-head slam from Julian Phillips, who finished a dunk after Dalen Terry stripped the ball off Jaylen Wells at half court.
The Grizzlies extended the lead back to seven points by the end of the third quarter, but this run by the bench unit put the Bulls back in contention for the final 12 minutes of play.
3. Zach LaVine led another high-volume 3-point shooting night.
After chipping away at the lead in the third quarter, the Bulls finally pulled ahead for the first time when LaVine knocked down a 3-pointer at the 7:07 mark of the fourth quarter. It was LaVine’s second 3-pointer in 30 seconds and his fourth of the game.
LaVine ultimately shot 5-for-12 from 3-point range in a 30-point performance — and he wasn’t alone behind the arc. The Bulls tied a franchise record for most made 3-pointers in a single game after knocking down 25 baskets from long range. Nine players made at least one 3 (and seven made two or more) as the Bulls racked up 53 attempts from behind the arc.
White went 5-for-10 from behind the arc and Nikola Vučević tallied a 4-for-8 shooting night. Vučević has improved to 11-for-21 from 3-point range this season after shooting only 29.4% behind the arc last season, a crucial improvement from the stretch center. Jalen Smith also shot 3-for-4 from 3-point range after spotty shooting through the first three games of the season.
4. Josh Giddey marshaled the offense.
What a pass by Giddey! @CHSN__ | @JoshGiddey pic.twitter.com/ljp0ZTrgDi
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 29, 2024
Monday night marked the strongest outing of guard Giddey’s short tenure with the Bulls. The point guard found his groove connecting with LaVine, slinging passes through tight windows from sideline out-of-bounds plays to create opportunities for his teammates.
Giddey scored 14 points and went 2-for-4 from behind the arc, an important step as he works to rebuild his confidence in his long-range shooting after a dismal collapse in the playoffs with Oklahoma City last year. He tallied a team-high eight assists — in addition to a team-high 13 rebounds — against two turnovers, showcasing his ability to impact a game through playmaking.
5. Lonzo Ball successfully played past his minutes restriction.
The Bulls have kept Ball under a strict 14- to 16-minute restriction in his first three games back following a two-season absence due to an injury that required three surgeries and the replacement of most of the cartilage in his left knee, including his meniscus. But coach Billy Donovan challenged that stricture on Monday night as Ball stayed in for an extra two minutes in the fourth quarter.
During that stretch, Ball helped to cement the Bulls in their comeback as he assisted on three shots — including the go-ahead 3-pointer from LaVine — for nine points in 38 seconds. Donovan eventually pulled Ball out for the final 3:43 of action, but the length and intensity of his play in Memphis suggests the point guard could be ready for a heavier rotation. Ball finished with six points and six assists (for a team-high +16 plus-minus rating) in 18 minutes.
6. The Grizzlies played without Ja Morant.
Ja Morant sat out Monday night’s game with a right thigh injury. He was listed as questionable with the same injury against the Orlando Magic over the weekend, but ultimately played 25 minutes in the win.
Morant is coming back from a shoulder injury that ended his 2023-24 season in January. He played only nine games last season due to a combination of surgery and a 25-game disciplinary suspension from the league, averaging 25.1 points and 8.1 assists per game in that short stint.
