Showtime Bulls in HoLLywood

The Chicago Bulls showed the Los Angeles Lakers what showtime actually is. My goodness, what a game, right? If you didn’t watch this game, I feel sorry for you. Go watch the entire game, not just the highlights but the whole freaking game. It was a lot of fun to watch the Bulls but even more exciting to see the Lakers struggle; sure, they’re playing without LeBron James & a handful of role players but the Bulls are also playing without their starting power forward & center. It was a frustrating night for the Lakers, specifically for Anthony Davis, who eventually was ejected towards the end of the third quarter. Coach Billy Donovan once again went to his smaller lineup with Alex Caruso at the four; the small ball lineup is now 2-0 & is actually working extremely well, even better when Derrick Jones Jr is at the five. They get scrappy on defense with their double teams & deflections with those leading to instant transition points. The small ball lineup may be small but their quickness & grit makeup for the lack in size. The Lakers came out slower than the Bulls, which simply shouldn’t happen considering that the Bulls had played the night before.

I’ve been saying this & will continue saying this, if the Bulls come out hot, they’re almost unbeatable. Simply because when you play good offense, you want to play good defense & vice versa. These guys came out hitting threes, including DeMar! Zach, Zo & DDR all hit threes along with others resulting in a 62% three ball quarter. They kept blitzing Anthony Davis due to the smaller lineup on the floor & Bradley not playing that great but it kept working—AD was getting frustrated quickly. Zo’s basketball awareness was shown to be off the charts as he got to AD for the trap at the right moments on every play. This led to deflections which resulted in quick transition points. The Bulls get out in transition so quick it’s honestly insane, they’re so quick & everyone on the team is looking for the outlet pass. There were moments of Bradley seeming asinine making Coach Donovan bring in DJJ. Russ got downhill a couple times late in the first quarter but everyone is okay with Russ doing Russ things. In the beginning of the second quarter, we saw an issue that’s plaguing the Bulls all season, stagnant offense & allowing teams to get back in the game. DeMar was trying to do his thing but the offense wasn’t moving & the Lakers took advantage of that by cutting the lead from eight to four. Russ & THT got going but the Bulls had Ayo come in & provide a quick spark; Ayo had a couple nice rebounds & got out in transition quickly resulting in high energy plays. Then Zach & DeMar did what they do best, score. Zach & DeMar hit a couple threes & the duo looked nearly unstoppable. DeMar had ease getting into his spots with the help of poor defense by Carmelo Anthony while Zach hit his jumpers. AD was held to just 7 points in 18 minutes & struggled all game with the trapping. The Bulls finished the second quarter off real strong led by DeMar having 22 points on a blistering 57% shooting & Zach dropping in a smooth 17 points.

The Bulls looked like the classic Spurs or even the Warriors in the third quarter, they seemed just unstoppable. With their blitz defense & deflections, led by Zo & Caruso, they got out quick in transition & just showed energy that the Lakers simply couldn’t match. The ball was moving across all fronts & Zo was just on fire hitting practically every three that left his hands. DeMar had a couple tough yet beautiful buckets as the Bulls were just annihilating the Lakers. Coach Donovan once again had to have both Zach & DeMar on the floor together to avoid the double teams which allowed either one to have clean looks. Lonzo & Caruso’s pesky defense on AD eventually got under his skin leading to a weak technical foul on AD late in the third, but we’ll take it. He then left as LeBron walked onto the floor arguing with the referee, even when he’s not playing, which should’ve led to him getting a tech as well; players that aren’t suited up to play aren’t allowed on the floor & Bron was almost onto center court. Honestly, it was fun to see the Lakers get frustrated at home while the Bulls just had fun. Like usual, they had some great showtime plays & just looked comfortable. The fourth quarter was pretty the much the same as the third causing Coach Frank Vogel to throw the towel in early. Elite defense & an unstoppable three-headed monster in Ball, LaVine & DeRozan made for a great win against a Lakers team who don’t seem to have an identity without James.

DeMar ended up having 38 points on a blistering 65% shooting while Zo & Zach dropped 27 & 26, respectively. It was an exceptional team effort with their pesky defense & electric, contagious energy throughout the entire game. The small ball lineup is working & expect to see it again tonight against the Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers look to figure their season out & get on track; Dame who is dealing with an abdomen injury just isn’t playing like the Dame we’re used to seeing & the rest of the team isn’t playing well either. CJ McCollum in my opinion is not the number two option Dame needs & I've been saying that for a few years now. Their front office, who is probably as incompetent as GarPax was, just haven’t built a good team & talent to surround Dame with. Look to see the same blitz defense against Dame by the Bulls forcing either Norman Powell or CJ to make plays. Their defensive rating is average sitting at 16 & the Bulls should be able to take advantage of this by once again getting out in transition & getting some easy buckets. I don’t expect DeMar to slow down at all & have another good night. Coach Donovan has been making great adjustments in the last couple games leading to some solid wins. Look for the Bulls to come out with energy & put the Blazers away.