Fighting Illini

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a splash on trade deadline day, acquiring guard Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls in a multi-asset deal that also brings forward Julian Phillips to Minnesota. In return, the Bulls receive young guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four future second-round draft picks.&nbsp;
ANALYSIS: Minnesota receives Ayo Dosunmu, a 26-year-old guard having a career-best season with averages around 15.0 points, 3.6 assists and strong shooting splits (51.4 % FG, 45.1 % 3-point) and Julian Phillips, a young wing who provides depth on the perimeter.&nbsp;
On the other hand, Chicago will receive Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, a young scorer with upside; Leonard Miller, a forward prospect with rotational experience and four second-round draft picks &ndash; significant draft capital for the Bulls to continue their roster overhaul.&nbsp;
The trade bolsters Minnesota&rsquo;s backcourt scoring and shooting as the Wolves push toward the Western Conference playoffs, giving them a proven guard who can contribute immediately next to stars like Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Dosunmu&rsquo;s ability to hit from deep and create offense fills a major need for a Wolves team that has struggled for consistent production outside its top stars.&nbsp;
For Chicago, the trade fits with a broader roster rebuild and teardown &ndash; parting with multiple core rotation pieces this week &ndash; and adds a mix of youth and draft assets as they look to retool their lineup for the future.

The Timberwolves made a splash on trade deadline day, acquiring guard Ayo Dosunmu from the Bulls for guard Rob Dillingham.

Timberwolves nab Ayo Dosunmu from Bulls for Rob Dillingham

It&rsquo;s been a long time since Chicago basketball felt this good.
The United Center hasn&rsquo;t buzzed like this in years, and it&rsquo;s not because of a flashy superstar, a high-profile signing, or a sudden scoring explosion. It&rsquo;s because the Bulls &ndash; yes, these Bulls &ndash; are finally playing like a team again.
Through the first seven games of the 2025-26 NBA season, the severely underrated Chicago Bulls have stormed out to a 6&ndash;1 record, sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. For a franchise that has spent much of the past decade searching for identity and direction, this early surge represents something far more meaningful than wins and losses.
It&rsquo;s about rediscovering what Chicago basketball used to stand for: toughness, selflessness, and unity.
A new identity, finally defined
For years, the Bulls&rsquo; offense revolved around Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan &ndash; two elite scorers whose individual brilliance often overshadowed the collective. They were both incredible in isolation, capable of creating something out of nothing, but their styles never fully meshed with what head coach Billy Donovan envisioned.
This season, the picture looks entirely different. Without LaVine and DeRozan, Donovan has reshaped the Bulls into a system-driven, motion-heavy team that thrives on movement, cutting, and passing. There&rsquo;s no ball-dominant alpha demanding touches. Instead, every possession feels deliberate, purposeful &ndash; a shared effort rather than a solo performance.
The Bulls are just playing basketball the right way, they are screening, cutting, and trusting each other. Everyone touches the ball, and everyone matters.
The Bulls may not have a top-tier offensive engine or a dominant space creator, but they&rsquo;ve replaced that with balance, energy, and discipline. The result is a brand of basketball that is winning, and one that is repeatable, although it remains to be seen if it is sustainable to get them to the playoffs.
The key players behind the surge: Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey
At the heart of it all is Nikola Vucevic, the steadying veteran whose game has aged like fine wine.
At 35, Vucevic isn&rsquo;t just surviving in today&rsquo;s pace-and-space NBA, he&rsquo;s thriving. He&rsquo;s averaging near a double-double once again, but it&rsquo;s his leadership that&rsquo;s had the bigger impact. He anchors Chicago&rsquo;s offense with smart positioning and inside-out passing as well as his elite floor spacing, while providing an example for the team&rsquo;s younger players about consistency and professionalism.
If Vucevic is the team&rsquo;s heart, Josh Giddey has become its brain.
After a tense summer restricted free agency saga, Giddey returned to Chicago with something to prove &ndash; and it shows. Fresh off signing a long-term deal, he&rsquo;s playing with an assertiveness and confidence that eluded him in previous seasons. Giddey has found his groove and his playmaking has been elite, threading passes and elevating the play of everyone around him.
More importantly, Giddey has found the balance between facilitating and attacking. His improved scoring aggression has kept defenses honest, opening up cutting lanes and rhythm shots for teammates. Early on, he&rsquo;s looking every bit like an All-Star &ndash; and the Bulls are reaping the benefits.
The potential of Matas Buzelis and the rise of Ayo Dosunmu
While Vucevic and Giddey set the tone, the Bulls&rsquo; most exciting storyline might be the emergence of Matas Buzelis.
The hometown kid &ndash; born in Chicago and drafted by his city &ndash; is coming into his own. Buzelis has been given the green light to learn, make mistakes, and grow, a luxury few rookies receive in a major market. His length, shooting touch, and versatility have made him a seamless fit in Donovan&rsquo;s system, and his elite athleticism and rim pressure allows him to have a consistent scoring bag.
For a franchise that&rsquo;s long searched for its next cornerstone, Buzelis represents hope &ndash; the possibility of a homegrown star who could one day carry the torch for the next great Bulls era.
Speaking of hometown pride, Ayo Dosunmu continues to be one of Chicago&rsquo;s unsung heroes.
Dosunmu, another Illinois native, has blossomed into one of the league&rsquo;s best 3-and-D guards. But this season, Donovan has asked for more &ndash; and Dosunmu has delivered. He&rsquo;s taking on bigger offensive responsibilities while still anchoring the perimeter defense. His energy, versatility, and unselfishness epitomize the Bulls&rsquo; identity: no ego, just effort.
Depth, Balance, and Belief
Even with Coby White sidelined, the Bulls&rsquo; depth has been a revelation. Role players like Isaac Okoro, Tre Jones, Patrick Williams, Kevin Huerter, and Jalen Smith have each embraced their roles with clarity and confidence.
Okoro brings defensive tenacity. Jones provides steadiness at the point. Williams has settled into a reliable two-way rhythm. Huerter adds spacing and shooting, while Smith has given valuable minutes as a stretch big. None of them are stars &ndash; but together, they&rsquo;ve formed a cohesive, balanced rotation that works alongside their core.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
The city of Chicago has been waiting for a team to believe in again. Since the days of Derrick Rose&rsquo;s MVP run and Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s hope, the Bulls have cycled through rebuilds, retools, and false starts &ndash; flashes of potential that never quite materialized.
But this group is a fresh start. This team, defined by their collective purpose, embodies the city&rsquo;s blue-collar spirit. They may not have a global superstar yet, but they have something that&rsquo;s been missing for far too long: chemistry, identity, and belief.
Chicago knows greatness when it sees it. After all, it&rsquo;s the home of Michael Jordan &ndash; the standard by which all Bulls teams are measured. But even if this group isn&rsquo;t chasing banners just yet, they&rsquo;re chasing something just as important: respect, relevance, and revival.
For the first time in years, Bulls basketball matters again. And it&rsquo;s not because of who&rsquo;s scoring the most points &ndash; it&rsquo;s because they&rsquo;re doing it together.

The Chicago Bulls are off to their best start in years — not because of star power, but because of teamwork. Read more how, here:

Together again: How the Bulls’ collective identity sparked their strong start

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan added 31 and the Chicago Bulls used a huge second half to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-107 and overcome Ja Morant's triple-double on Sunday.
The Bulls outscored the Western Conference&rsquo;s second-place team 75-39 over the final two quarters after trailing by 23. They dominated the Grizzlies 40-16 in the third, ending it on a 17-0 run while taking the lead. And they responded with another big push in the fourth after Memphis pulled within three.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 31 points and made five 3-pointers for the Grizzlies, who had won eight of nine. Morant had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Desmond Bane&nbsp;scored 21.
LaVine added nine assists during his big game for the Bulls, who committed just three turnovers while trying to hold on to a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Coby White had 19 points and Nikola Vucevic added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Grizzlies led by 23 in the first half and headed to the locker room up by 15 after making 13 of 25 3-pointers, only to get dominated 40-16 in the third. The Bulls scored the final 17 points of the quarter.
Chicago took its first lead at 85-84 when Patrick Williams tipped in White's missed 3 with 1:34 remaining and continued to add to it.
White and DeRozan converted three-point plays, and Ayo Dosunmu&nbsp;drove for a finger-roll layup in the closing seconds to give Chicago a nine-point lead.
Memphis got within 104-101 on Jackson's 3 midway through the fourth. But the Bulls answered with an 11-0 run.
It was quite a turnaround after Memphis just about buried the Bulls in the first half.
Jackson, who scored 13 in the first half, made three 3s. He hit two during a 15-2 run that broke open a 46-36 game, and Luke Kennard finished that burst with a 3 from the wing, making it 61-38 with just over five minutes left in the half.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: G John Konchar&nbsp;was available after missing back-to-back games because of a sore left hip.
Bulls: The Bulls have not decided if G Alex Caruso (sore left foot) will miss a game when they host Atlanta on Tuesday and visit Milwaukee on Wednesday. &ldquo;We haven't predetermined, 'OK, we get to this back-to-back, this is what we're doing,'&rdquo; coach Billy Donovan said.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Portland on Tuesday.
Bulls: Host Atlanta on Tuesday.

Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan added 31 and the Bulls used a huge second half to beat the Grizzlies 128-107.

Zach LaVine scores 36 points, Bulls beat Grizzlies 128-107

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Gary Trent Jr. had 19 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Chicago Bulls 104-98 on Tuesday night for their eighth victory in 10 games.
O.G. Anunoby added 17 points and Jakob Poeltl had 14 to help the Raptors win their fourth straight at home, matching their longest streak of the season.
Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 23 points and Zach LaVine had 17. DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points against his former team as Chicago fell to 10-21 on the road.
The Bulls had won back-to-back home games after losing six straight before the All-Star break, holding both Brooklyn and Washington below 90 points, but couldn&rsquo;t keep that streak going north of the border.
Toronto had 94 field goal attempts to Chicago&rsquo;s 71 and outrebounded the Bulls 47-35, including a 19-6 advantage on the offensive glass.
&ldquo;They have size everywhere,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said about the Raptors. &ldquo;We did get hurt, no question, on the glass.&rdquo;
The Bulls shot 37 for 71 overall and went 10 for 25 from 3-point range, but had 20 turnovers that led to 21 points for Toronto.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to put up points in a game like that with what we did,&rdquo; Donovan said. &ldquo;I thought we were trying to play the right way and we were trying do the right things. We just didn&rsquo;t execute as well as we needed to.&rdquo;
Vucevic said the Bulls needed to work harder to battle for rebounds.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t do a good enough job tonight of boxing them out and grabbing the ball,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A few of them were 50-50.&rdquo;
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes struggled through the first three quarters, shooting 1 for 8, but scored eight points and had a season-high four blocks in the final period.
&ldquo;The competitive side of him really starts emerging in the fourth,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;He just starts playing really physical and really tough.&rdquo;
Anunoby said he appreciated Barnes&rsquo; big finish.
&ldquo;He was amazing,&rdquo; Anunoby said. &ldquo;He was everywhere, making blocks, getting the ball and pushing, passing, finishing. He was doing everything.&rdquo;
Barnes finished with 11 points. He had eight rebounds and four assists.
Chicago led 46-44 at the half. LaVine scored 11 points in the third and the Bulls scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 72-70 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Ayo Dosunmu scored 10 points and Andre Drummond had 10 rebounds. &hellip; Chicago waived G Goran Dragic, making him a free agent. The 15-year veteran, 36, has missed the past four games because of a sore left knee. &hellip; G Alex Caruso celebrated his 29th birthday.
Raptors: Barnes had a career-high five blocks against Sacramento on Dec. 13, 2021. &hellip; Toronto signed G Will Barton and waived F Juancho Hernangomez. Barton averaged 7.7 points in 40 games with Washington before he was waived Feb. 21. He played four minutes in his Toronto debut Tuesday. &hellip; G Dalano Banton (left thumb) was not available.
FRED&rsquo;S BACK
Toronto guard Fred VanVleet returned after missing the past three games as he spent time at home for the birth of his third child. VanVleet shot 1 for 11, going 1 for 9 from 3-point range and scoring three points, but still made an impact with nine assists and six rebounds.
&ldquo;It makes a big difference having Fred out there,&rdquo; Anunoby said. &ldquo;It definitely helps our team. He&rsquo;s just a steady presence.&rdquo;
GOOD MONTH
Toronto went 8-3 in February, its most victories in any month this season.
UP NEXT
Bulls: At Detroit on Wednesday night.
Raptors: Begin five-game trip at Washington on Thursday night.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, and the Raptors beat the Bulls 104-98 on Tuesday night for their eighth victory in 10 games.

Raptors beat Bulls 104-98 for 8th victory in 10 games

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed on the ground, grimacing in pain before heading to the locker room. A sprained wrist in the early going ended his night.
Not before he set yet another franchise record.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1626391531526520835" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Antetokounmpo became Milwaukee&rsquo;s career assists leader</a>&nbsp;before getting injured, and the Bucks won their 12th straight, beating the Chicago Bulls 112-100 on Thursday night.
Brook Lopez scored a season-high 33 points. Jevon Carter had 22 against his hometown team, and Jrue Holiday added 15 points and nine assists.
The Bucks were never seriously threatened. But Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s injury early in the second quarter cast a bit of a cloud over a team that otherwise has so much going for it heading into the All-Star break.
Coach Mike Budenholzer said initial reports were &ldquo;hopeful&rdquo; and the X-ray was &ldquo;clean.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll just see how he feels tomorrow, see how he feels the next few days and continue to evaluate it,&rdquo; Budenholzer said.
He had &ldquo;no idea&rdquo; if Antetokounmpo would travel to Salt Lake City for the All-Star Game.
The two-time MVP was hurt trying to block a finger roll attempt by Chicago&rsquo;s Coby White after the guard drove past him. He jammed his wrist when he reached out &mdash; perhaps to soften the blow &mdash; as he crashed into the padded stanchion. He continued to flex his hand and got subbed out a few seconds later before heading to the locker room.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy that&rsquo;s attacking the basket all the time,&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s fearless. He takes a lot of falls so you kind of learn to just expect him to always just bounce back up, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re hoping for from this one.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo finished with a season-low two points and three assists, giving him 3,274 over 10 seasons to break Paul Pressey&rsquo;s record of 3,272 from 1982 to 1990. He also had seven rebounds.
SETTING THE RECORD
Antetokounmpo matched the assists mark when he fed Lopez for a 3-pointer two minutes into the game and broke it when he passed to Carter for another 3 that bumped Milwaukee&rsquo;s lead to 19-10 in the first quarter. He also is the Bucks&rsquo; career leader in blocks, triple-doubles, free throws made, free throws attempted and minutes.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s greatness, right?&rdquo; Holiday said. &ldquo;Especially to do it with one franchise, to be here through the ups and the downs, to see where he started and where he is now. I&rsquo;m so happy for him.&rdquo;
Lopez made three 3-pointers. Carter hit four from beyond the arc, and the Bucks beat Chicago for the first time in three games this season.
SLIDE CONTINUES
The Bulls lost their sixth in a row, their worst skid since dropping six straight in the 2020-21 season. They also fell seven games under .500 at 26-33, not what they envisioned after making the playoffs a year ago.
Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 16 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 18, and Patrick Williams had 16 points.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not just throwing in the towel,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we have the type of team or personnel to do that. Losing hurts.&rdquo;
SIDELINED STARS
Both teams were missing stars, with Milwaukee&rsquo;s Khris Middleton managing a sore right knee that has kept him out for a big portion of the season and Chicago&rsquo;s DeMar DeRozan sidelined for the second time in as many nights because of a strained right quadriceps.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Though Middleton&rsquo;s absence was not expected, coach Mike Budenholzer said the three-time All-Star did not experience a setback against Boston on Tuesday. Middleton had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes against the Celtics. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re overall not concerned, but we&rsquo;ll see how he does over the break and just continue to work with him and make sure he&rsquo;s in a good place when he plays,&rdquo; Budenholzer said.
Bulls: The Bulls said DeRozan is expected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday. ... G Ayo Dosunmu was selected to replace injured Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green on fellow former Illinois star Deron Williams&rsquo; team in Friday&rsquo;s Rising Stars game. The Chicago product played in the game as a rookie last year and was averaging 9.6 points and 2.9 assists in his second season after being drafted in the second round. Dosunmu called it a &ldquo;blessing&rdquo; to be selected again and said Williams was &ldquo;a big mentor&rdquo; for him in the draft process.

Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a sprained wrist as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 112-100 for their 12th straight win.

Giannis sets assists mark, hurts wrist; Bucks beat Bulls

Chicago Bulls second-year guard Ayo Dosunmu will replace injured Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (left groin strain) on Team Deron, and Rockets rookie forward Tari Eason will replace Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain) on Team Joakim in the 2023 Rising Stars Games.
The annual showcase of premier young talent at NBA All-Star Weekend will be played tomorrow, Feb. 17, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. It will air live at 9 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio.
Dosunmu is averaging 9.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 28.3 minutes in 56 games this season. He has scored in double figures 25 times. Last season, he was named to the 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and participated in the 2022 Rising Stars Game. Dosunmu was selected by the Bulls with the No. 38 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Eason is averaging 8.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 19.4 minutes in 57 games this season. He ranks second among rookies in steals per game (1.1) and ninth in the NBA in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.00). Eason was selected by the Rockets with the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Ayo Dosunmu will replace injured Jalen Green on Team Deron, and Tari Eason will replace Jalen Duren on Team Joakim.

Dosunmu, Eason replace Green, Duren in 2023 Rising Stars

Russell Westbrook may be on the move, again.
Following Westbrook's inclusion in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-lakers-timberwolves-jazz-agree-to-threeway-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a three-team deal</a> between the Lakers, Timberwolves and Jazz, Westbrook and the Jazz are expected to reach agreement on a buyout.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In three-team deal being discussed between Lakers, Wolves and Jazz, a buyout for Russell Westbrook in Utah would be the likely path, league sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBAonTNT</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BleacherReport</a>.
&mdash; Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1623425850543681540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

While the trade value for Westbrook was on the lower side &mdash; his limitations, in addition to a gargantuan salary ($47 million) made trading for him a tough sell without pick compensation attached to him &mdash; Westbrook's market on the buyout market should be more robust.
He isn't the superstar he once was, operating in a primary bench role for the first time in his career. Westbrook remains a productive player, though: 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.0 steals are marks matched by three other players in the NBA this season &mdash; Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and James Harden.
More specifically, Westbrook still lives at the rim.
A whopping 44% of his shots come at the rim, a 94th-percentile mark among combo guards, per Cleaning The Glass. He ranks eighth in total drives (792), with the Lakers generating roughly 1.04 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Westbrook drive, per Second Spectrum.
The Lakers have played at the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=PACE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second-highest pace</a> in the league this year. They've gotten in transition more often with Westbrook on the floor, a trend that has held in literally every season of Westbrook's career.
His ability to generate paint touches, with or without a screen, is still valuable to offenses. Once there, Westbrook has proven able to spray the ball out to the perimeter, or drop slick interior feeds. He's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/passing?CF=PASSES_MADE*LE*50:POTENTIAL_AST*GE*12&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=POTENTIAL_AST" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of four players</a> averaging at least 12 potential assists per game while averaging 50 or fewer passes. To the interior feed point, Westbrook ranks third in the league in at-rim assists.
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That he's been able to do it with this volume, within a Laker offense that doesn't feature ideal spacing for drivers, should spark intrigue around what he could do in a better context.&nbsp;
While Westbrook has generated paint touches at a high level, his efficiency as a scorer has declined from peak form. For the second season in a row, he's converted just 58% of his shots in the rim. He's made a career-low 29% of his shots from floater range. Some of that is due to the roster construction during his Laker tenure, but the interior touch has been shaky independent of that.
There's also the matter of the jumper. His 32% clip from mid-range ties a career-low (2018-19), while he's drained a paltry 29% of his threes. A year after knocking down 44% of his threes from the corner (on admittedly low volume), he's down to 27% this year.&nbsp;
Teams aggressively gap him when he's off the ball. He can make hay as a cutter from the wing, but that isn't something you can build the boat around. Slotting him in the dunker spot, or using him as a screener, have seemingly been brought up as ideas more than we've seen it in practice. That could change in a new spot, but I'd temper expectations there.&nbsp;
So, which teams make sense for Westbrook? Let's go down the list.
NAH, WE'RE GOOD &mdash; PLAYOFFS/IN EDITION (13)
Teams: Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Golden State, Indiana, Memphis, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento
This is pretty straightforward. All of these teams either have a star-caliber point guard, a deep point guard room or both.
NAH, WE'RE GOOD &mdash; DEVELOPMENT EDITION (5)
Teams: Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, Orlando, San Antonio
This is also straightforward. These teams are young and have more incentive to give their guards a runway rather than bringing Westbrook into the fold.
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CAN'T SAY I SEE IT (4)
Teams: Brooklyn, Minnesota, Toronto, Washington
The Nets didn't seem super interested in Westbrook before Kyrie Irving was ultimately moved; the picks were the real assets, and there were rumblings of Westbrook being rerouted in such a deal. In light of Durant being moved, I really don't see the point now.
The Wolves just made their own point-guard swap, bringing the veteran Mike Conley into the fold. You could make the argument for Westbrook bolstering their second unit, running ball screens with Naz Reid &mdash; or Karl Anthony-Towns, when he's back and if they're staggered together. Ultimately, trying to sort through touches with Westbrook and&nbsp;Rudy Gobert&nbsp;and&nbsp;Edwards&nbsp;and&nbsp;Towns is probably too much.
The Raptors with an actual point guard who could consistently generate paint touches and feed their talented forwards &mdash; all of which offer intrigue as screeners &mdash; would be nice. But I don't think Westbrook should be that option in light of the spacing issues the Raptors already face.&nbsp;
We've frankly done the Westbrook-in-Washington thing. He'd be an upgrade over the current point guards there, but I don't think that would be worth exploring.
HEAR ME OUT, THOUGH (2)
Teams: Milwaukee, Phoenix
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the Bucks could probably use another shot creator. Among perimeter players, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are kinda it.
Jevon Carter has taken a step as a pull-up shooter &mdash; did you know he's draining nearly 37% of his pull-up threes this year? &mdash; but he's not someone that can carry a unit. Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton &mdash; whichever is replaced by Middleton when he returns to the starting lineup &mdash; are complementary pieces, not players who can handle significant on-ball usage.
All I'm saying is a second unit headlined by Westbrook and Sixth-Man-of-the-Year candidate* Bobby Portis (when he returns) could be good stuff. Joe Ingles could help balance things out with his blend of playmaking and shooting. Being able to have two of Holiday, Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Westbrook on the floor at all times would be quite the luxury.&nbsp;
If the Suns were interested in Irving &mdash; and were possibly, maybe, allegedly, reportedly willing to involve Chris Paul in a deal to get it done &mdash; it stands to reason that they'd be in the market for more shot creation.
At the very least, the Suns need to pressure the rim more than they do.
Shout out to their increased work on the offensive glass &mdash; fifth in offensive rebound rate after ranking 21st last season &mdash; as well as the on-ball aggression they got from Mikal Bridges before moving him in a deal for some Kevin Durant dude.
They still rank 25th in drives per 100 possessions, 27th in free throw rate and 29th in rim rate (percentage of field goal attempts coming at the rim).&nbsp;
Westbrook could help in all of those areas.
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THE FAVORITES (3)
Teams: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami
Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes has reported that <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1623503500088070146?s=20&amp;t=CvvJPgcuaCLuvtoLr_Nfbg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Bulls</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1623494584524505088?s=20&amp;t=CvvJPgcuaCLuvtoLr_Nfbg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clippers</a> are expected to show interest in Westbrook, provided he's bought out.
I'll start here: without the Haynes report, I'd probably have Chicago in the "can't-see-it" section. I still want to put them there, but it's telling that we heard about their interest so early.
I get&nbsp;why there would be interest. Much like Phoenix, the Bulls have a mid-range heavy shot profile while ranking toward the bottom of the league in drives. Adding Westbrook to the fold could help that, while also taking some of the creation burden off of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
Nikola Vucevic could be a versatile screening partner for Westbrook, or someone that could space the floor while giving him room to work. If the pick-and-roll partnership between Westbrook and Thomas Bryant can be fruitful &mdash; 1.06 PPP on direct plays, per Second Spectrum, a quality number &mdash; then surely he and Vucevic could make music together.&nbsp;
And ultimately, the Bulls' offense has underwhelmed this year. They're in the bottom third of the league in offensive rating; their 114.5 offensive rating with DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic on the floor would only rank 15th league-wide. Constantly being flanked with a passive guard &mdash; either the budding Ayo Dosunmu or the versatile Alex Caruso &mdash; puts a bit of a cap on the offensive ceiling of this group.
I'm not convinced Westbrook would be a great answer in practice, but I understand the logic behind how he could be.&nbsp;
The Clippers seem to be the natural fit for Westbrook for a multitude of reasons. They could also use his rim pressure, and could especially use the juice he provides in transition. There are enough shooters on the roster, including their two best players, to create a favorable context for Westbrook. On a personal note, it'd be pretty convenient for Westbrook, who wouldn't have to move at all.&nbsp;
If there's such a thing as a darkhorse favorite, the Heat would be it. They're the worst offense of this group of teams &mdash; 25th in offensive rating (112.2) when removing garbage time. Both on and off the floor, the Heat feel like a team that could use an outside jolt.
The biggest drawback to the fit is the spacing. Erik Spoelstra is one of the most creative minds in NBA history, but constructing a workable offense around Westbrook, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would be quite the challenge.&nbsp;
A challenge doesn't mean it'd be impossible.
We've seen Westbrook and Anthony Davis generate good looks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-lakers-go-low-against-the-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on low pick-and-rolls</a>; it's not hard to envision Westbrook and Adebayo doing the same. Westbrook could receive screens from, or be the screener for, Butler. In a vacuum, Westbrook's paint-heavy style could complement the pull-up chops of Tyler Herro in the backcourt.
All the Heat may need is a slight boost; even with their offense and the injuries they've had to sort through, they're a playoff team right now while playing in a league-leading 38 clutch games. Westbrook doesn't have to be a superstar; he simply needs to be an additive. There's enough in the tank to talk yourself into it.

Nekias Duncan explores the Russell Westbrook buyout market.

Exploring potential landing spots for Russell Westbrook after buyout

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant scored 34 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 24 points and five blocks, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Chicago Bulls 104-89 on Tuesday night.
Desmond Bane finished with 17 points and Brandon Clarke had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who stopped a three-game skid.
Nikola Vucevic had 28 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls, whose three-game winning streak ended. Chicago played without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan because of right hip soreness.
Zach LaVine scored 24 points for Chicago and Ayo Dosunmu added 14 points and six assists.
The Bulls trailed 49-39 at halftime, plagued by 13 turnovers and 30% shooting, including 3 of 16 from 3-point range. But Chicago got rolling in the third behind Vucevic, who had 14 points in the quarter, and LaVine, who contributed 12. The Bulls led 75-72 entering the fourth.
But unlike recent games that Memphis couldn&rsquo;t close out, the Grizzlies were solid down the stretch, outscoring the Bulls 32-14 in the fourth &mdash; including a 10-0 run.
TIP-INS
Bulls: G Alex Caruso, who missed the previous two games with mid-foot soreness, started in DeRozan&rsquo;s spot and recorded his 750th career assist in the first quarter. ... The Bulls totaled 14 points in both the first and fourth quarters, their lowest for any quarter this season. ... Vucevic has 34 games this season with at least 10 rebounds.
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<div class="title-0-2-65">Grizzlies: C Steven Adams missed his seventh game with a PCL strain in his right knee. Memphis is 2-5 since Adams was injured. ... F Dillon Brooks returned to the lineup after missing Sunday&rsquo;s game under a league-assessed one-game suspension in connection with his scuffle with Cleveland&rsquo;s Donovan Mitchell. ... Jackson has 20 blocks in his last four games. ... Jackson entered the game having missed all nine of his 3-point attempts over the past two games. He was 2 of 5 from outside the arc against Chicago.</div>
</div>
</div>

Ja Morant scored 34 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 24 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Chicago Bulls 104-89.

Morant, Jackson help Grizzlies beat Bulls, end 3-game skid

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan had 27 and the Chicago Bulls topped Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 129-121 on Saturday night.
Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago won for the third time in four games, erasing a 17-point deficit in the second half. Ayo Dosunmu had 13 points, including a key 3-pointer in the third quarter.
Lillard scored 40 points for Portland, and Anfernee Simons had 27. But the Trail Blazers looked a little tired in the second half of their third game in four nights.
Portland had won five of six, including a 124-116 victory at Washington on Friday night after trailing the Wizards 69-51 at halftime.
Lillard and Simons took advantage of the absence of Alex Caruso, Chicago&rsquo;s best perimeter defender. Caruso sprained his right foot during Thursday night&rsquo;s 114-98 victory over Charlotte.
Portland trailed by one with 8:07 left, but Chicago put it away with a 12-0 run. Vucevic made two foul shots to give the Bulls a 117-104 lead with 5:13 remaining.
Portland opened an 80-63 lead on Lillard&rsquo;s fourth 3-pointer with 6:38 left in the third quarter. But Dosunmu responded with a 3 on the other end, sparking a 24-4 run for Chicago.
LaVine converted a three-point play, a conventional 3-pointer and two foul shots to give the Bulls an 87-84 lead with 1:47 left. Andre Drummond&rsquo;s foul shot sent Chicago into the fourth with a 92-87 advantage.
Lillard started heating up in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star went 7 for 7 at the line while scoring 19 points in the period, helping Portland to a 70-59 lead at the break.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, and coach Chauncey Billups said his playing career comes in handy this time of year. He was often the subject of trade rumors. &ldquo;You have to learn how to handle that,&rdquo; Billups said, &ldquo;and how to continue to keep playing and not even worry about it.&rdquo; ... F Justise Winslow remained sidelined by a left ankle sprain. He hasn&rsquo;t played since Dec. 21.
Bulls: Coach Billy Donovan said Caruso felt much better Friday morning, but there hadn&rsquo;t been a lot of change since then. &ldquo;Still having some discomfort, but not at the level it was after the game,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... F Patrick Williams played more than 31 minutes after he tweaked his right ankle against the Hornets.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in the opener of a five-game homestand.
Bulls: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan had 27 and the Bulls topped Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 129-121 on Saturday night.

Zach LaVine scores 36 points as Bulls beat Blazers 129-121

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points in his 1,000th career game, Nikola Vucevic added 14 points and 17 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 111-100 on Monday night.
The Bulls (22-24) returned to Chicago after a 126-108 win over the Pistons in Paris on Thursday and matched their season high with a third straight victory.
&ldquo;The second half of the season, you can&rsquo;t give games back. Everything matters from here in and out,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;You got to be the desperate ones. You got to go out there and compete.&rdquo;
Trae Young had 21 points and 13 assists, while Dejounte Murray added 20 points for the Hawks, who have lost two straight after winning five in a row.
The Bulls started to pull away in the fourth quarter after Young found John Collins for an alley-oop dunk to cut the lead to 91-88. Zach LaVine answered with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws before DeRozan made a 3 to extend the lead to 99-88 with 5:29 left.
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LaVine finished with 20 points.
In the previous two meetings in Atlanta, both games ended with a buzzer-beater. AJ Griffin beat the Bulls at the horn on Dec. 11 and 10 days later, Ayo Dosunmu returned the favor with a follow shot as time expired.
The Bulls controlled most of the second half.
Patrick Williams sealed the game with a 3 to put Chicago up 108-95 with 1:53 left. Williams finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
&ldquo;I thought Patrick was really good tonight on the glass. He had some really important timely rebounds both defensively and offensively. That was important for us in crucial situations,&rdquo; said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. &ldquo;He is a guy that has to try to get double-figure rebounds for us.&rdquo;
The Hawks lost their key defender De&rsquo;Andre Hunter before the game to asthma symptoms.
&ldquo;They got two really good weapons (DeRozan and LaVine) over there and it is hard to guard a lot of guys in this league 1-on-1. So you have to use multiple guys and when you&rsquo;re missing probably your best defender, it&rsquo;s hard,&rdquo; Young said.
&ldquo;You are going to have to send doubles, you&rsquo;re going to have to do different types of schemes you (wouldn&rsquo;t) have if you had him out there. It&rsquo;s obviously not an excuse why we lost, but I definitely think that&rsquo;s tough when you have two high horses over there.&rdquo;
Clint Capela had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Bulls led 57-48 at the half. LaVine scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Murray led the Hawks with 15 points. Young was held to four points on 1-of-6 shooting.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic was back in the lineup after missing Saturday&rsquo;s loss to Charlotte with a right knee injury. He finished with 11 points in 33 minutes. ... THe Hawks had 18 turnovers.
Bulls: G Goran Dragic missed the game with a non-COVID illness. Donovan said Dragic will not travel with the team to Indiana but may re-join them during the three-game road trip. ... Bulls were 6 of 25 from the floor in the first quarter and 17 of 25 in the second quarter. ... DeRozan became the 143rd player to play in 1,000 games or more. ... The Bulls began a stretch where they play four games in six nights in four different cities.
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DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points in his 1,000th career game, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 111-100.

DeRozan scores 26 in 1,000th game, Bulls beat Hawks 111-100

PARIS (AP) &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">Victor Wembanyama was sitting courtside,</a> the 19-year-old French phenom and presumed No. 1 NBA draft pick watching some of the players he&rsquo;ll go up against next season.
And a guy with a French surname put on quite a show.
Zach LaVine &mdash; who said his great-grandfather was French &mdash; scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons at the NBA Paris Game on Thursday.
&ldquo;Maybe the air up here was good for me,&rdquo; LaVine said.
DeMar DeRozan added 26 points for the Bulls, and Nikola Vucevic finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 25 points. Killian Hayes, the only French player on either roster, scored four points for Detroit on 2-of-13 shooting, but had a game-high eight assists.
Hamidou Diallo had 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Detroit, while Saddiq Bey and Jaden Ivey each scored 16 for the Pistons.
&ldquo;It was a bit frustrating to not be the winners tonight," Hayes said.
It was the capper to several days of celebrating the NBA in France, after both teams took part in clinics, touristy events like visits to the Eiffel Tower, some upscale dinners and even a private show for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-rodney-mcgruder-268c20ad7406e6f162bc0dc0f5a3a410">Pistons at the Paris Opera House</a>.
And while the game counted &mdash; Chicago (21-24) stayed in 10th in the Eastern Conference and what would be the last play-in spot with the win, while Detroit fell to 12-36, the second-worst mark in the NBA &mdash; it also was no mundane middle-of-the-season regular-season matchup.
The celebrity list included NBA greats like Magic Johnson, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tony Parker; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-richard-hamilton-8002bc599b1b4e27789f6624d61de0cc">a Bulls legend and native French son in Joakim Noah;</a> the rising star that everybody can&rsquo;t stop talking about in Wembanyama; WNBA players like Gabby Williams; even Grammy winners and Formula 1 drivers.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to quite compare this to All-Star,&rdquo; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-france-government-africa-efc212a60bce5820d7673a54fd4bea5b">NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said,</a> &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s the closest thing to a European All-Star Game that we have.&rdquo;
It was also a celebration of the continued strength of the international footprint on today&rsquo;s NBA game. When the Bulls and Michael Jordan &mdash; along with B.J. Armstrong, then a Bulls guard, now an NBA agent who was at the game Thursday &mdash; played in Paris during the preseason in 1997, about 1 of every 14 NBA players was born outside the U.S.
Now, that&rsquo;s about 1 in 4.
&ldquo;It is special because we&rsquo;re representing not only Detroit, but the NBA,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re trying to put the brand in a good place &mdash; in a place where basketball is taking off.&rdquo;
<a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1616197195878830089?s=20&amp;t=gIeSQODhSY64TYUk1bgQew">Wembanyama and his family</a> made their way to courtside seats about 15 minutes before tip-off, immediately attracting a huge crowd. When the camera found him and he was shown to the French fans on the big in-arena screens in the second quarter, he clapped and smiled, as did his mother seated one row back over his right shoulder &mdash; as the crowd positively roared in delight.
Both teams are flying home Friday.
&ldquo;It's great for people here in Paris to get an up-close look at the NBA," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;It makes you realize that the sport is followed so closely around the world. It was amazing. The place was sold out."
TIP-INS
Bulls: Derrick Jones Jr. had 12 points for Chicago, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1616196916945031181?s=20&amp;t=gIeSQODhSY64TYUk1bgQew">including four highlight-reel dunks</a> &mdash; no surprise for a former NBA dunk champion. ... Ayo Dosunmu scored 13 for the Bulls. ... Chicago shot 54%.
Pistons: Jalen Duren had an imperfect start to the trip &mdash; he misplaced his passport &mdash; then got that settled and had a perfect shooting game, 4-for-4 from the field on his way to a 11-point, 12-rebound effort. ... Isaiah Stewart grabbed 11 rebounds.
GLOBAL GAME
The NBA has teams in the U.S. and Canada, of course, and this game in France pushed the list of nations where the league has played or practiced this season to seven.
Mexico played host to a game between San Antonio and Miami last month. The Heat also had training camp in the Bahamas, and the league went to two other countries for preseason games &mdash; Golden State and Washington played twice in Japan, while Milwaukee and Atlanta played twice in the United Arab Emirates.
ROAD TRIP
It was a &ldquo;home&rdquo; game for the Pistons, even though Paris is about 4,000 miles from Detroit. As the home team, the Pistons got to bring a slew of staffers on the trip &mdash; including some game operations workers and members of the stat crew that works at the scoring table.
James Capers, Karl Lane and Natalie Sago got sent to officiate the game. All three referees had games Saturday in the U.S., then traveled to Paris.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Atlanta on Monday.
Pistons: Host Milwaukee on Monday.

Zach LaVine scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126-108 win over the Detroit Pistons.

LaVine scores 30, Bulls defeat Pistons 126-108 in Paris

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22 points, and the Chicago Bulls stopped Brooklyn's 12-game win streak with a 121-112 victory over Kevin Durant and the Nets on Wednesday night.
Durant scored 44 points, but Chicago had six players score in double figures. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmo finished with 17 points. The Bulls had dropped two in a row.
&ldquo;They came to play,&rdquo; Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn said. &ldquo;They were pretty desperate to get a win, and we needed that same desperation.&rdquo;
Durant rested at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Chicago put together an 8-0 run. Dosunmu stole a pass at midcourt and went in for the jam for a 106-95 lead with 6:46 left.
&ldquo;Ayo brought it defensively,&rdquo; Bulls guard Zach LaVine said. &ldquo;Bring the energy, getting steals, getting blocks.&rdquo;
Williams and DeRozan each hit two foul shots in the final minute to help close it out.
Durant scored a season-high 28 points in the first half, but Brooklyn trailed 69-59 at the break. He went 15 for 22 from the field for the game, finishing one point shy of his season high against Orlando on Nov. 28.
The Bulls, playing without reserve Javonte Green, lost another key guard when Alex Caruso sprained his right ankle with 3:11 left in the first quarter. Caruso missed three games earlier this season due to a concussion and shoulder sprain.
LaVine scored 13 points for Chicago, and Coby White finished with 10.
&ldquo;Their top two guys (DeRozan and LaVine) were 12 for 31 for 35 points," Durant said. &ldquo;We can live with that. But Pat Williams made some shots and easy rolls to the rim. Ayo is playing great this year and put pressure on the rim."
Kyrie Irving scored 25 points for Brooklyn, and Seth Curry had 22. Irving went 1 for 8 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We could not get over the hump, and a big part of it was that we were playing catchup,&rdquo; Vaughn said. &ldquo;A 40-point first quarter (by Chicago) set the tone. A little uncharacteristic by our group.&rdquo;
Nets forward Yuta Watanabe, who entered the game leading the league with a 52.1 3-point percentage, played only six minutes because of foul trouble and scored one point.
TIP-INS
Nets: Vaughn shared a text message he received from a friend following his selection as the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December. &ldquo;'What's so special about a turtle sitting on top of a fence post? He didn't get there on his own.' So I'm very smart to know that award is the performance of the team, the coaching staff, at the end of the day it was the players,&rdquo; Vaughn said.
Bulls: Coach Billy Donovan stressed that LaVine has been an option on several last-second plays that have went to DeRozan. &ldquo;I totally trust Zach, and I have no problem with Zach with the ball in his hands and no problem with Zach shooting the ball at the end of games,&rdquo; Donovan said. &ldquo;But I think everyone would agree with what DeMar has done at the end of games has been very powerful.&rdquo; ... Green (right knee soreness) was placed in a treatment program to determine the extent of his injury with hopes of him returning soon, Donovan said.
&nbsp;

DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22 points, and the Bulls stopped the Nets' 12-game win streak with a 121-112 win.

Durant scores 44, but Bulls snap Nets' 12-game win streak

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Caris LeVert scored 23 points, Kevin Love added 20 points and nine rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended a three-game skid with a 103-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
DeMar DeRozan had 21 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 19 for Chicago, which had won two straight.
Cleveland led 84-77 after three quarters and never trailed in the second half but didn&rsquo;t shake the Bulls until the final minute. The Cavs led 103-96 after LeVert&rsquo;s jumper with 2 minutes left, but Chicago made four free throws to close in.
DeRozan made it a one-point game after a driving layup with 29 seconds to play and Chicago had a shot at a winning basket after forcing a shot-clock violation with 4.8 to go. Cleveland, the NBA&rsquo;s stingiest scoring defense, forced DeRozan into an off-balance shot as time expired.
Chicago managed just one field goal in the final five minutes.
The Cavaliers also got 15 points from Donovan Mitchell in the opener of a home-and-home series. The teams meet again Monday in Cleveland.
Chicago&rsquo;s Zach LaVine had 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting, a night after scoring a season-best 43 in a win over Detroit.
Nikola Vucevic added 11 points and 14 rebounds.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: All-Star guard Darius Garland missed the game after sprained his thumb in Thursday&rsquo;s loss at Indiana. F Evan Mobley (ankle) also was a scratch. &hellip; The Cavaliers had dropped four of their previous five road games.
Bulls: Coach Billy Donovan sees less reason to closely monitor LaVine in the second of back-to-back games. The Bulls were cautious with his minutes in those situations after offseason knee surgery, but the coach said the All-Star merits more time as long as there are no medical barriers. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely gotten better over time. As long as he&rsquo;s feeling good, he wants to play.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Caris LeVert scored 23 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended a three-game skid with a 103-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Cavs hold off Bulls 103-102 to end three-game skid

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan compared the Chicago Bulls' success this season against the Eastern Conference's best teams to being chased by a dog.
They know they they have to keep going and can't slow down.
DeRozan scored 42 points and the Bulls rallied to beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks 119-113 in overtime Wednesday night.
The Bulls trailed by 15 early in the fourth quarter and were down 11 with less three minutes to go in regulation, only to pull even in the closing seconds. DeRozan had a steal and passed to Ayo Dosunmu for the tying dunk, then scored 10 in overtime. Nikola Vucevic hit a 3 in the extra period and the Bulls beat one of the NBA&rsquo;s best teams after losing to one of the worst &mdash; Houston &mdash; two nights earlier.
&ldquo;You run faster if a dog starts chasing you, right?&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of like that type of feeling, if that makes sense.&rdquo;
Chicago is a combined 5-1 against the top three teams in the East &mdash; Boston, Brooklyn and Milwaukee. The Bulls are also 2-0 against Miami, which reached the conference finals last season.
&ldquo;I guess the best bring out the best out of you,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;We got to go out there and play like that every single night.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo matched a season high with 45 points and set one with 20 rebounds. He also committed two turnovers in the closing seconds of regulation, and the Bucks extended their season-high losing streak to four.
BULLS RALLY
DeRozan made it a two-point game near the end of regulation with a cutting layup, then stole Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s inbounds pass intended for Allen and fed Dosunmu for a dunk that tied it at 106 with 7.8 seconds remaining. Antetokounmpo got called for traveling with about a second left.
&ldquo;I read it perfect, got the steal, seen Ayo leaking out and hit him for the dunk,&rdquo; DeRozan said.
Antetokounmpo sensed DeRozan knew the play. But he didn't think the game came down to that.
&ldquo;It's not just one play,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It's a collection of plays. Make some shots. ... There were some in-and-out 3s. Tough.&rdquo;
BULLS PREVAIL
The Bucks were up by four in OT when DeRozan scored on a finger roll and Vucevic nailed a 3 from up top to put Chicago ahead 111-110 with 1:28 left.
DeRozan made two free throws before Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis hit a 3 to tie it at 113 with 41 seconds remaining. DeRozan then hit a 12-footer and &mdash; after Antetokounmpo missed a fadeaway shot &mdash; made four free throws in the final 13.9 seconds.
Zach LaVine scored 24 points for Chicago. Vucevic added 15 points and 14 rebounds, and the Bulls improved to 2-0 against the Bucks this season after losing 18 of the previous 20 to them counting the playoffs.
Portis had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee. Jrue Holiday missed the game because of a non-COVID illness and Khris Middleton remained sidelined because of a sore right knee.
HEATING UP
Things got heated midway through the quarter, when Chicago's Patrick Williams bumped Grayson Allen into DeRozan. The Bulls star fell to the floor, popped up and had some heated words for Allen, who's not exactly a popular figure in Chicago. Bulls guard Alex Caruso missed seven weeks with a broken wrist following a hard foul by Allen during a game in Milwaukee last January.
Williams got called for a foul on the play. Allen made two free throws as the crowd showered him with boos.
&ldquo;It's his track record,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;If it was Boban (Houston's Boban Marjanovic), I wouldn't have done anything. I didn't know if it was on purpose or what happened.&rdquo;
DeRozan and Portis got technicals with 5:47 remaining in the quarter after Portis made a free throw.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Coach Mike Budenholzer said he found out Tuesday that Holiday was ill. &ldquo;We were going to see how he felt this morning, and he didn't get better this morning,&rdquo; he said. ... Middleton sat out his sixth straight game; he also missed the first 20 of the season.
Bulls: G Coby White (left leg) exited in the first half. ... Caruso (right shoulder) missed his third game in a row. Coach Billy Donovan said he's able to shoot, dribble and pass. But the Bulls are being cautious with him. &ldquo;The biggest part of the sprain right now is him getting hit again could really set him back,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... F Derrick Jones Jr. (sprained left ankle) missed his fourth consecutive game.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host Minnesota on Friday night.
Bulls: Host Detroit on Friday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DeMar DeRozan scored 42 points and the Bulls rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-113 in overtime.

DeRozan scores 42 points, Bulls beat Bucks 119-113 in OT

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Ayo Dosunmu banked in a putback jumper as time expired and the Chicago Bulls rallied after blowing an 18-point lead to win their second straight game, 110-108 over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Dosunmu inbounded a pass from the Chicago sideline with four seconds remaining to DeMar DeRozan, who missed a jumper with an airball from the left baseline with De'Andre Hunter defending, but Dosunmu was in place to grab the rebound to beat John Collins to the ball in the paint and score at the buzzer.
&ldquo;Once I hit DeMar and once he got into his shot, I was hoping he was going to make it but I wanted to get around the rim just in case &mdash; we&rsquo;ve lost some games like that this year &mdash; so I wanted to get around rim and just try to use my instincts if it came to me," Dosunmu said. &ldquo;If it went in good, if not I&rsquo;d be there."
DeRozan led Chicago with 28 points, Zach LaVine added 22 points and Nikola Vucevic had 20.
Trae Young scored 34 points for Atlanta, and Dejounte Murray had 15 points and 10 assists.
Rookie AJ Griffin made a corner 3-pointer to make it 88-87 and give the Hawks their first lead with 9:31 remaining. The rookie followed with a right-wing 3 at the 7:48 mark to put Atlanta up 95-90, and the Hawks led until LaVine hit consecutive jumpers to make it 106-104 with 44.7 seconds remaining.
&ldquo;We did a good job of staying in the game and making the plays and making the shots," LaVine said. &ldquo;I think you just credit everyone for being confident in what they do, and it was a good win."
Consecutive alley-oop dunks by Onyeka Okongwu, who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, made it 108-all, but Dosunmu had the final say.
&ldquo;It felt good leaving my hands, but I'm glad I air-balled it, and Ayo was in the right place at the right time," DeRozan said. "He got the job done."
Young hit a season-high seven 3-pointers for the Hawks, who overcame a sloppy shooting in the first half by chipping away at the lead in the third and finally taking control with a 19-7 run in the fourth.
&ldquo;We fought our way back into it,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;Just came up two points short. I was just in a rhythm, the first few shots went in. I&rsquo;ve been working to get in a rhythm and I&rsquo;ve been doing the same routine. I&rsquo;ve got to be better on shooting from the field, but it was good to see my 3s go in.&rdquo;
DeRozan was pleased to win in this fashion after Chicago lost 123-122 in overtime on a buzzer-beater two weeks ago in Atlanta.
&ldquo;It was crazy," he said. &ldquo;This time fate smiled our way."
LaVine admired his team's tenacity to overcome an eight-point deficit with five minutes to go after blowing the 18-point lead.
&ldquo;It's how you respond," LaVine said. &ldquo;I think we all talk about we had to do what we had to do and we put together some good quarters. We made some mistakes but we played for each other and came out with the last-second win and got them back at the buzzer."
TIP-INS
Bulls: Alex Caruso got tangled up and hit the floor late in the second. He stayed down on his back for a minute before play was halted, sat up and walked off the floor under his own power. He was later diagnosed with a concussion.
Hawks: Young, who had 16 points in the first quarter and 13 in the second, began the game as the only NBA player averaging at least 25 points and 10 assists.
&nbsp;

Ayo Dosunmu banked in a putback jumper as time expired and the Chicago Bulls rallied for a win 110-108 over the Atlanta Hawks.

Ayo Dosunmu beats buzzer, Bulls beat Hawks 110-108

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; RJ Barrett scored 27 points and the New York Knicks again used 3-point shooting to beat the Chicago Bulls, 114-91 on Friday night to sweep the two-game set and run their winning streak to six.
Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes each added 22 points to help the Knicks follow their 128-120 overtime victory over the Bulls on Wednesday night. New York, which entered 26th in the NBA in 3-point shooting, was 17 for 44 on 3s after going 18 of 34 two nights earlier.
Brunson made a career-high six shots on nine attempts from beyond the arc, Grimes was 5 of 9 from long-range and Barrett went 3 of 5.
&ldquo;It was just luck," Brunson said of his 3-point shooting. &ldquo;We're clicking. We're helping each other out and were just putting each other in position where we're just finding each other, giving each other space. &rdquo;
Julius Randle had 19 points and 12 rebounds for New York. The Knicks outrebounded Chicago 50-39 and held an opponent to fewer than 100 points for the fifth time during the winning streak.
The Bulls committed 20 turnovers to New York&rsquo;s 10.
&ldquo;The shooting really helps a lot and obviously the defense helps our team immensely,&rdquo; New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It gives us high energy. It gives us multiple efforts.
&ldquo;I love the way our perimeter is playing right now, and then throw RJ in there and then throw the bedsheet in. We're mixing and matching.&rdquo;
Zach LaVine had 17 points for Chicago, and DeMar DeRozan was limited to 14 points. The Bulls have lost three straight.
&ldquo;The only way to respond is to compete,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;We let frustration get to us tonight.&rdquo;
The Bulls faded in the fourth quarter as the Knicks pulled away.
&ldquo;It's not ideal where we're at, but great stories start with some kind of tragedy,&rdquo; DeRozan added.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York guard Derrick Rose played his first seven seasons with the Bulls and was the NBA&rsquo;s MVP in 2010-11 at age 22. Now 34, Rose isn&rsquo;t in the Knicks rotation, but Thibodeau thinks the Rose might merit having his number retired by the Bulls. &ldquo;That would be a question for the Bulls organization,&rdquo; said Thibodeau, who coached Rose for five seasons in Chicago, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hopeful. My opinion is he is deserving.&rdquo; Rose entered the game in the final minutes to an ovation from the crowd.
Bulls: G Ayo Dosunmu returned and entered in the second quarter after being sidelined with an pelvic bruise. Dosunmu suffered the injury in Sunday&rsquo;s loss at Atlanta. &hellip; The Bulls signed G Carlik Jones to a two-way contract and waived F Kostas Antetokuonmpo, a younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokuonmpo. Kostas appeared in 12 games with the G League Windy City Bulls, averaging 11.7 points.
&nbsp;

RJ Barrett scored 27 points and the New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 114-91 and run their winning streak to six.

Knicks launch 3s, beat Bulls 114-91 for 6th straight victory

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; A.J. Griffin hit a 6-footer on an alley-oop pass at the overtime buzzer and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 123-122 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night.
DeMar DeRozan sank three free throws with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime to finish with 33 points as it appeared the Bulls had the game wrapped up. But Griffin took sideline alley-oop pass from Jalen Johnson and scored on a turnaround jumper with Derrick Jones Jr. defending for the win.
It was Griffin's second overtime buzzer-beater in his rookie season, the first coming in a 124-122 win over Toronto on Nov. 19.
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AJ GRIFFIN AT THE BUZZER IN OVERTIME FOR THE WIN AGAIN <a href="https://t.co/zDy02jm2yL">pic.twitter.com/zDy02jm2yL</a>
&mdash; Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1602126873823039489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;The same thing was going through my head," Griffin said after scoring 17 points. &ldquo;Just how fast it happens. I think coach drew up a great play and J.J. made a great pass.
&ldquo;Getting that confidence from the coach to be able to go out there and execute. Even on a day when shots aren't falling, just to continue to keep playing. Just the encouragement to keep going. On to the next one."
Trae Young hit a 20-footer with 1 second left to give the Hawks a 121-119 lead in the extra period, and Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 17 of his 28 points in the first half for Atlanta.
DeRozan calmly swished the free throws after taking the inbound pass and firing up a 3 in which he was fouled by Bogdanovic. He knew the game wasn't over, however.
&ldquo;I mean I've been in the league so much that I've seen crazier stuff happen," DeRozan said. &ldquo;It's not over &rsquo;til it's over. ... They made a hell of a play. ... Shake their hand and move on."
DeRozan had 12 points in the fourth quarter but he missed a layup that would&rsquo;ve given Chicago a one-point lead with 16.5 seconds remaining.
Jones hit one of two free throws that could&rsquo;ve given the Bulls a one-point victory, but instead sent the game to overtime.
Young had 19 points and 14 assists for the Hawks. The team&rsquo;s leading scorer, Young was 5 for 18 from the field, including 2 for 8 on 3s, but his runner with 1:45 remaining gave the Hawks the lead at 107-105. He followed with a 3 to make it 110-107 with 50.6 seconds left in regulation.
Young has struggled lately, beginning the night 7 of his last 41 on 3s over his last six games and fourth in the league in turnovers.
One night after scoring a season-high 144 points and shooting 63.5% in a lopsided win over Dallas, the Bulls shot 48%, including 28.9% on 3s.
Clint Capela got his eighth straight double-double and 16th of the season, finishing with 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks.
TIP-INS
Bulls: G Javonte Green was cleared to play despite being listed as questionable with right knee soreness. He had two points in 11 minutes despite missing the last three games. ... G Alex Caruso (lower back contusion) stayed in Chicago to get treatment. ... G Ayo Dosunmu had an abdominal contusion late in the second quarter and didn&rsquo;t return.
Hawks: G Dejounte Murray, the team&rsquo;s second-leading scorer, missed his second straight game with a left ankle sprain. He is expected to be sidelined for another week and a half. ... De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, who missed four straight games with a right hip flexor strain, was a game-time decision and scored 16. ... C Onyeka Okongwu, listed as questionable before the game with left foot soreness, finished with 14 points. ... F John Collins missed his fifth consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. He is expected to be out another week.
CONDOLENCES
Atlanta coach Nate McMillan paid his respects to NBA legend Paul Silas, who passed away Saturday night at 79. The Hawks held a moment of silence for Silas, a former NBA coach who played for St. Louis and Atlanta for the first five years of his career beginning in 1964-65, before the game.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host New York on Wednesday and Friday.
Hawks: At Memphis on Monday and Orlando on Wednesday.

A.J. Griffin scored at the overtime buzzer and the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 123-122 victory over the Bulls.

A.J. Griffin wins game at OT buzzer, Hawks hold off Bulls 123-122

I'll be the first to admit I'm a numbers guy.
I mean, I write the Stats Notebook at Basketball News. The NBA Stats site is a top page in my browser, and PBP Stats, BBall Index and the like can become rabbit holes if I have too much free time. Statistics are a chronology of moments, making the past tangible and the future ever-so-slightly more predictable.
Stats also never tell the whole story. Ayo Dosunmu might be this year's case in point.
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The second-year Chicago Bulls guard has been one of my favorite individual players to watch in this early 2022-23 season. Dosunmu is averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and has seen his production rise in accordance with a slight minutes bump.
However, his 59.2% True Shooting percentage is a hair down from last year (still quite good by the way!), his assist and turnover rates have also dropped a bit, and he's recorded a -42 plus-minus on the season despite the 6-6 Bulls losing just one game by double digits.
People probably look at those surface numbers and shrug their shoulders. But watch Dosunmu and witness his versatility, creativity and electricity jump out of the screen.
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Watch only Ayo Dosunmu throughout this defensive play. This is the stuff you don't catch if you're only watching the ball, GREAT off-ball defense that blew up this possession. <a href="https://t.co/9LzLrUeZJv">pic.twitter.com/9LzLrUeZJv</a>
&mdash; Steph Noh (@StephNoh) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephNoh/status/1588694321427279873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
Dosunmu completes three significant actions here, and only one (the assist to Zach LaVine) lands in the box score. He slinks through the off-ball screens to cover Jaylen Brown and nullify a primary piece of Boston's set. Then, with Brown in a minimally-advantageous spot in the corner, Dosunmu helps out on Jayson Tatum's drive, effectively contesting the shot that ultimately gets blocked by Patrick Williams. Dosunmu then grabs the loose ball, immediately looks up and hits LaVine in transition.&nbsp;
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Defensive processing by Ayo Dosunmu. DeRozan guarding Tatum in the corner. LaVine leaves his man to help. Ayo slides down to cover both his and LaVine&rsquo;s man. Brown cuts to the basket so Ayo covers him. Tatum beats DeRozan so Ayo helps by sliding down to protect the rim. <a href="https://t.co/m1DItCVSmm">pic.twitter.com/m1DItCVSmm</a>
&mdash; Hoop Informatics 🏀📊🎥 (@HoopInformatics) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoopInformatics/status/1588696454750957568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Hoops Informatics highlights another possession from the same game. Dosunmu starts this clip by covering two players on the weak side. When he sees LaVine slide back toward his corner and catches Brown cutting into the paint, Dosunmu shuts off the option. He stays engaged with the ball, though, and then helps again on Tatum's baseline drive.
Here's one more moment &mdash; this time from Chicago's first game against Boston, a 123-119 win:
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Meanwhile first play for Boston: - Smart needs to pass the ball earlier than he did - Tatum actually does this well but at this point its to a worse above-the-break shooter - Bulls are helping aggressively and Boston isn't making them pay - Look at Ayo Dosunmu just flying around <a href="https://t.co/WDt5HQkKcD">pic.twitter.com/WDt5HQkKcD</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1584981009279246336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The multiple defensive efforts in myriad forms are remarkable, and they take a combination of schematic understanding, processing speed and, simply, quick legs. Dosunmu's internall throttle is always to the floor &mdash; even if it leads to the <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1588983680164589569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occasional over-revving</a>.
"Ayo was, basically all last year, just playing off the feel," teammate Alex Caruso <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-alex-caruso-nailing-down-details-chicago-bulls-defense-lonzo-ball-ayo-dosunmu-golf-nutrition-tea-cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Basketball News over the offseason</a>. "Your first year in the league, you don't understand concepts really. You don't understand coverages. You're seeing guys play, and you're playing against guys for the first time. You're seeing their best moves for the first time; they're probably going to beat you most of the time. So for him to be able to compete the way he did last year on defense is a great sign for a guy in his first year."
Dosunmu's knowledge base is catching up in Year 2.&nbsp;
He molds his same spark to a different context on offense. He's been a second-side driving weapon since joining Chicago as a 2021 second-round draft pick, and has continued to flourish by <a href="&lt;blockquote%20class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;%20data-theme=&quot;dark&quot;&gt;&lt;p%20lang=&quot;en&quot;%20dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Ayo%20Dosunmu%20threw%20a%20perfect%20pass%20here%20right%20through%20the%20teeth%20of%20a%20Celtics%20defense%20that%20was%20aggressively%20trying%20to%20pin%20him%20on%20the%20baseline.%20Also%20another%20well-timed%20cut%20from%20Goran%20Dragic%20who%20has%20been%20great%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https:/t.co/B63UMOTgFK&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/B63UMOTgFK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash;%20Ethan%20Fuller%20(@ethman43)%20&lt;a%20href=&quot;https:/twitter.com/ethman43/status/1584974536985874433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;October%2025,%202022&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;%20&lt;script%20async%20src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot;%20charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacking off the catch</a>. Dosunmu's overall rim frequency is down a tad from last year, but don't let that fool you; he's still a force getting to the basket.
According to PBP Stats, 56 players have attempted over 40 self-created shots (when holding the ball for two or more seconds) from within 10 feet of the hoop so far. Dosunmu is hitting on 55.8% of those attempts, ranking 17th. Over 47% of his shots have been self-created compared to just 39.4% as a rookie. So while the efficiency has regressed slightly in this small sample, Dosunmu still shows plenty of promise.
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He's adept along the baseline, and defenders that force him there are only giving him space to attack and windows to hit teammates. Dosunmu almost always receives 1-on-1 matchups; how can a defense justify leaving LaVine, DeMar DeRozan or Nikola Vucevic?
The problem for those defenders, however, is that Dosunmu can beat individuals with an isolation drive. He's got a shifty handle, sneaky change-of-pace chops, length and touch.&nbsp;
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The 22-year-old can also break out a solid floater. He doesn't often &mdash; only 10% of his shots are in the short-mid-range area, per Cleaning the Glass &mdash; but against the Charlotte Hornets, Dosunmu used it with success.&nbsp;
Dosunmu guarantees spectators at least a handful of "Man, this guy is flying!" plays every game, whether it be via a transition push-ahead, a half-court drive or a defensive rotation.
Plus-minuses and box scores can shove it &mdash; this guy is undoubtedly a winning contributor.

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Ayo Dosunmu has been a steadying two-way force with his effort and pace in the Bulls' 6-6 start to the season. Ethan Fuller writes.

Don't overlook Ayo Dosunmu's brilliance with the Bulls

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum had 36 points and 12 rebounds, including some late free throws to help the Boston Celtics hold on for a 123-119 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Malcolm Brogdon added 25 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Jaylen Brown scored 16 points for Boston, which has won two of three.
It was the eighth straight game this season that Tatum has scored 20 or more points. He also set new career highs for free throw attempts and makes, going 17 of 20.
But he said he was proudest of how they finished the game after failing to do so in two recent overtime losses to Cleveland.
&ldquo;That's something that we've talked about a lot recently,&rdquo; Tatum said. "We've had some tough losses. ... That's the sign of good team and we talked about that at shoot around. And to go out and do it on the same night shows our growth."
DeMar DeRozan had a season-high 46 points for the Bulls. Nik Vucevic added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Zach LaVine finished with 16 points. Chicago was denied its first three-game winning streak of the season.
&ldquo;I just felt like there was too many things we had control over that we needed to execute better and we didn't,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;That hurt us tonight.&rdquo;
Boston took a 93-87 lead into the fourth quarter and increased it to 105-91 with just over seven minutes to play.
A 3-pointer by Vucevic capped a 12-4 run to help the Bulls cut their deficit to 109-103.
Brogdon scored on a driving layup, was fouled and completed the three-point play to briefly give the Celtics some breathing room.
Chicago stayed close and another 3 by Vucevic trimmed it to 114-110, followed by a miss by Boston&rsquo;s Al Horford.
DeRozan was fouled by Derrick White and hit two free throws. White made a 3 from the wing with 1:06 remaining on Boston's next possession.
Vucevic was good again from 3 on Chicago&rsquo;s next trip to make it 117-115. Horford missed a corner 3, but Tatum pulled down the rebound and was fouled by LaVine.
Tatum made only one of his free throws, giving the ball back to Chicago. Tatum got a steal, but his outlet pass was picked off by LaVine. Patrick Williams misfired, it was gathered and tossed to Tatum, who was fouled.
This time he was good on both free throws and Boston closed it out at the foul line.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Reserve center Andre Drummond sat for the fourth straight game with a sprained right shoulder. ... Had 15 bench points after notching 49 in Wednesday&rsquo;s win over Charlotte. ... Ayo Dosunmu finished with 11 points, going 5 of 8 from the field. He entered the night shooting 90% (27 of 30), including 10 of 10 from beyond the arc, in four previous games against the Celtics. ... Led 31-26 at the end of the first quarter.
Celtics: Led 63-57 at the half, outscoring the Bulls 37-26 in the second quarter. ... New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sat with Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens in his suite.
FRESH LEGS
Brogdon became the first Celtics guard to score 25 or more points on 90% shooting off the bench since the start of the 3-point era (1980).
Brogdon said playing a role in which he's not one of the top three scoring options has allowed him to have much fresher legs late in games. Having dynamic scorers like Tatum and Brown to distribute has also made those situations easier this season, he said.
&ldquo;I'm comfortable finishing games. I've been doing it my whole career,&rdquo; Brogdon said.
FAMILIAR BLUEPRINT
The Celtics ended Chicago&rsquo;s recent clampdown on the defensive end and avoided becoming the third consecutive opponent the Bulls held below the century mark.
The Bulls dominated underneath the basket in their first meeting with the Celtics last month, holding a 12-point scoring edge in the paint on the way to a 20-point victory in Chicago.
Boston used much of the same blueprint Friday, outscoring Chicago 52-34 in the paint. The Celtics&rsquo; bench contributed 41 points.

Jayson Tatum had 36 points and 12 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics hold on for a 123-119 victory over the Chicago Bulls