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Bulls

Ever since Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas and Marc Eversley took over the Bulls&rsquo; front office two years ago, Chicago has been one of the most aggressive teams in the NBA. Their fingerprints are all over this roster, with notable acquisitions such as DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
These moves have translated to on-court success, as the Bulls posted their best winning percentage since the 2014-15 season and ended their four-year playoff drought. This year, Chicago was 46-36 &mdash; more wins than they had in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons combined. (Zach LaVine and Coby White are the only remaining players from that 2019-20 squad).
The Bulls entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference while boasting the NBA's 11th-ranked offense (scoring 111.0 points per 100 possessions) and 23rd-ranked defense (allowing 111.1 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
While this season marked a step in the right direction, the Bulls&rsquo; first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks showed that there&rsquo;s still plenty of work to be done. Despite Milwaukee losing their second-best player, Khris Middleton, to a sprained MCL in Game 2, the Bucks completed a gentleman's sweep against the Bulls. Chicago wasn&rsquo;t at full strength either, with Ball sidelined due to a knee injury and LaVine (COVID-19) and Caruso (concussion) each missing Game 5. Still, the reigning champions were a good litmus test.
Entering the offseason, where does Chicago go from here? Are big changes coming?
RE-SIGNING ZACH LAVINE
Entering this offseason, Chicago&rsquo;s top priority should be re-signing LaVine, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old has emerged as a perennial All-Star, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference squad in each of the last two seasons.&nbsp;
This year, LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 threes, while reducing his turnovers to 2.6 per game and shooting 47.6% from the field, 38.9% from three and 85.3% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
LaVine will certainly expect a maximum contract from the Bulls, which would <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay him</a> $212.3 million over five years. The most he could receive from another team is $157.4 million over four years. This is a relatively weak free-agent class, so it seems very likely that LaVine will get a max deal from some team.&nbsp;
The Bulls would be wise to re-sign their star shooting guard, as replacing his production would be difficult, and the team would certainly take a step back if LaVine signed elsewhere.
"I plan to enjoy free agency," LaVine said recently. &ldquo;We're going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that's something me and [Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience."
LaVine was asked if the Bulls are the front-runners to sign him, but he wouldn&rsquo;t say.
"You guys have been a really, really soft spot in my heart," LaVine said to the Chicago media. "I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, to not just be viewed one way and be like, 'I'm automatically coming back,' or, 'I'm automatically leaving.'"
In multiple interviews, LaVine has reiterated that he wants to be paid what he feels he deserves.
"I just want my respect. I think that's the main thing," LaVine <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/zach-lavine-prepares-olympic-quarterfinal-bulls-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last August. "I outplayed my contract; I've been very loyal to Chicago, I like Chicago. I just want my respect."
FREE AGENCY
Aside from LaVine, the bulk of Chicago's core is under contract for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;
The Bulls have $103,181,950 in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season, spread across nine players: DeRozan, Vucevic, Lopez, Caruso, White, Patrick Williams, Javonte Green, Ayo Dosunmu and Marko Simonovic. Projections set next year&rsquo;s salary cap at $122 million and the luxury tax at $149 million.
Derrick Jones Jr.,Tristan Thompson and Matt Thomas will be unrestricted free agents. Tony Bradley has a player option worth $2,036,318, so he could opt out and test the market as well.
The team will have three restricted free agents (assuming Chicago extends a qualifying offer to each): Troy Brown Jr. ($7,228,448 QO), Tyler Cook ($1,576,305) and Malcolm Hill ($1,576,305).
Last year, the Bulls were very aggressive in free agency, making splashy moves left and right. Given their cap situation, it seems unlikely that Chicago will be able to go star hunting, but they&rsquo;ll likely try to improve their depth and add certain specialists. For example, Chicago could use a rim protector, as they averaged just 4.0 blocks per game (which ranked 27th in the NBA). Can they afford Mitchell Robinson? Could they throw an offer sheet at or sign-and-trade for a restricted free agent like Nic Claxton or Mo Bamba? Can they add a veteran like JaVale McGee or Hassan Whiteside?&nbsp;
In addition to a rim protector, it would make sense to add other defensive reinforcements as well (especially if Jones signs elsewhere). Caruso and Ball give Chicago a strong defensive backcourt, but they need some help if the Bulls want to improve their 23rd-ranked defensive rating (113.2). Some of the top defensive role players who are hitting the market include Bruce Brown, Gary Payton II and PJ Tucker. Lu Dort and Jae'Sean Tate each have a team option, but it seems unlikely that either will be available given their bargain contracts.
The Bulls will look to add a contributor or two using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $10,349,000. Last offseason, that is how Chicago was able to sign Caruso to a four-year, $37 million deal, which ended up being a terrific addition. Other players who signed for the non-taxpayer MLE last offseason include McGee (Phoenix Suns), Tucker (Miami Heat), Reggie Bullock (Dallas Mavericks) and Khem Birch (Toronto Raptors).
It will be interesting to see what the Bulls do in free agency. However, keep in mind that some of Chicago&rsquo;s biggest additions in recent years were acquired through trades.
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TRADES
After watching the Bulls&rsquo; front office trade for Vucevic, DeRozan and Ball, fans are understandably thinking big when it comes to Chicago&rsquo;s trade targets entering the offseason.
Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for the Bulls since he could solve their rim-protection issues, but the window on acquiring Turner may have slammed shut as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> suggested that the Indiana Pacers are now expected to keep the 26-year-old long-term.
Another dominant shot-blocker who may become available is Rudy Gobert. The Utah Jazz just had another season end in disappointing fashion, and there has already been a <a href="https://twitter.com/realOCsports/status/1521141215411941376" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the Jazz will be forced to choose between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. If Utah opts to keep their young shooting guard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Defensive First-Team selection could suddenly be obtainable.
If that happens, the Bulls should at least reach out and start a conversation. Our Evan Sidery recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down potential destinations for Gobert</a> and listed Chicago as the top landing spot. Here&rsquo;s what he wrote:
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective. I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
It remains to be seen if either side would do this, but it&rsquo;s an intriguing idea.
With that said, if the Bulls are committed to Vucevic and don&rsquo;t want to trade for a new big man, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Yossi Gozlan <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">points out</a> that an extension for Vooch could make sense this offseason.
If that happens, perhaps Chicago just looks for a complementary shot-blocker who can play behind Vucevic like one of the free agents we mentioned above or more of a minor trade target such as New York&rsquo;s Nerlens Noel or Minnesota&rsquo;s Jarred Vanderbilt.
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that the Bulls have a $5,000,000 trade exception that expires on July 7, 2022, from their Daniel Theis deal.
DRAFT
The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, our senior NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock has Chicago selecting Ohio State forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/ej-liddell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EJ Liddell</a>.&nbsp;
The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old junior is a well-rounded, NBA-ready player who makes sense for a Bulls team that wants to win now. Last season, Liddell averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 blocks, 1.4 threes and 0.6 steals, while shooting 49.0% from the field, 37.4% from three and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often used Liddell as a 4 or 5 in their lineups,&rdquo; Babcock noted in his scouting breakdown. &ldquo;He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint, which works well for his college system but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Liddell filled up the box score and played with great effort and toughness. He has certainly carved out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.&rdquo;
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Other players who are projected to be available in that range are G League Ignite wing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/marjon-beauchamp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MarJon Beauchamp</a>, Baylor forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>, LSU forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/tari-eason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tari Eason</a>, Notre Dame guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/blake-wesley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Wesley</a>, G League Ignite guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jaden-hardy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Hardy</a>, Serbian forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/nikola-jovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikola Jovic</a> and Tennessee guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a>.&nbsp;
If the Bulls aren&rsquo;t interested in any of these prospects, or if Karni&scaron;ovas and Eversley continue to be aggressive on the trade market, Chicago could look to deal the No. 18 pick as part of a win-now move.
It&rsquo;s worth noting that Chicago must forfeit their next-available second-round pick after an NBA investigation revealed that they contacted Ball prior to the start of the NBA&rsquo;s free-agency period. As it stands, the Bulls&rsquo; next-available pick is the team&rsquo;s 2026 second-rounder, but Chicago can&rsquo;t acquire a second-round pick before then because they&rsquo;d have to forfeit it.
***
After a few rough years, the Bulls seem to be back on the right trajectory, and there&rsquo;s no question that this team has the talent to be a perennial playoff squad in the East. Winning 46 games despite trying to get so many new players acclimated is impressive, especially when you factor in the injuries to Ball, Caruso, Williams, etc.
Even if the Bulls bring back largely the same roster, they will benefit from that continuity and improved chemistry. However, given what we&rsquo;ve seen from this front office in recent years, don&rsquo;t be surprised if they look to wheel-and-deal in order to take the roster to the next level.

After winning 46 games and losing in the first round, where will the Bulls go from here? Alex Kennedy previews Chicago's summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Chicago Bulls?

In the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021 due to COVID, France matched up with Team USA in the men&rsquo;s basketball gold-medal game for the third time.
The first gold-medal meeting between the two nations took place was in 1948, with France <a href="https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xivth-olympiad-1948.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing 65-21 in that final</a>.
Despite having been historically good since then, it took another 52 years for the Frenchmen to return to that stage for a second time; unfortunately, Team USA awaited again. The game was much closer in 2000 than in 1948, but the Americans &mdash; led by Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen among others &mdash; outlasted Antoine Rigaudeau, Laurent Sciarra, Frederic Weis and France, 85-75.
(No, that wasn&rsquo;t the game Carter <a href="https://youtu.be/WihbbVEmppI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunked on Weis</a>; that was earlier in The Games.)
And in last year&rsquo;s gold-medal game, in the countries' third meeting on that stage, France <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-olympics-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401347899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got even closer</a>.
France's best Olympic team ever was defeated by the Americans, 87-82. Team USA started Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bam Adebayo, answering the French quintet of Nando De Colo, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele and Rudy Gobert.
Contributions from the U.S. bench came from Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Draymond Green and Khris Middleton, while Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntikilina, Thomas Heurtel and Moustapha Fall were key components of France's second unit. The Frenchmen trailed by as little as 3 points with just eight seconds remaining before Durant iced the game with two free throws.
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Now imagine that game with Joel Embiid... playing for France.
The 28-year-old NBA MVP candidate, who was born and raised in Cameroon and has never played for his home national team (despite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/things-to-monitor-as-the-next-fiba-world-cups-next-qualifying-window-arrives">coming close in 2017</a>), is reportedly <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/05/02/joel-embiid-could-change-nationality-play-french-national-team-report">eyeing an opportunity to suit up for France</a>.
Embiid has family in France, and is <a href="https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/basket/basket-joel-embiid-superstar-de-nba-se-rapproche-de-l-equipe-de-france_AV-202205020664.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering changing his nationality</a> in order to play for the Frenchmen in the 2024 Olympic Games, where they&rsquo;d enter as one of the favorites to challenge Team USA again for the gold. According to French basketball general manager Boris Diaw, Embiid is <a href="https://actucameroun.com/2022/05/03/boris-diaw-manager-general-de-lequipe-de-france-confirme-les-demarches-entamees-par-joel-embiid-pour-jouer-avec-les-bleus-en-vue-des-jo-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking the necessary steps</a>.
(Looks like we won't ever see the Embiid-Pascal Siakam tandem for Cameroon, unfortunately.)
In FIBA, each team is allowed one naturalized player on its roster. Current and recent instances of this include American-born players to suit up for different countries, such as Javonte Green (Montenegro), Matt Costello (Ivory Coast), Anthony Randolph (Slovenia) and Andray Blatche (Philippines). Non-American examples include Congolese center Serge Ibaka playing for Spain, Cuban native Ismael Romero playing for Puerto Rico and French-born Aaron Cel playing for Poland. Another famous occasion where this occurred saw Hakeem Olajuwon playing with Team USA in the 1990s.
Regarding American-born WNBA players, known examples include Bria Hartley representing France, Becky Hammon representing Russia and Leilani Mitchell representing Australia. Non-American examples in the women&rsquo;s game include Bahamian Jonquel Jones playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Senegal native Astou Ndour playing for Spain.
Now, it may be long before we see Embiid actually playing for France if this process gets finalized, or less than we think if he decides not to wait for the Olympics.
The next major European basketball tournament is EuroBasket 2022, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022">which will run from Sept. 1-18 later this year</a> across Italy, Germany, Georgia and the Czech Republic. France will be one of 24 teams competing, but seeing Embiid there would be surprising.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup, which France is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/where-things-stand-after-the-second-window-of-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers">currently attempting to qualify for</a>, will take place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, 2023. Qualifying for the World Cup will run through next February before the final pool of 32 teams gets decided.
And the 2024 Summer Olympics, assuming we avoid another global pandemic, is expected to actually run that summer. The host of the Games? France, who will automatically qualify for the tournament <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/pr-n34-brazils-national-teams-granted-automatic-places-at-2016-olympic-basketball-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by rule</a>. Embiid will be 30 years old by the next Olympics.
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Since Embiid is reportedly targeting the 2024 Games, let&rsquo;s look at some players who might be his teammates.
The oldest players from the silver-medal-winning squad last summer were De Colo and Batum, who&rsquo;ll be 37 and 35 by the 2024 Games, so expect many of the same players to run it back if possible. One name that could join the fray is Boston Celtics second-round pick Juhann Begarin, who is just 19 years old and was the No. 45 overall selection last summer. Isma&euml;l Kamagate and Hugo Besson, both of whom are 21, are in the 2022 NBA Draft pool; the same goes for 18-year-old Ousmane Dieng, who is quickly rising up draft boards. There's also plenty of hype surrounding fellow 18-year-old, ASVEL star and 7-foot-2 sensation Victor Wembanyama &mdash; a lock to be a high draft pick in 2023.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock</a> has Dieng going No. 21 overall, Kamagate at No. 40 and Besson at No. 51.
But really, there&rsquo;s one question we need to answer, and it has to do with a three-time Defensive Player of the Year already on the roster who holds down the 5 position. Could an Embiid and Gobert frontcourt lead France over Team USA?
If you haven&rsquo;t realized, the American pool of bigs is slighter than you think.
Many of the best centers in the NBA aren&rsquo;t American and don&rsquo;t represent America internationally. Examples include Embiid, Gobert, Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Nikola Vučević (Montenegro), Kristaps Porziņģis (Latvia), Clint Capela (Switzerland) and Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania).
The best centers that have represented Team USA, and/or have Team USA eligibility, have been Adebayo, Green, Jarrett Allen and JaVale McGee. Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) is a player to watch <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/06/22/suns-big-deandre-ayton-ideal-team-usa-2024-summer-olympics-paris/5307682001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who could represent Team USA in the future</a>, along with younger bigs like Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren.
Assuming health, so the 2024 American team could start either Adebayo, Ayton or Allen, if not 2 of the 3. Team USA is generally harder to guess in advance, but your starting lineup could look like some combination of Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Booker, Tatum and Adebayo. Maybe, to match size, Ayton gets in there instead of Edwards.
Maybe a Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell sneak into the backcourt instead. Maybe someone we&rsquo;re not projecting to make another huge leap does &mdash; like Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro or Tyrese Maxey &mdash; or maybe Jaden Ivey or Jabari Smith are more ready than we think by 2024. Even so, you&rsquo;d throw, at best, Adebayo, Ayton, Allen, and Mobley at the Embiid-Gobert combo, and that tandem could be backed up by Dieng, Yabusele, and Vincent Poirier for France.
It&rsquo;s a lot to project, no doubt, but giving <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the No. 4 team in the world</a> a top-four player in the world could be what it takes for someone to snatch the gold medal away from Team USA in the Olympics for the first time since 2004.
But a lot can happen in two years, so we'll table this... for now.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca looks at the potential of Joel Embiid joining France in international competition.

We’re not talking enough about Joel Embiid possibly playing for France

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and nine rebounds and the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks routed the Chicago Bulls 116-100 on Wednesday night to finish off the first-round series in five games.
The third-seeded Bucks advanced to face second-seeded Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 on Sunday in Boston. The Celtics swept Brooklyn.
After splitting the first two games, the Bucks won the last three by an average margin of 23.3 points. They won those three games without Khris Middleton, the All-Star who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the fourth quarter of Game 2.
Chicago didn&rsquo;t handle the loss of key players quite as well. The Bulls played without the starting backcourt they used for the first four games because two-time All-Star Zach LaVine was in health and safety protocols and Alex Caruso was in concussion protocol.
The absences enabled Milwaukee&rsquo;s defense to focus much of its attention on containing DeMar DeRozan, who had scored 41 points in the Bulls&rsquo; Game 2 victory. DeRozan was held to 11 points Wednesday while shooting 5 of 10.
Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks by shooting 11 of 15 from the floor and 11 of 14 from the free-throw line. Pat Connaughton hit 6 of 9 3-pointes and scored 20 points, and Bobby Portis added 14 points and career-high 17 rebounds. The Bucks&rsquo; largest lead was 29.
Patrick Williams scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic 19 and Coby White 17 for the Bulls. Vucevic also had 16 rebounds and six assists.
DeRozan was scoreless in the first 26 minutes of the game and attempted just one shot in the first quarter as he tried to get his teammates involved.
The problem was Chicago&rsquo;s other players weren&rsquo;t hitting open shots, allowing the Bucks to take command early.
Milwaukee pulled ahead for good 3 1/2 minutes into the game and built a double-digit lead by scoring 12 straight points in the first quarter. Late in the first period, the Bucks began a 23-2 run that helped them extend the advantage to 49-20 with 7:25 left in the second period. Antetokounmpo scored nine straight Bucks points during that second spurt.
Chicago outscored the Bucks 22-11 the rest of the second quarter and got the margin down to 11 on Ayo Dosunmu&rsquo;s 3-point play with 9:32 left in the third quarter, but Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis hit a pair of corner 3-pointers 36 seconds apart to make it 72-55.
TIP-INS
Bulls: The Bulls attempted 52 shots from 3-point range and only 40 from inside the arc. Chicago made just 28.8% of its 3-point shots. ... The Bulls haven&rsquo;t advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2015, when they beat the Bucks before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East semifinals. &hellip; With LaVine and Caruso unavailable, Javonte Green and Dosunmu made their first career playoff starts.
Bucks: Reserve guard George Hill still hasn&rsquo;t played in this postseason due to an abdominal strain. Hill had been listed as questionable the injury report Wednesday before getting ruled out, an indication he&rsquo;s getting closer to a return. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that Hill is &ldquo;making progress&rdquo; but added that &ldquo;he needs more time.&rdquo; ... The Bucks have won 20 of their last 22 meetings with the Bulls. ... Jrue Holiday had 10 points and nine assists but also committed six turnovers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 9 rebounds and the defending NBA champion Bucks routed the Bulls to advance.

Bucks rout Bulls 116-100 in Game 5, advance to face Celtics

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away for a 107-94 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Nikola Vucevic scored 27 points for Chicago, which is trying to stay in the top six in the Eastern Conference and avoid the play-in round of the postseason. The Bulls (44-32) took a half-game lead over Toronto (43-32) for fifth place in the East, and they lead seventh-place Cleveland (42-33) by 1 1/2 games.
Chicago has played 12 of its last 15 on the road, but the Bulls now have only six games remaining in the regular season &mdash; and the next five are at home.
Rui Hachimura scored 21 points for the Wizards, who had their modest two-game winning streak snapped. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 20.
The Bulls rebounded from a loss to the New York Knicks the previous night, and they overcame a scoreless first half from Zach LaVine, who finished with 14 points. DeRozan was just 2 of 12 from the field in the half, but he went 10 of 15 in the second.
Chicago led 75-73 after three quarters, but the Bulls made their decisive run early in the fourth. DeRozan's breakaway dunk made it 90-80 &mdash; the first double-digit lead for either team &mdash; and Chicago comfortably closed the game out from there.
Vucevic scored 20 points in the first half, and the Bulls led 51-46 after two quarters.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Javonte Green scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting. That included a one-handed dunk in the second quarter and an alley-oop moments later.
Wizards: Washington is without star Bradley Beal (left wrist), and Kyle Kuzma (right knee) wasn't available either. ... Kristaps Porzingis and Deni Avdija scored 14 points apiece.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.
Wizards: Host Orlando on Wednesday night.
&nbsp;

DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points as the Chicago Bulls earned a 107-94 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Bulls alone in 5th place after 107-94 win over Wizards

We live in a star-horny society.
You could look to a number of things to prove this. Watch an ad for an upcoming NBA game that&rsquo;ll air on ESPN or ABC. They&rsquo;ve been repurposing the same song all year, and apparently have assigned Fat Joe to rhyme the names of the stars from said game.
&ldquo;Kyrie Irving, James Harden coming through in the clutch.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Steph Curry hittin' Klay in the cut.&rdquo;
The formula is always the same: highlight the stars, not the teams. Make it &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/SmittyBeatz_/status/1467871495657504773" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Curry vs. Embiid</a>,&rdquo; then at the very end, change it to Warriors vs. 76ers. Or, in this case, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUo0M4pst9/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyrie vs. Curry</a>, and Harden vs. Klay, before making it Nets vs. Warriors.
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Now, look to the Most Improved Player Award. CJ McCollum is the only Most Improved Player of the last 10 years to not become an All-Star, and he probably should&rsquo;ve been selected at least once.
Early on, what you&rsquo;d often see were players winning the MIP award because of increased counting stats, even when the counting stats only improved because their minutes did &mdash; and the players&rsquo; per-36 stats remained eerily similar. Apologies to Don MacLean and the 24-win Washington Bullets of 1994.
Other times, the award would just go to top draft picks who developed as many already expected they would, regardless of how their team performed. Looking at you, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Pervis Ellison, respectfully. Though, sometimes, they absolutely nailed it, like with Dale Ellis in 1987, Tracy McGrady in 2001, Jermaine O&rsquo;Neal in 2002 and Hedo T&uuml;rkoğlu in 2007.
In recent years, the award has become more of a star-crowning achievement that cements your arrival, no longer potentially rewarding a 30-year-old journeyman like Darrell Armstrong for finally putting it all together on <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1999.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the league&rsquo;s best regular-season teams</a> of 1999. Or an out-of-nowhere revelation like Isaac Austin, who had left the NBA for Europe before coming back and winning the award in 1997.
This year, we&rsquo;re probably going to follow a similar star-making template. Ja Morant is expected to win the award despite being the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. Expect to see 2019 No. 5 overall pick Darius Garland right behind him.
Why is the award going to high draft picks who just develop as top selections are expected to, like Brandon Ingram two seasons ago? Players should be considered if they've made huge leaps and filled important roles on respectable teams. Right now, it feels like we're only rewarding players who make the jump from above-average starter to star.
So here, I&rsquo;ll highlight guys closer to that Austin, Armstrong, archetype, who really should get Most-Improved-Player consideration (even though they won't) instead of only the rising stars who dominate the category. Guys who proved they belong &mdash; they matter, too.
Caleb Martin, Miami Heat
Caleb Martin and his twin Cody had been teammates with the Charlotte Hornets over the last two seasons, and because they play the same position, one of them had to go. Out went Caleb.
Apparently, <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article258506473.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thanks to J. Cole</a>, Caleb got a shot with the Miami Heat, and if you&rsquo;re an agent representing a fringe NBA player, that is where you&rsquo;d probably want your client to go.
Caleb&rsquo;s jumped from 5.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.7 steals in 15.4 minutes per game in his last Charlotte season to 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 23.1 minutes per game in Miami.
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Per-36 minutes, the scoring has improved from 11.6 to 14.9 points. The offensive rating has skyrocketed from 99 to 122. The defensive rating is down from 112 to 107. The previously non-existent shooting has gone from 38/25/64 splits to 52/40/76 from the field, three and free-throw line, with a true-shooting percentage at 61.8, up more than 15 percentage points from last season. He&rsquo;s also top-five on the Heat in both win shares (3.9) and win shares per 48 (.158).
In Miami, he&rsquo;s guarded some of the opposition&rsquo;s toughest assignments &mdash; yes, even with multiple Defensive-Player-of-the-Year candidates on his own team in Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler &mdash; and went from a two-way contract player to a rotation guy who simply has to get playoff minutes in order for the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s No. 1 team to be at their best from 1-through-9 this spring. He&rsquo;s had a massive impact, and a largely unforeseen one.
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Do me a favor and watch these late defensive possessions from Miami Take a look at one guy shifting the game through defensive impact His name is Caleb Martin <a href="https://t.co/NFRmelYcux">pic.twitter.com/NFRmelYcux</a>
&mdash; Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) <a href="https://twitter.com/BradyHawk305/status/1500323996201590788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Javonte Green, Chicago Bulls
This list was made for someone like Javonte Green.
This dude, at 28, is the only Radford alum to play in the NBA for more than five career games, and they were the only school to offer him out of high school. After going undrafted, he played overseas, including at LEB Plata (Spain&rsquo;s third division after Liga ACB and LEB Oro) and Serie A2 Basket (Italy&rsquo;s second league after Lega Basket Serie A). After four seasons in Europe, he finally got to the NBA in 2019, and until this year, he had averaged just over 10 minutes through 89 games with the Boston Celtics and the Bulls, who acquired him just under a year ago.
This season, Green&rsquo;s up to 24.5 minutes per contest, with 36 starts in 48 games for the playoff-bound Bulls who currently sit at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. His averages are up from 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds to 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, with about a steal and half a block too. His shooting&rsquo;s up from 52/33/75 to 54/35/83, and although his per-36 stats are roughly the same, his offensive rating is way up from 118 to 131 (team-high), and his True Shooting percentage is a career-high .637. His .139 win shares per 48 minutes are second to only DeMar DeRozan in Chicago too.
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<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/bulls-javonte-green-making-name-self-regardless-role" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shout out to K.C. Johnson for the timely feature on Green</a> that went up Tuesday, in which I&rsquo;ll grab the following quote to support this agenda:
&ldquo;I know what I&rsquo;m on the team for and what I bring to the team," Green said. "I&rsquo;m going to continue to do that whether that&rsquo;s coming off the bench or starting. I&rsquo;m just here to do my job, be here for my teammates. Whatever they need me to do, I&rsquo;m going to do it regardless if I&rsquo;m starting or coming off the bench. It&rsquo;s not like I&rsquo;m mad about it or anything.&rdquo;
Green&rsquo;s the kind of guy that goes on your squad and instantly becomes a fan favorite, unless you only care about "hoooooperzzzzz."
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors
Gary Payton II&rsquo;s been in the league in some capacity since 2016, but has typically been a fringe, perimeter defensive specialist who didn&rsquo;t catch on anywhere aside from the Washington Wizards of 2019-20, with whom he started 17 of his 29 appearances. He was with Golden State last year, but only for 10 games; most of his season was spent in the G League, where he won Defensive Player of the Year.
His averages in those 10 Warrior games last season? 4.0 minutes, 2.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 steals. This year? 17.1 minutes, 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He&rsquo;s also shooting 61% from the field and 36% from three on nearly two attempts per game &mdash; his jumper&rsquo;s been a factor on him spinning his wheels prior to now.
He&rsquo;s one of the best defenders on the planet, which is something we got a whiff of in Washington, but it&rsquo;s really amplified thanks to his increased role in Golden State. A 102 defensive rating, for a guard in this era, is a rarity &mdash; it&rsquo;s first in the NBA among qualified backcourt players by three points.
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On the ball, he&rsquo;s one of the absolute best in the league to watch defensively, and should get All-Defensive consideration even in his limited role. Word to Triple H. He&rsquo;s. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzgtubZmjng">That. Damn. Good</a>.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Minnesota Timberwolves 
The only one of these guys to have actually been drafted, Jarred Vanderbilt is the rare developmental success story out of Minnesota. Selected No. 41 overall in 2018, Vanderbilt was originally in the Denver Nuggets&rsquo; system before he was included in a four-team deal two February&rsquo;s ago, landing him here.
From 2018 through 2020, Vanderbilt logged 4.1 minutes per game in just 28 NBA appearances. Last season, he became a rotation piece, though it was still on a typical Timberwolve team &mdash; one that finished 23-49 and 13th&nbsp;in the Western Conference.
He averaged 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks on 17.8 minutes per contest on 61% shooting. This season, he&rsquo;s up to 7.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.7 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game on 59% shooting. His win shares are up from 3.1 to 5.4, and has been second on the T-Wolves (after Karl-Anthony Towns) for each of the last two seasons in win shares per 48 among players who&rsquo;ve logged 300 or more total minutes, improving to .164 from .132. This year, he has a 106 defensive rating too. Like GPII, that is primarily why he&rsquo;s here.
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Jarred Vanderbilt singlehandedly outrebounded the Lakers entire big man rotation, while teaming with KAT and Jaden to turn LeBron and Melo into potatoes The Wolves got up 20 (TWENTY) more shot attempts than LA while holding them to 38% shooting Vando. 1st. Team. All. Defense. <a href="https://t.co/oVjKFmu4hf">pic.twitter.com/oVjKFmu4hf</a>
&mdash; Key Sang (@Phantele_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phantele_/status/1472191041575034880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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He&rsquo;s clearly been a large part of why the Timberwolves have played respectable defense, even as their top-three guys have been largely known for&hellip; well, not that. Patrick Beverley has come in to help, as well, and the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/we-should-give-dangelo-russell-more-credit">T-Wolves are 37-29 and seventh&nbsp;out West</a>.
Vanderbilt might flirt with an All-Defensive Team selection this season, which wasn&rsquo;t something you could say last year.
Honorable Mentions 
Amir Coffey, Los Angeles Clippers
Grant Williams, Boston Celtics
Gabe Vincent, Miami Heat 
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Bryan Fonseca highlights four NBA players who deserve praise for improving, even though they won't receive any hardware.

Analyzing long-shot Most Improved Player candidates who deserve love

I feel like I've learned a quarter of a million things this year as I've gotten deeper and deeper into basketball. Pace is critically important as a ball-handler, defense is way more complicated and complex than I grasped even last season, and development is about as linear and predictable as the stock market.
Add another detail to the list: We need to appreciate screening more! I keep coming back to this. It's an essential part of the game that tends to get overlooked and, in some ways, I've felt its impact more this season.
Sure, I've noticed a nice bone-crunching screen time and time again, the kind that makes you go, "How is that legal?!" Like, when Nikola Pekovic destroyed Brandon Knight simply for being Brandon Knight.
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This isn't the kind of screen we need to appreciate, but please don't tell Pek I said that!
Pick-and-roll has notably grown as an offensive staple and foundation over the last decade, but what's the first thing that you think of when someone says pick-and-roll? I don't mean to assume your thoughts, but I bet you probably thought about a ball-handler canning a pull-up three or getting downhill off the screen.
The action is all about creating an advantage, kickstarting the offense and either creating a shot directly or forcing the defense into rotation until a better opportunity presents itself. As the screen-and-roll has continued to dominate in relevance, something that seems to have gotten lost in the sauce is that the screening part is pretty darn important! It's a means of amplifying creation, exacerbating an advantage; the best screens are creating an even better advantage. In a way, the highest levels of screening could&nbsp;be viewed as a means of self-creation when factoring in other aspects.
Defenses have really adapted this season. Coverage versatility has become a must for the majority of teams, throwing some funk into the mix to make easy offense a bit harder. Teams are more comfortable blitzing ball-handlers &mdash; sending two to the ball against ball-screens &mdash; to try to negate the initial advantage and force secondary options to beat them.
The Minnesota Timberwolves built their defense on it (less recently), the Chicago Bulls routinely play with their 5-man high on screens and the Milwaukee Bucks have made it a near automatic response. It's hard to get by playing defense just being solid in one way because offenses are just that good.
Rudy Gobert, screen-assist royalty, is doing so much more as a roller than he gets credit for routinely. For starters, he sets hard screens. Defenders feel them and don't often get through them. While he doesn't necessarily roll fast, his downhill gravity is a key matchstick that ignites the Utah Jazz's offense.&nbsp;
More importantly, on top of that, he can make solid reads and decisions on the roll once he receives the ball.
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It's not perfect. Gobert can show some clunkiness if he has to put the ball on the deck, but he's threatening enough with his roll presence and capable enough of a decision-maker that defenses have to respect the process (don't ask about post-ups).
Gobert passes the threshold required of a screen-and-roll player, which has only risen over the past few years, and I feel, particularly, this season. If you can't make quality decisions off an action or finish the advantage efficiently yourself, that's a win for the defense. It's extremely hard to strictly be a finisher at the basket or a lob threat. You need more juice now! Even if you are capable of the decision-making, can you put the ball on the floor once or twice and craft an efficient look? More importantly, can you make the defense care?
We've hardly even gotten into the meat of the screening yet, but it's so important to point out just how difficult it is to be a big in the current NBA. There's often a train of thought along the lines of "screen-and-roll bigs grow on trees," and sure, it's reductive, but I guess not entirely incorrect. However, how many bigs can you just go pick up in the free-agency pool that can meet all the requirements? Being at least a neutral on both ends is extremely hard, especially as a starter!
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Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is one of the best screeners in the league, and shows his versatility and dynamic ability to loosen things offensively for both himself and others. While he's drawn ire from many a Chicago fan for his shooting inconsistency, this offense would not be what it is without Vucevic. We know he can score in a variety of ways, we know he can pass and we know he can screen. The way he blends the trio is what makes him a special offensive player and vital to the Bulls.
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While Vucevic doesn't screen Zach LaVine completely open for the action, watch how he tracks and moves with Jrue Holiday, toeing the line of legality. He screens initially and re-screens again before using his forward momentum and footwork to open himself on the roll.
So while LaVine isn't cleanly open &mdash; largely due to Holiday cheating the action and dodging the first screen from Javonte Green &mdash; Vucevic salvages space with screening. Holiday can't fully reconnect before LaVine starts his way downhill, occupying Serge Ibaka's attention before hitting Vucevic with the pocket pass; the Chicago big man then rumbles into a mesmerizing balletic hook shot. It's quick, Ibaka was already off-kilter and Vucevic takes advantage.
While you could reduce the possession down to a screen and a slow roll, so much more goes on in that space that makes it impressive.
Per Second Spectrum Tracking, Vucevic averages 1.58 seconds per touch, the third-lowest mark amongst players who receive 50 or more touches per game. He touches the ball often, but not for long. He gives the ball energy, adds zest to the possession and serves as a turnkey for the offense.
Send two to one of Chicago's All-NBA candidate guards, and Vucevic slips into space to quickly hit cutters as the defense adjusts to him.
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Or he'll throw in a timely slip when the drop defender is committed to the ball-handler, sure to use his arms to generate some contact with the defender, adding some slight oomph before flipping his hips into a lightning-quick touch shot or jumper. The quickness with which he gets his shots off along with the downhill threat of Chicago's drivers gives the defense headaches.
Speaking of slipping screens, look no further than John Collins!
Trae Young's threat as an elite pull-up shooter, terrifying downhill quickness and immaculate court vision are already a nightmare for defenses. Teams have to often sell out due to Young's advanced craft. Collins slips seemingly every ball-screen, and uses his own explosive downhill dynamism to put the low-man in a torture chamber.
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Rotations are extremely important to executing defense but, man, how do you stop someone like Collins coming down the lane full force even with a perfect rotation?
He creates sinkholes on the perimeter at times with even the mere thought of a slip, as a game has progressed. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, dear God please don't do it again.
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While this is largely a byproduct of bad defense and miscommunication, in the end it's happening because of Collins. Good defensive teams will try to find ways to neutralize the slip and more effectively handle the perimeter, but silencing the slip is easier said than done. Young needs but a sliver of space to be dangerous.
His verticality and touch are nutty. The ball skills have come along, and he's improved greatly on his passing reads.
Next up is one of my favorite possessions in basketball over the past year. Indiana Pacers rookie Terry Taylor screens Khris Middleton into the abyss and makes getting over a screen an absolute terror.&nbsp;
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Buddy Hield is a very good off-ball mover and one of the best shooters in basketball, but this shot is not clean without Taylor.
He screens Middleton just before Tyrese Haliburton passes the ball to Hield. He moves and re-screens with a flip of his hips, as Hield sets up Middleton to his right. He just stays active and makes Middleton work &mdash; which sounds simplistic, but that's the point... it's not. It's the continuous little efforts to open a half-foot of space that can make a significant difference acquiring said real estate.
Next up, the quintessential Jakob Poeltl possession!
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Dejounte Murray isn't a pull-up shooter like that, and the Orlando Magic know, so they go under the screen. But here's the nice subtlety &mdash; so does Jakob.
Like, of course he knows that teams don't go over on screens for Dejounte, but the quick flip and re-screen allows for the Murray snatch-back and an open lane. I can feel that thudding hip check through my laptop.
But we are not done yet folks!
Poeltl rolls and throws in some more trickery, sealing Mo Bamba with yet another "Is this legal?" (Jakob Poeltl, habitual line-stepper) screen. It's the Daniel Theis/Al Horford seal, but Jakob does it better, so it deserves a cooler name. (I'm not sure what, but think on it!)
Murray is a really nice player (an All-Star, of course), but without Poeltl there is no advantage being created here. He eases the burden of primary creation for Murray and amplifies the offense.
As good as Poeltl is as a dribble-handoff operator, there may not be a more explosive and fluid artist at the elbow and slot than Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo sprints into early offense DHO's with the Miami Heat's movement shooters.&nbsp;
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He's another non-stationary screener. He keeps his arms down to try and blur the lines of legality, making it harder to call a moving screen. I absolutely love it.
Try and sell out to stop the quick hitter? Well, Adebayo might have the most fluid hips and change-of-direction ability of any big in the NBA. He flips screens and thuds you for the audacity to try and cheat the action.
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If you're wondering why Miami had an open three even without Adebayo handling the ball &mdash; rewind, and look for the chaser who gets taken out along the way. He cracks back on off-ball defenders like a wide receiver excited to dole out punishment for a change.
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Ja Morant is one of the most punishing drivers in the NBA, with an absurd guile and vertical pop. His audacity is unfathomable.&nbsp;
While Steven Adams certainly has some drawbacks as an offensive player and limitations defensively, he's been a very nice fit for the Memphis Grizzlies. He paves wide open lanes for Morant in a way that few players can. Often when I watch the Grizz, I see Ja wide open in space, gunning towards the rim with a big on his heels and say to myself, "Where is the fifth defender?"
Well, Steven Adams might play a significant part in that!
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He just erases the defender from the picture with his frame.&nbsp;
More on those driving lanes &mdash; Adams will set interior screens on the roll as well, taking the rim-defender out of the picture, parting the sea in the paint for Morant and guiding to easy buckets at the rim.
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Don't forget about impromptu screens!
Oshae Brissett is a joy to watch, as he takes note of ball-watching defenders and sets up wide-open shots for teammates or generates an unwanted matchup for the defense.
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I don't quite know how to quantify screening, but it is&nbsp;something&nbsp;and it's so much more valuable and complex than it generally is made out to be. As the season winds down, take note and appreciate some of the really cool things happening both on and off the ball &mdash; the impact on play, and why it's happening.
I'm still learning more and more about the game each week, and that's awesome to me. Screening is a whole new world this season, and I can't wait until the next realization that opens my eyes even more about the game!
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As the NBA has continued to evolve on both ends, it's worth taking a minute to appreciate the art of screening, writes Mark Schindler.

An explanation of why we need to appreciate screening more

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 16 rebounds, Jrue Holiday came on strong down the stretch to finish with 26 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 118-112 on Friday night.
Holiday scored 10 points over the final five minutes as the defending champion Bucks tied the Bulls for the Central Division lead with their third straight victory.
Antetokounmpo made 12 of 22 shots and had five assists, helping make up for a 10-for-19 showing at the foul line.
Khris Middleton scored 22 points as the Bucks beat Chicago for the 14th time in 15 games.
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 30 points. DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points, though he was 11 for 30 from the field.
Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and nine rebounds, but the Bulls lost their fourth straight game.
Chicago led 102-100 after Javonte Green nailed a 3 with six minutes remaining. Milwaukee then scored six straight, with Middleton's turnaround jumper making it a four-point game with just over four minutes left, and maintained the lead the rest of the way.
LaVine cut it to 112-109 when he drove for a layup with 47 seconds remaining. Antetokounmpo made two free throws before LaVine buried a 3 to pull Chicago within 114-112 with 24.4 seconds left.
A reverse layup by Jevon Carter bumped Milwaukee's lead to four. The Bucks then won a challenge after Middleton got called for a foul as LaVine attempted a 3 and controlled the jump ball.
Holiday then made two free throws with 12.5 seconds left.
Bucks guard Grayson Allen got booed during introductions and throughout the game for a hard foul that resulted in a broken wrist for Alex Caruso when the teams met Jan. 21 in Milwaukee. Caruso has not played since that game, leaving Chicago without one of its best defenders.
The crowd was delighted when Derrick Jones Jr. knocked Allen to the floor as he drove the baseline early in the fourth quarter. Jones got called for a flagrant foul. Allen made both free throws to give Milwaukee a short-lived 95-93 lead.
TIP-INS
Bucks: C Brook Lopez is ready to participate in contact drills and five-on-five scrimmages after being sidelined since the season opener because of a back injury that required surgery. &ldquo;It's another good, positive step for him on his return to play,&rdquo; coach Mike Budenholzer said. ... Budenholzer said the Bucks hope to get G George Hill (sore neck) back in the next week. He has been sidelined since Jan. 28. ... G Pat Connaughton &ldquo;still has a ways to go" in his recovery from surgery on his right finger, Budenholzer said. Connaughton was hurt fouling Chris Paul on a drive to the basket in a 131-107 loss at Phoenix on Feb. 10. Connaughton was expected to miss four weeks.
Bulls: The Bulls are a combined 0-8 against East-leading Miami, second-place Philadelphia and Milwaukee. ... Chicago didn&rsquo;t attempt a free throw until DeRozan completed a four-point play in the closing minute of the first half. The Bulls made 8 of 11. ... LaVine, who missed time recently because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee, was not listed on the injury report. &ldquo;He feels fine,&rdquo; coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;I think if there were any problems, he would talk.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host Phoenix on Sunday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 16 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday came on strong down the stretch to finish with 26 points.

Antetokounmpo scores 34 points, Bucks beat Bulls 118-112

The DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic pairing has been cooking lately.&nbsp;
Since Jan. 1, DeRozan and Vucevic have been the NBA's most frequent ball-screen partnership, per Second Spectrum. The Chicago Bulls have scored 1.11 points per possession on trips featuring a DeRozan-Vucevic ball screen &mdash; the second-best mark among high-volume pairings.
(The Suns are getting an eye-popping 1.26 points per possession on trips featuring a Chris Paul-Deandre Ayton ball-screen. Good freakin' luck, man.)
It makes sense that the duo works. DeRozan is a downhill savant with mid-range guile that reminds you of a former Los Angeles Laker. Vucevic can get busy as a roller, a short-roller and a pick-and-pop threat. That type of versatility makes life difficult for a defense, as we saw during the Bulls' 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
Duck under against DeRozan, and he'll just slither his way into spots anyway. Go over a screen and commit extra attention on his drive, and Vucevic can find a lane to the rim or flare out for triples. Give too much attention to Vucevic, and DeRozan can bake single coverage.
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Switch the screen, and you're in double-trouble; DeRozan is generating one point per possession on isolations against centers this season, while Vucevic is punishing guards or forwards on post-ups at roughly the same clip (1.01 PPP).
And speaking of post-ups, you typically imagine guards spacing the floor around a bruising or skillful center. Because of DeRozan's craft &mdash; and Vucevic's shooting ability &mdash; the Bulls are able to invert that look. Devote too much attention to DeRozan, and you get stuff like this:
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All of that sets the stage for the late-fourth-quarter dagger. In a game where he scored 40 efficient points, it was DeRozan's seventh dime of the affair that caught my eye. I'll show it in full below, then we'll break this sucker down.
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Whew. Okay. Let's get into it.
First, in light of how effective the partnership is, and how effective it had been in the game (1.57 PPP on direct hookups), it makes sense that the Bulls wanted to end this game with a DeRozan-Vucevic ball-screen.
The Spurs tried drop coverage for most of the game, particularly in the first half, and it simply didn't work. Too much space was afforded. The adjustment was to have their big &mdash; either Jakob Poeltl or Zach Collins &mdash; play "up to touch" on the screen, meaning they'd come to the level before settling into a drop.
On this possession, the Spurs are planning to do exactly that. The weak-side help is key though. With Poeltl playing this high up, the potential for Vucevic to slip through is there. Doug McDermott tasks Lonnie Walker IV with making the short-roll rotation; that leaves McDermott to split the difference &mdash; play between two defenders &mdash; on the weak side.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_02_15_13_47_25_lg.png" alt="" width="646" height="364" />
That's a lot of ground to account for, and it's especially tough to cover on the fly. That's what makes DeRozan's next move &mdash; a spin&nbsp;away&nbsp;from Vucevic's screen &mdash; so freakin' nasty. It leaves Keldon Johnson in his tracks, Poeltl on the wrong side of a screen that isn't even used,&nbsp;Walker IV out of position and McDermott in an impossible spot at the same time.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_02_15_13_56_14_lg.png" alt="" width="646" height="364" />
McDermott is already accounting for two guys standing at least 20 feet from each other. Once Javonte Green cuts baseline, the play is&nbsp;really&nbsp;dead. DeRozan drives, leaps in the air while staring down Green's cut to move McDermott, then&nbsp;fires a dart to Coby White for the open three.
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I'm not sure what you're supposed to do with that.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down DeMar DeRozan's game-sealing assist in the Bulls' victory over the Spurs on Monday night.

Explain one play: DeMar DeRozan's dagger dime in winning time

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid set the tone, dominating right from the start and never letting up. It was just what Philadelphia needed.
Embiid had 40 points and 10 rebounds and the 76ers overcame DeMar DeRozan's season-high, 45-point game for Chicago to beat the Bulls 119-108 on Sunday.
The 76ers won the matchup between two of the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s top teams after letting a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter shrink to four.
They hung on down the stretch to beat the Bulls for the 10th straight time. They also knocked Chicago a half-game behind first-place Miami and pulled within 1 1/2 games of the idle Heat. With the 76ers' victory, Miami clinched the best record in the East through Sunday, sending Erik Spoelstra and his Heat staff to the All-Star Game in Cleveland to coach Team Durant.
&ldquo;We've beaten a few of those top teams,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Also, we dropped games that we shouldn't have, so it goes both ways. We're right there. And I've been saying it &mdash; for us to have a chance, we have to be perfect. I have to do what I've been doing, be that dominant and maybe even more.&rdquo;
Embiid sure was dominant in this one, finishing with 40 or more points for the seventh time this season. The NBA's leading scorer, he hit 14 of 23 shots.
Tobias Harris added 23 points, and Tyrese Maxey had 16, helping the Sixers shake off losses against Washington and Dallas to win for the sixth time in eight games.
&ldquo;We had to win this game," Embiid said. &ldquo;Like I said, I knew I was gonna be ready. I knew I was gonna bring more intensity to the game today. But we didn't win just because of me."
DEROZAN DOMINATES
DeRozan did all he could to carry the Bulls, with Zach LaVine (back spasms) and guard Coby White (strained right adductor) missing their second consecutive games. The All-Star finished seven points shy of his career high.
Nikola Vucevic scored 23. Javonte Green added 17 points. The Bulls fell to 0-3 against Philadelphia, though they stayed competitive against a good team despite having a long list of key players out with injuries. That includes Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
&ldquo;We know we're gonna get everybody back in due time,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;Until then, we're just trying to figure it out. We're just trying to continue to get better, figure out our mistakes on the go.&rdquo;
HANGING ON
The Sixers looked as if they were ready to put this one away, leading 98-81 early in the fourth quarter after a 13-0 run that started in the third. The Bulls answered with 13 straight, pulling within four on DeRozan's 19-footer, and it remained tight until the closing minutes.
Chicago's Ayo Dosunmu made a 3 to make it 112-106 with just over three minutes remaining. Seth Curry answered with a floater and Harris drove for a layup to bump Philadelphia's lead to 10 with two minutes remaining.
TIP-INS
76ers: Embiid&rsquo;s season high is 50 points in a win over Orlando on Jan. 19. In this game, he made 10 of 11 free throws and blocked two shots. Was also shaken up in the closing minutes when he, Dosunmu and Chicago's Matt Thomas collided. ... G Matisse Thybulle (sore right shoulder) missed the game. ... G Furkan Korkmaz scored nine after missing the previous three games because of a sore left knee. ... The Sixers were 12 for 24 on 3-pointers, with Maxey hitting 3 of 4.
Bulls: DeRozan, who played 41 minutes, was 18 of 30 from the field and 9 of 11 at the foul line. ... Coach Billy Donovan said he's not sure if LaVine will play Monday, when the Bulls host Phoenix. ... Donovan also said there's &ldquo;a very strong possibility&rdquo; F Patrick Williams returns during the regular season. The second-year pro had surgery after tearing ligaments in his left wrist against the New York Knicks on Oct. 28 and was expected to miss four to six months. &ldquo;I feel pretty good about the way he's progressing,&rdquo; Donovan said.
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UP NEXT
76ers: Host Phoenix on Tuesday night.
Bulls: Host Phoenix on Monday night.

Embiid had 40 points and 10 rebounds, and the 76ers overcame DeRozan's season-high 45, to beat the Bulls 119-108 on Sunday.

Joel Embiid scores 40 points, 76ers hold off DeRozan, Bulls

The banged-up Chicago Bulls lost another player to a long-term injury when forward Derrick Jones Jr. broke his right index finger Tuesday while working out at the team's training facility.
Jones, sidelined with a bone bruise since getting hurt Jan. 12 against Brooklyn, is expected back in six to eight weeks. His finger was placed in a splint and he &ldquo;could potentially return earlier with a protective splint,&rdquo; the Bulls said in a news release.
The 6-foot-5 Jones is averaging 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game, shooting 58.2% from the field. He has played in 31 games during his first season with the Bulls, making eight starts.
Chicago, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, has been beset by injuries lately to guards Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery) and Alex Caruso (right wrist surgery).
Caruso is expected to be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks, the team said Saturday. Chicago had lost six of seven before Zach LaVine and Javonte Green returned from injuries in Monday night's 111-110 victory at Oklahoma City.

Jones broke his right index finger Tuesday while working out at the team's training facility.

Bulls' Derrick Jones Jr. could miss 6-8 weeks with broken finger

You never want to see &ldquo;Damn Lonzo&rdquo; trending.
But, as is consistent with the rest of the season, a seemingly major injury has afflicted one of the NBA&rsquo;s aspiring contenders, and now that we&rsquo;re officially beyond the halfway point of the season, everything matters that much more.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported early Thursday that Lonzo Ball has a small meniscus tear in his left knee. Hours later, the Chicago Bulls <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-dealing-with-meniscus-tear-in-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed the injury</a>, relaying that Lonzo will undergo arthroscopic surgery with a recovery period of 6-to-8 weeks.
The Bulls are already missing Zach LaVine due to a left knee bone contusion, <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/nbcsports/bulls-zach-lavine-lonzo-ball-to-miss-road-trip-with-knee-injuries/2731931/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_CHBrand">which will keep him out a least a few more games</a>. And while that&rsquo;s a short-term injury, Chicago suddenly has a thinning roster.
Patrick Williams is expected to be out for the season with a dislocated wrist. Derrick Jones Jr. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023745-bulls-rumors-derrick-jones-jr-out-4-6-weeks-knee-injury-diagnosed-as-bone-bruise">may be out another month</a> with a bone-bruised knee suffered last week. Javonte Green is still <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32988184/chicago-bulls-guard-javonte-green-2-4-weeks-strained-groin">working his way back from a strained groin</a>.
Alex Caruso just returned after a month absence due to a mixture of leg, hamstring, and COVID issues, and even so, they&rsquo;re still very shorthanded at 28-15.
People are already throwing the Bulls around in trade rumors. Should they ask the Toronto Raptors about Goran Dragić? Would Caris LeVert coming from the Indiana Pacers be a helpful fit? Does acquiring Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans make sense? Could they get any of the 6-foot-3 scoring guards from the Portland Trail Blazers not named Damian Lillard?
The Bulls do have <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/chicago-bulls/cap/">usable salaries to pair</a>, like Jones' $9.7 million, Williams&rsquo; $7.4 million and Coby White&rsquo;s $5.8 million. They <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Bulls.htm">also have draft picks</a>, including all of their own first-rounders after 2023 and a collection of second-rounders.
But we&rsquo;ve seen other contenders elsewhere not behave erratically and trust their own guys, at least in the interim. In the own-conference contender bubble, the Brooklyn Nets have turned to guys like Kessler Edwards, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas and David Duke Jr. at different points, all of whom were a part of the 2021 draft class (though, Duke went undrafted and is on a two-way contract).
And, tied with Chicago, the Miami Heat have risen to the top of the East despite Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry having only played 14 games together this season. How&rsquo;s that possible? Just guys stepping up when called upon: Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, Max Strus, Caleb Martin (a two-way), Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and &Ouml;mer Yurtseven.
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Ball's obviously going to be a difficult replacement because of what he means to Chicago. His perimeter defense is elite, which is an especially deadly pairing when logging minutes next to Caruso. He's also developed into a sniper from deep, hitting 42.3% of his triples this season, the best of his career. And as the starting point guard, logging 34.6 minutes per contest, Ball is posting 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
He's also accounting for a career-best .101 win shares per 48 minutes and is second in box plus-minus on the team behind Zach LaVine, and his 108 defensive rating ties Caruso for the best among Bulls guards. In no world is this level of two-way production easy to replace, moreso when it comes from your starting point guard.&nbsp;
For the Bulls though, as opposed to making any drastic changes, why not just use what you have? The aforementioned White is turning 22 years old next month, and lately, has been productive in his expanded role since returning from COVID protocols in December. In 16 games &mdash; and eight starts since Dec. 19 &mdash; White&rsquo;s averaged 16.4 points, and 3.1 assists on 50/45/86 shooting splits. In his last 11 games, he&rsquo;s up to 17.7 points and 3.0 assists per contest while slashing 54/51/91.
In other respects, the Bulls have turned to second-round rookie Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu, who just turned 22 on Jan. 17, was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ayo-dosunmu-ready-to-seize-the-moment-as-he-becomes-complete-player-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an All-American at Illinois</a>, a national championship favorite last season before losing to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Dosunmu is averaging 7.2 points while shooting 55.4% from the field and 45.7% from three in 21.3 minutes per game. He's also providing adequate defense, as expected when he was drafted at No. 38 overall.
Dosunmu is only at 1.7 assists per game, but has shown more playmaking ability across his last three outings, his best spurt as a rookie. Dosunmu&rsquo;s averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over that stretch, shooting 76.7% from the floor and 70.0% from deep on 10.0 overall attempts per game. Continuing to unlock Dosunmu might be the best option for Chicago in the immediate.
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Dosumu, at least for now, could give you the spacing, playmaking and point-of-attack defense needed until Ball comes back. He won&rsquo;t be what Ball is consistently, but it&rsquo;ll be close enough for now without having to create mass roster upheaval.
The Heat are excellent at player development, but if you&rsquo;re the Bulls, you have to view what they&rsquo;re doing with undrafted talent and think you could sustainably get more-than-adequate production from your talented second-round draft pick in a similar fashion.

Bryan Fonseca weighs the Bulls' options with the news of Lonzo Ball having to miss time due to knee surgery.

Where the Bulls should turn with Lonzo Ball getting knee surgery

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and had his third triple-double of the season to help Milwaukee rout the Golden State Warriors 118-99 on Thursday night in Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer's return from the NBA&rsquo;s COVID-19 protocols.
Antetokounmpo had 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his 28th career triple-double.
Budenholzer missed four games while in the health and safety protocols, with assistant Darvin Ham taking over as acting head coach. The Bucks went 1-3.
Khris Middleton added 23 points, Bobby Portis 20 and Grayson Allen 15.
Milwaukee never trailed and raced to a 77-38 halftime advantage. Antetokounmpo had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the first half.
The Bucks were just two points shy of their largest halftime lead in franchise history, a record they set this season. Milwaukee led 77-36 at the half in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-jrue-holiday-milwaukee-orlando-magic-cca123beab7b2a2d7d0be57c01fc484e">123-92 victory over Orlando </a> on Nov. 22.
Golden State outplayed the Bucks in the second half and reduced the deficit to 18 on Juan Toscano-Anderson&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 9:39 left, but that&rsquo;s as close as the Warriors would get.
Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 16 points. Jonathan Kumginga had 15, Stephen Curry 12 and Klay Thompson 11.
The Warriors didn&rsquo;t have Draymond Green due to left calf tightness, which also kept him out of a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-memphis-tyus-jones-ziaire-williams-e45d50f0b6ee3d42ccfc61854140f7d0">loss at Memphis</a> on Tuesday night and caused him to play less than a minute Sunday in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-toronto-cleveland-canada-84d5a7b3f78c214a6856cc87a7f56add">victory over Cleveland.</a>
Milwaukee was missing guard Jrue Holiday for a fourth straight game. Holiday sat out a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nba-sports-health-kevin-durant-9f7541377b275165020db3300626599c">Jan. 2 victory at Brooklyn </a> while in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols and has since sat out three games with a sore left ankle.
The Warriors have suffered lopsided losses during each of their last two trips to Milwaukee.
Last season, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-new-york-milwaukee-bucks-khris-middleton-boston-celtics-cddf29a6cb23b934fdcb38dd8a1e5f77">Bucks beat the Warriors 138-99 in a Christmas Day matchup </a> in front of no spectators at Fiserv Forum.
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TIP-INS
Warriors: With the Warriors playing on back-to-back nights, they planned to rest Thompson on Friday night at Chicago. Thursday marked Thompson&rsquo;s third game back after being out for over 2 1/2 years because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament and an Achilles tendon injury. &ldquo;Part of the process of his recovery is he&rsquo;s not going to play back-to-backs early on,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &hellip; Gary Payton II played less than five minutes before lower back tightness knocked him out for the rest of the game. ... Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson entered health and safety protocols and wasn&rsquo;t on the bench Thursday.
Bucks: George Hill returned after missing four games while in health and safety protocols. ... The Bucks signed guard Lindell Wigginton to a two-way contract and requested waivers on guard Javonte Smart, who averaged 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 12.3 minutes while appearing in 13 games. &hellip; Budenholzer said he feels great now but there were a few days that he didn&rsquo;t feel well while in the protocols. &ldquo;I think everybody goes through a little different experience,&rdquo; he said.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Chicago on Friday night.
Bucks: Host Toronto on Saturday.

Giannis scored 30 and had his third triple-double of the season to help the Milwaukee Bucks rout the Golden State Warriors 118-99.

Antetokounmpo has triple-double, Bucks rip Warriors 118-99

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the second straight game to give the Chicago Bulls a 120-119 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Kyle Kuzma&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds to play gave Washington a 119-117 lead, until DeRozan beat the Wizards in the same way he beat Indiana on Friday night.
DeRozan finished with 28 points and Zach LaVine had 35 points to help the Bulls to their seventh straight win, which is their longest streak since Dec. 18-29, 2014.
According to BasketballReference.com, DeRozan became the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days.
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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing, especially doing it on the road,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;m dreaming or if it&rsquo;s real right now.
&ldquo;You work your butt off and you understand that if you&rsquo;re in those positions, try to capitalize on them the best way you can because you&rsquo;re going to have games where you miss some.&rdquo;
The Wizards led nearly the whole game, outscoring Chicago 72-30 in points in the paint.
&ldquo;He just made a heck of a play. He was defended pretty well,&rdquo; Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just tough. It&rsquo;s tough to lose a game like that.&rdquo;
Kuzma scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds, while Bradley Beal had 27 points and a career-high 16 assists in his first start at point guard. Beal also passed the 14,000 point mark.
Midway through the second quarter, the Wizards were called for a technical foul for too many players. Alize Johnson, one of five players on 10-day contracts, was the sixth player on the court.
TIP-INS
Bulls: F Tyler Cook suffered a sprained left ankle early in the second quarter and did not return. &hellip; F Javonte Green was out with a right adductor strain. &hellip; Interim coach Chris Fleming said that he hopes G Lonzo Ball and F Alonzo McKinnie, who were in health and safety protocols, could return to action early next week. &hellip; Coach Billy Donovan addressed the team over Zoom on Saturday and told them how proud he was with Friday night&rsquo;s win. Donovan could return from health and safety protocols on Monday.
Wizards: Signed G Tremont Waters to a 10-day contract. &hellip; G Brad Wanamaker, who started on Thursday, entered the health and safety protocols. &hellip; Rotation players G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Rui Hachimura, F Montrezl Harrell, G Aaron Holiday and G Raul Neto are still in COVID-19 protocols
DEROZAN&rsquo;S BIG SHOT: DeRozan said he concentrated on the fundamentals before he shot the game-winner.
&ldquo;I wanted to make sure my feet were behind the line,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wanted to give it a chance to go in.
&ldquo;My shots all night were short. It&rsquo;s tough to play on back-to-backs. I kind of felt it throughout the game.&rdquo;
LaVine shook his head when asked to describe DeRozan.
&ldquo;The dude&rsquo;s incredible,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t say much more than that&hellip;Thank God we&rsquo;ve got DeMar DeRozan on our team.&rdquo;
BEAL IMPRESSED WITH DEROZAN: Throughout Beal&rsquo;s NBA career, he has marveled at DeRozan.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what he does,&rdquo; Beal said. &ldquo;He takes tough shots and he makes tough shots.&rdquo;
Beal believes the short-handed Wizards simply came up short against a marvelous opponent.
&ldquo;We did everything we possibly could to win, but DeRo just made a crazy shot at the end of the game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In a way, the shot is demoralizing and takes the energy out of you, but to know that we competed and played hard, we set ourselves up to win, and you feel great about that.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Orlando on Monday.
Wizards: Host Charlotte on Monday.
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DeMar DeRozan hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the second straight game to give the Bulls a 120-119 win over the Wizards on Saturday.

DeRozan beats the buzzer again, giving Bulls 7 straight wins

CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks for the second time in three nights, 131-117 on Wednesday.
The Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. The Hawks, who are playing without 15 players due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols and injuries, lost for the fifth time in six games.
The Bulls shot 61.9% and had a season-high with 38 assists. They beat the Hawks 130-118 on Monday night in Atlanta.
Trey Young scored 26 points for Atlanta, and Clint Capela added 18 in the opener of a six-game trip.
“We got three-fourths of our team out,” Young said. “I came to shoot around not knowing most of my teammates.”
LaVine punctuated his performance with a. 360 dunk that extended the Bulls’ lead to 119-96 with 6:44 left.
Nicola Vucevic had 16 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan scored 20 pointts, and guard Coby White had 17 points and 12 assists. Reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu converted 6 of 7 shots and finished with 14 points, as did Javonte Green.
“I think people realize how good (LaVine) is,” Bulls interim coach Chris Fleming said. “I think that secret is out. He’s been an All-Star and has played at an extremely high level.”
The Bulls made 40 of 43 field goal attempts in the first half (69.8%), including 6 of 10 three-point attempts.
The Bulls had an 18-1 run to end the first half with a 74-53 lead. They were credited with 24 assists in the first half without point guard Lonzo Ball, who is in health and safety protocols.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Chris Clemons and Cameron Oliver were signed to 10-day contracts. Wes Iwundu was activated from the NBA’s health and safety protocol. The Hawks have 12 players in protocols, which has caused coach Nate McMillan to play Young, Cam Reddish, Capela and Skylar Mays, a two-way guard, longer than he’d prefer. “We really don’t have subs for them,” McMillan said. “There are times we’re having to put four-five guys out there who don’t know our system. We’re giving them basic sets.”
Bulls: Marko Simonovic entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Simonovic is the 17th Bulls player to enter the protocols this season. F Patrick Williams (ligament tear) had pins removed from his left wrist, but Fleming didn’t know how this would affect Williams’ rehab schedule. Williams was expected to miss the regular season. With coach Billy Donovan currently in health and safety protocols, Fleming said he expects to remain as interim coach through at least the next two games.
UP NEXT
Hawks: At Cleveland on Friday night.
Bulls: At Indiana on Friday.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks, extending their win streak to five games.

Bulls beat Hawks for 2nd time in 3 nights, run streak to 5

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-and-suns-continue-to-battle-for-the-top-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The same two names remain at the top of this week's Basketball News NBA Power Rankings, but there is a bit of a shakeup in the back half of the top-10, as Cleveland and Memphis continue to win. &nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (22-5) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Stephen Curry couldn't break Ray Allen's all-time three-point record Monday night in Indiana, but the Warriors were able to walk away with a 102-100 victory. Steph has a chance to pass Allen on Tuesday night in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, against the team that was <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1470778720600403974?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one spot away from drafting him</a>: the New York Knicks.&nbsp;
2. Phoenix Suns (21-5) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
The Suns, playing without Deandre Ayton (non-COVID illness) and Devin Booker (left hamstring strain), were beaten badly by the Clippers on Monday night. The Suns still haven't lost consecutive games since before Halloween.&nbsp;
3. Utah Jazz (19-7) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
The Jazz, winners of seven consecutive contests &mdash; including four straight on the road &mdash; possess the league's longest active winning streak. Now, Utah returns home, where the team will commence a string of six straight home games beginning Wednesday. It's longest homestand this season for the Jazz.&nbsp;
4. Brooklyn Nets (19-8) ⬆️ Last Week: 5
Kevin Durant <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/durant-scores-51-in-nets-116104-win-over-slumping-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poured in an NBA season-high 51 points</a> in the Nets' victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The NBA's leading scorer, KD is averaging 32.9 points over his last seven games. But it's also worth noting he is averaging over 40 minutes per game during this current stretch &mdash; truly remarkable considering he is just two years removed from a torn Achilles.&nbsp;
5. Milwaukee Bucks (18-11) ⬇️ Last Week: 3
Khris Middleton limped to the locker room in the third quarter of Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics and could not return. After the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBontemps/status/1470590960069488640?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Middleton suffered a hyperextended left knee, but stated that "initially there are positive indications" about the injury. However, the team will have a better idea of the severity of the hyperextension after further examination.&nbsp;
6. Chicago Bulls (17-10) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The NBA announced Monday that the Chicago Bulls' next two games (Tuesday's matchup with the Pistons and Thursday's game vs. the Toronto Raptors) will be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak within the locker room. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Troy Brown Jr., Coby White, Javonte Green, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Alize Johnson and Stanley Johnson are all currently in the league's health and safety protocols. These are the first two games postponed this season. Unfortunately, they may not be last.
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7. Memphis Grizzlies (17-11) ⬆️ Last Week: 13
Despite seeming to fly under the radar, the Grizzlies are one of the NBA's hottest teams, having won 8 of their last 9 games. This 8-1 surge is especially remarkable when you consider the Grizz are doing it without Ja Morant, who suffered a left knee injury in late November. Plenty of credit goes to Tyus Jones, who has been starting in place of Morant. Over his last seven games, Jones is averaging 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals. He has dished out 47 dimes during this stretch while committing just eight turnovers.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 15
Kevin Love scored all 23 of his points in the second half of Monday's win over the Miami Heat to help lead the surging Cavs to their fourth consecutive victory. Remarkably, the Cavs are now five games above .500 without LeBron James on their roster for the first time since December of 2000, when they were 15-10. Yes, incredibly, it's the first time this century!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"You don't get this often." No lip service when Kevin Love talks about *these* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>. He's saying this team has something "bigger than ourselves" and "truly celebrate each other." <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJIf43fdLW">pic.twitter.com/MJIf43fdLW</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1470597707341479941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
9. Miami Heat (16-12) ⬇️ Last Week: 8
The Heat started their four-game road trip with a dud Monday night, falling to the Cavs. Miami has three road games left to close out the week, but after playing in Philly on Wednesday, they play the two worst teams in the conference (Orlando on Friday and Detroit on Sunday).&nbsp;
10. Los Angeles Clippers (16-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 12 
The Clips smashed the Suns on Monday night, despite playing without Paul George (right elbow sprain) and Nicolas Batum (ankle). Marcus Morris Sr. led the way for L.A., racking up 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting and ripping down a season-high 11 rebounds, two triples and one assist. We'll see if PG-13 is cleared to play Wednesday vs. the Jazz.&nbsp;
11. Philadelphia 76ers (15-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Sixers were forced to play without Seth Curry (right shoulder) and center Joel Embiid (rib soreness), and got hammered by the Grizzlies, 126-91. Memphis led by as much as 36 points in the final frame. "This is a burn-it film. Throw it away and move on to the next game," Philly head coach <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doc Rivers said</a> after the contest. Philly will look to bounce back Wednesday when they host the Heat.&nbsp;
12. Charlotte Hornets (15-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
Good news for the Hornets, as LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels and Mason Plumlee have all been cleared to return from health and safety protocols. The three players have been assigned to the Greensboro Swarm for conditioning purposes. Charlotte's next game is Wednesday vs. the San Antonio Spurs.&nbsp;
13. Washington Wizards (15-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 10
The slumping Wizards have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Their only win during this current stretch was against the lowly Pistons in overtime. Washington hasn't won a game in regulation since Dec. 1, and things won't get any easier for the Wiz in the near future. Monday's loss in Denver was the first game of a grueling six-game road trip that includes stops in Utah, Phoenix and Brooklyn.
14. Los Angeles Lakers (15-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 17 
Over in the NFL, 42-year-old Tom Brady has a chance to become the oldest MVP ever in any pro sport in North America. Not to be outdone, LeBron James &mdash; who will celebrate his 37th birthday later this month &mdash; is averaging 29.8 points, 8.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 made three-pointers over his last eight games, while logging more than 39 minutes per contest.&nbsp;
15. Boston Celtics (14-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 11
Jayson Tatum poured in 42 points Monday in Boston's victory over Milwaukee. Tatum was joined by his fellow Celtic star, Jaylen Brown, who returned to action after missing five games with a right hamstring injury and chipped in 19 points for Boston.
16. Denver Nuggets (14-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 18
Nikola Jokic was ejected from Monday's win over the Wizards after being hit with two technical fouls, but not before he tallied 28 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in 31 minutes. Over Denver's last six games, Jokic is averaging a mind-boggling 28.8 points (on 60% shooting), 13.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists in just 33.3 minutes per contest.
17. Dallas Mavericks (14-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
Kristaps Porzingis was dominant in Dallas' victory over the Hornets Monday. Playing without Luka Doncic, who is expected to miss multiple games due to left ankle soreness, KP shouldered the load vs. Charlotte, tallying 24 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. The Mavs host LeBron and the Lakers on Wednesday.&nbsp;
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18. Atlanta Hawks (13-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 14
Despite a 41-point, 9-assist performance from Trae Young, the Hawks blew a 19-point second-half lead Monday night in a bitterly disappointing home loss to the Houston Rockets. Atlanta has 4 four of its last 5 games and has lost five straight at home.&nbsp;
19. Toronto Raptors (13-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 21
After a disappointing and inconsistent start to the season, Chris Boucher is starting to turn it around for Toronto. Over the Raps past four games, Boucher is averaging 14.0 points (while shooting 56.8%) to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 22 minutes a night.&nbsp;
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-15) &harr;️ Last Week: 20
The Timberwolves welcomed back D'Angelo Russell to the lineup Sunday night in Portland after the point guard had missed three straight games due to a right ankle injury, and ended their five-game losing skid by beating the Portland Trail Blazers. Minnesota travels to Denver on Wednesday and then returns home to take on the Lakers.&nbsp;
21. Indiana Pacers (12-17) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Big double-double for Domantas Sabonis in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pacers</a> W 💪 30 PTS 11-15 FGM 10 REB 6 AST 3 STL 60 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/RD341JwbqV">pic.twitter.com/RD341JwbqV</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1468052587882721288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Monday, the NBA announced Domantas Sabonis as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging a team-high 25.0 points (on 75% shooting!) and 10.3 rebounds per game, to go along with 6.0 assists per game, as the Pacers went 3-0.
22. New York Knicks (12-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
The Knicks were forced to play Sunday vs. Milwaukee without RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin (who both missed the game because they are in the league's health and safety protocols), and Julius Randle and Evan Fournier combined for just 14 points. Unsurprisingly, the Knicks fell to the defending champs. It was New York's third straight defeat. The silver lining for New York was Quentin Grimes' performance in his first career start. Grimes poured in 27 points and knocked down seven three-pointers, the most ever by a Knicks rookie.
23. San Antonio Spurs (10-16) ⬆️ Last Week: 25
Dejounte Murray recorded his fourth triple-double of the season in Sunday's victory over the Pels. Murray has been playing extremely well over the past month, averaging 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.9 steals.
24. Portland Trail Blazers (11-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
Damian Lillard (lower abdominal tendinopathy) returned to action Sunday night and tallied 24 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, but it wasn't enough to get the Blazers back on track. Portland has now lost five games in a row and 8 of their 9 nine. And things don't get any easier for Portland this week, as they host the Suns on Tuesday night and take on the Grizzlies this Wednesday on the back-end of a back-to-back.
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25. Houston Rockets (9-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
After having their seven-game win streak snapped last week, the Rockets got back in the win column Monday in Atlanta. Houston is 8-2 over their last 10 games, which is tied for the best record in the league over that stretch.&nbsp;
26. Sacramento Kings (11-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 24
The Kings went 0-3 in their recently-completed three-game road trip. Sacramento coach Alvin Gentry <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that his players held a closed-door meeting after Monday's embarrassing blowout loss to the Raptors.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
Luguentz Dort, who has been one of the bright spots during a disappointing OKC season, sprained his left ankle in Sunday's loss to the Mavericks. Over the Thunder's previous 15 games, Dort was averaging 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 made treys per contest.
28. New Orleans Pelicans (8-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
Just when it seemed the Pels' 2021-22 season couldn't get any more depressing, it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/zion-williamson-foot-experiences-setback-will-be-shut-down-from-basketball-activities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Saturday that Zion Williamson "continues to experience soreness in his surgically-repaired right foot and is likely to be shut down from basketball activities for the time being," and that Williamson's bone "has not healed the way the team expected and he will take some time off before proceeding." It appears there is now a possibility that Zion doesn't log a single minute all season.
29. Orlando Magic (5-23) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
The Magic lost each of the five games they played on their recently completed five-game road trip, but Cole Anthony refuses to slow down. Over the three games Orlando played last week, Anthony averaged a whopping 25.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 made three-pointers while shooting 53.6% from downtown.&nbsp;
30. Detroit Pistons (4-22) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
It was revealed over the weekend that Jerami Grant suffered torn ligaments in his right thumb and will be out indefinitely. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Grant is "one of the most sought-after players in a potential trade, with the Lakers and Trail Blazers among the teams pursuing the Pistons versatile forward." Shams adds that Grant's injury "is not expected to impact his trade market, as "dozens of teams call the Detroit front office about Grant each week, and sources said the team is open to a possible deal." Our own Evan Sidery looked at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible destinations for Grant</a> on Monday night.

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Jazz vault into top-3; Grizz, Cavs keep ascending

Zach LaVine scored 31 points, DeMar DeRozan had 29 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 111-107 on Saturday night.
Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu each added 11 points for the Bulls.
Kevin Durant led Brooklyn with 28 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 20. James Harden added 14 points and 14 assists, but shot 5 for 21 from the field.
The Bulls trailed by as many as 11 in the third quarter, but opened the fourth on a 13-4 run and took their biggest lead at 92-86 on DeRozan&rsquo;s short jumper with 7 minutes remaining.
Aldridge's layup brought the Nets within 101-100, but they never got closer.
Durant&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 39 seconds left cut it to 107-105, but Lonzo Ball answered with a 3 with 16 seconds remaining to end the threat.
Patty Mills, who scored 12 points, gave Brooklyn its biggest lead at 71-60 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
Chicago rallied and LaVine&rsquo;s 3-pointer trimmed it to 80-79 before Paul Millsap, who scored a season-high 13 points, hit a buzzer-beater to give the Nets an 82-79 lead after three quarters.
Brooklyn scored the first nine points of the game, all on 3s, and led 34-28 after the first quarter.
Chicago took its first lead at 47-46 on LaVine&rsquo;s three-point play with 3:57 left in the half before the Nets went back ahead, with Durant&rsquo;s basket making it 56-52 at the half.
Bruce Brown led the Nets with 12 rebounds, while Durant had 10.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Javonte Green, who had appeared in each of Chicago&rsquo;s first 23 games, did not play Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19. That leaves DeRozan, LaVine and Ball as the only Bulls to play in every game this season.
Nets: Brooklyn has had four back-to-backs so far this season and gone 1-1 each time. &hellip; The Nets had won eight of their previous nine home games against the Bulls. &hellip; James Johnson did not play due to left shoulder soreness.
WORKING OVERTIME
Durant has played at least 37 minutes in each of his last seven games, including a season-high 45 vs. Phoenix on Nov. 21. &ldquo;Kevin&rsquo;s mentality is why he&rsquo;s one of the best players of all-time,&rdquo; coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;He loves the game. To tell him we&rsquo;re going to limit his minutes is not going to go over very well. We try to sneak minutes from him here and there and keep him on the bench for an extra 30 or 40 seconds when we can.&rdquo;
TRIPLE THREAT
In their two games prior to Saturday, LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic all scored 25 or more points while shooting 50% or better from the field. It was the first time three teammates had reached those marks in consecutive games since Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway did it for Golden State in 1990.
FALLING ON HARD(EN) TIMES
Harden has shot 13 for 49 (26.5%) over his last three games.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Chicago hosts Denver on Monday.
Nets: Brooklyn visits Dallas on Tuesday.

Zach LaVine scored 31 points, DeMar DeRozan had 29 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 111-107 on Saturday night.

LaVine, DeRozan lead Bulls to 111-107 win over Nets

Early in the third quarter of Thursday's contest against the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls flow out of HORNS.
Well, kinda.
It's a decoy action to set up a two-man dance between DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, the shiniest toys the Bulls have acquired over the past eight months.&nbsp;
DeRozan's penetration draws help from the right wing, opening up a pass to Lonzo Ball &mdash; yet another shiny toy the Bulls added to their playpen. Ball slips a pass to Patrick Williams in the corner, with nothing but real estate ahead of him.
Williams revs his engine, drives to the basket, launches into the air and gets fouled by Mitchell Robinson before landing awkwardly on his wrist.
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You don't expect a third quarter swing-swing sequence to become a season-altering one, but the aftermath of the possession very well could be. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Williams will be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/patrick-williams-expected-out-for-season-with-wrist-dislocation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">having surgery</a> on said-wrist, likely sidelining him for the rest of the regular season.&nbsp;
WHAT HE PROVIDES
Williams isn't better at basketball than Vucevic or DeRozan. He may not fill gaps in as obvious a way as Ball does. But in a way, Williams feels like the connective tissue Chicago couldn't afford to lose.&nbsp;
He is&nbsp;the&nbsp;big/power-wing defender for this team. His primary assignments to date: Jerami Grant, Brandon Ingram, Saddiq Bey (Grant missed the second matchup), OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. Not only is he physically equipped to handle those matchups better than anyone else on the roster, his presence in the starting lineup meant Zach LaVine or DeRozan wouldn't have to fill that role.
With the Bulls playing ball-screens more aggressively, having Williams' combination of athleticism and length was a fail-safe. If someone slipped a screen, or if a tag was needed on a roll, Williams was tasked with &mdash; and represented the Bulls' best chance of &mdash; providing relief.
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It's worth noting the risk assessment here. The Raptors stash Anunoby in the corner, by himself, for a reason: to put strain on Williams. Coming over too early will open up a corner three; being late will open the lob to Precious Achiuwa. Providing help against this particular alignment is a tough thing to do, so it's encouraging that Williams, in Year 2, is able to make it seamlessly.
Williams didn't have a massive role offensively: spot up around the arc, cut when the opportunity presents itself and/or set a screen for one of the star wings if the opposing team stashes a weak defender on him. But those duties were important for an offense still looking to find itself &mdash; the Bulls rank 18th in half-court offense, per Cleaning The Glass.
Put another way &mdash; while the kinks were being worked out, finding easy points were necessary. Williams was showcasing a solid feel in that area.
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POTENTIAL OPTIONS
Finding someone on the roster to replace Williams will be tricky. All of their options come with obvious positives, but also cause(s) for concern. 
Alex Caruso
<ul>
<li>The starters with Caruso in place of Williams have outscored opponents by 24 points in 31 minutes so far. This is the current closing lineup, and for good reason.</li>
<li>Caruso's point-of attack defense could take pressure off of Vucevic in a drop, which could lead to fewer/easier rotations for someone like DeRozan on the backline.</li>
<li>If there's a concern, it would be the lack of size. This unit has a 62.5% defensive-rebound percentage, a laughably low rate.</li>
</ul>
Javonte Green
<ul>
<li>Flies around defensively, can replicate some of the weakside help Williams provided.</li>
<li>Athleticism would be an even better fit for Chicago's emphasis on pushing after misses,</li>
<li>He provides similar size issues to Caruso, and provides next-to-no shooting value outside of corner shots.</li>
</ul>
Troy Brown Jr.
<ul>
<li>Solid multi-positional defender with actual wing size, though he still isn't a natural big/power-wing defender.</li>
<li>Has enough ball skills and passing chops to keep the chain moving; he certainly has more on-ball utility than Williams at this stage.</li>
<li>Like Green, doesn't have much shooting value outside of the corner.</li>
</ul>
Derrick Jones Jr.
<ul>
<li>Fits the transition ethos well; he's one of the best lob threats in NBA history.</li>
<li>Not a big/power-wing defender at all, but can switch 1-through-3 and is likely the best weak-side rim-protector of the group.</li>
<li>There isn't much half-court utility at all as a scorer; total non-shooter and doesn't have the handle to consistently beat close-outs.</li>
</ul>
If I had the choice, I'd go off the cuff and roll with Jones in the "Keith Bogans" role. He'd allow the Bulls to keep the rest of their rotation in tact while providing defensive and transition value.
While he isn't a self-creator at all, being able to play off the scoring gravity of Chicago's Big Three could open up cutting opportunities. There's enough passing ability among the starters to feed him on cuts, find him on dump-offs while he lurks around the dunker spot or utilize him as a screener on occasion.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan breaks down what the Bulls will miss from Patrick Williams, and how they could go about replacing him.

What's next for the Bulls after losing Patrick Williams?

Nikola Vucevic has become a terrific player, but he never seems to get the attention he deserves. Will that change in Chicago?

Nikola Vucevic may finally get credit he deserves with new-look Bulls

Lonzo Ball looks good in Chicago. Kemba Walker has always looked good at Madison Square Garden.
One game into their preseasons, the Bulls and New York Knicks have to like what they see from their new backcourts.
Ball made a 3-pointer for Chicago's first basket and the Bulls kept rolling from there to a 131-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
Walker also had the first basket for the Knicks in their 125-104 victory over Indiana, making it a happy homecoming for the point guard who grew up in the Bronx.
&ldquo;Just to see that New York across my chest, being from here, it&rsquo;s like a dream come true,&rdquo; Walker said in his postgame interview on the court.
Walker signed with the Knicks over the summer for a chance to play 41 games in the arena where he memorably led Connecticut to the Big East tournament title in 2011.
Evan Fournier, his teammate last season in Boston, is also a new Knick and they started together in the backcourt. Both finished with 12 points, delivering the improved scoring they hope to get after riding their defense to a surprising playoff berth last season.
The Bulls are hoping to get there this season after bringing in Ball from New Orleans, DeMar DeRozan from San Antonio and Alex Caruso from the Los Angeles Lakers.
With Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic already in place, the Bulls have the potential to make a leap up the Eastern Conference standings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Forget the coffee... watch this video! Every single dunk from last night's W: <a href="https://t.co/88uxB3Ix9H">pic.twitter.com/88uxB3Ix9H</a>
&mdash; Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1445735602842972165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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LaVine scored 25 points, Vucevic had 10 points and nine rebounds, and the Bulls outscored the Cavaliers by 45 points while they were on the floor. DeRozan added 13 points, Caruso had 10 points and 10 assists, and Ball finished with eight points, five rebounds and five assists.
KNICKS 125, PACERS 104
Julius Randle had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks, while RJ Barrett scored 17 points.
Taj Gibson scored 14 and Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin each came off the bench for 10 as the Knicks surpassed 100 points in three quarters.
Rookie Chris Duarte scored 15 points for the Pacers in their first game under new coach Rick Carlisle. Justin Holiday added 13, while Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell each had 10.
BULLS 131, CAVALIERS 95
Troy Brown Jr. and Javonte Green also scored 13 points in Chicago. Matt Thomas had 11 and Alize Johnson finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Collin Sexton scored 14 points and former Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen had 13 for the Cavaliers.
Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick in the draft, had 10 points and eight rebounds. Ricky Rubio, acquired by the Cavs in the offseason, had 10 points, six assists and five rebounds.
ROCKETS 125, WIZARDS 119
Kevin Porter Jr. had 25 points, including five 3-pointers, and five assists in Houston.
Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick in July&rsquo;s draft, finished with 12 points and six rebounds but shot just 4 of 14 from the field and 0 for 6 from behind the arc.
Bradley Beal had 18 points to lead six Washington players in double figures. Aaron Holiday had 15 points, Spencer Dinwiddie &mdash; acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in a five-team trade on Aug. 6 &mdash; finished with 14 points and five assists and Corey Kispert added 12 points. Kyle Kuzma scored 11 points and Daniel Gafford 10.
GRIZZLIES 87, BUCKS 77 (3 quarters)
Ja Morant had 27 points, six rebounds and four assists through three quarters to lead Memphis.
Morant was 11-of-18 shooting and threw down high-flying dunks in the first and third quarters before a fire alarm went off in his home arena at the end of the third quarter. Fans were evacuated and the teams were sent to their locker rooms. The game would eventually be called.
De&rsquo;Anthony Melton scored 14 points and Steven Adams had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Jordan Nwora led Milwaukee with 16 points and Grayson Allen scored 13.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Jrue Holiday &mdash; all major contributors to Milwaukee&rsquo;s NBA title run this summer &mdash; did not play for the Bucks.

One game into their preseasons, the Bulls and Knicks have to like what they see from their new backcourts.

NBA Preseason: Strong debuts for new backcourts in New York & Chicago

Perhaps the biggest frenzy of the NBA Draft cycle comes after the draft is completed.&nbsp;
Mere minutes after pick No. 60 is revealed, newsbreakers are reporting out fully-guaranteed deals, two-way contracts and Summer-League additions around the NBA. We've created a place for you to keep track of these moves.
Below are the notable reported agreements, listed by team.
Atlanta Hawks
Ibi Watson (G), Dayton --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JShawNBA/status/1421137851316592641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Shaw/HoopsRumors</a>
Boston Celtics
Sam Hauser (F), Virginia&nbsp;-- two-way contract agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420983228396101637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Brooklyn Nets
David Duke (G), Providence --&nbsp;agreed to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/John_Fanta/status/1420974779868266496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fanta/Fox Sports</a>
Brandon Rachal (F), Tulsa --&nbsp;agreed to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/TUMBasketball/status/1421125766197047296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsa Athletics</a>
Charlotte Hornets
DJ Carton (G), Marquette --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420986452947648515" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Chicago Bulls
Ethan Thompson (G), Oregon State --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420978552816738304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chandler Vaudrin (F), Winthrop --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/Winthrop_MBB/status/1421089611539955715" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Winthrop Athletics</a>
Dallas Mavericks
Carlik Jones (G), Louisville --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420991380395073537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Eugene Omoruyi (F), Oregon --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420979430927777792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
E.J. Onu (F), Shawnee State --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyWoo/status/1420979723069427713" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated</a>
Feron Hunt (F), SMU --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantAfseth/status/1420993320994721799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grant Afseth/Sports Illustrated</a>
LJ Figueroa (G), Oregon --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421280618210603009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Denver Nuggets
Giorgi Bezhanishvili (F), Illinois -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421113026917412871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Detroit Pistons
Chris Smith (F), UCLA&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420979150559535104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
John Petty (G), Alabama --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/status/1421109144896032776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rodak/AL.com</a>
Anthony Tarke (F), Coppin St. --&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyTarke/status/1420988333094801412" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrees to unspecified deal</a>
Spencer Littleson (G), Toledo --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420998599605985284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
Golden State Warriors
Jaquori McLaughlin (G), UCSB&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421072913881567233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Jordan Schakel (F), San Diego State -- Summer League agreement, <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1420999272997261313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Colbey Ross (G), Pepperdine --&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/cdot_ross/status/1421145317387366410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League agreement</a>
Houston Rockets
Matthew Hurt (F), Duke -- <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421275019322306560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrees to two-way contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Indiana Pacers
Terry Taylor (G), Austin Peay -- agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420984014735872000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Duane Washington Jr. (G), Ohio State --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420969644601614337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Los Angeles Clippers
-- None reported so far --
Los Angeles Lakers
Mac McClung (G), Texas Tech --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420976989918441472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Joel Ayayi (G), Gonzaga --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420969546995933186" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Austin Reaves (G), Oklahoma --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1420972297150779394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Chaundee Brown (G), Michigan --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1420984245250674693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
Alan Griffin (G), Syracuse --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421204946226143232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Memphis Grizzlies
Romeo Weems (F), DePaul -- agrees to Exhibit 10 deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420969722217209856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Yves Pons (F), Tennessee&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420972279698231296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Keaton Wallace (G), UTSA --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1421143975965175811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy/BasketballNews.com</a>
Miami Heat
RJ Nembhard (G), TCU --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420989119702970369" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
AJ Lawson (G), South Carolina --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420987461744959489" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Javonte Smart (G), LSU -- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420981941042622464" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
D.J. Stewart (F), Mississippi St. -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1420974202774040576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy/BasketballNews.com</a>
Marcus Garrett (G), Kansas --&nbsp;agres to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1421138197623492618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel</a>
Dejon Jarreau (G), Houston&nbsp;-- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1421138197623492618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel</a>
Micah Potter (C), Wisconsin -- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/IraHeatBeat/status/1421138197623492618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ira Winderman/South Florida Sun Sentinel</a>
Dru Smith (G), Missouri --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1421127877521707011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Milwaukee Bucks
Mike Smith (G), Michigan -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420974489488314371" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
Jalen Crutcher (G), Dayton --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JonChep/status/1421174764979298307" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jon Chepkevich/Rookie Scale</a>
Minnesota Timberwolves
McKinley Wright IV (G), Colorado -- agrees on two-way contract, per<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420970500071858176" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Isaiah Miller (G), UNC Greensboro --&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Nike_Beast23/status/1420982966201749506" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrees to unspecified deal</a>
Matt Lewis (G), James Madison --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, as announced on Instagram
New Orleans Pelicans
Jose Alvarado (G), Georgia Tech --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ksugiuraajc/status/1420975067232718850" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Suguira/Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>
New York Knicks
Aamir Simms (F), Clemson -- agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1421068449963548676" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Oklahoma City Thunder
-- None reported so far --
Orlando Magic
Asbjorn Midtgaard (C), Grand Canyon -- Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420993281954045954" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Jeremiah Tilmon (F), Missouri --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1420977542056534017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy/BasketballNews.com</a>
Philadelphia 76ers
Aaron Henry (G), Michigan State --&nbsp;agrees to two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420968768130404353" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Daishen Nix (G), G League Ignite --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/1421183526666481668" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Zagoria</a>
Phoenix Suns
-- None reported so far --
Portland Trail Blazers
Trendon Watford (F), LSU --&nbsp;plans to sign two-way contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420972774269628423" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Mark Vital (F), Baylor --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1421126065183985671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
Sacramento Kings
D.J. Steward (G), Duke --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420981965608693760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Matt Coleman (G), Texas --&nbsp;agrees to training camp deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyWoo/status/1420979002383142914" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated</a>
Damien Jefferson (F), Creighton --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1421098072759799810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
San Antonio Spurs
Justin Turner (G), Bowling Green --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1420986657222897667" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
Matt Mitchell (F), San Diego Sate --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanKalbrosky/status/1420996575120314368" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today</a>
Biram Faye (F), Gran Canaria --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1421100846201417733" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Givony/ESPN</a>
Toronto Raptors
Justin Champagnie (F), Pittsburgh --&nbsp;agrees to unspecified deal, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1420978690935169027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
Moses Wright (F), Georgia Tech --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/moses-wright-going-to-summer-league-with-raptors/DUKAEVIODRFQ7BUBD56U6VUDO4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Suguira/Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>
Utah Jazz
MaCio Teague (G), Baylor --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1420974669235200005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto/HoopsHype</a>
D.J. Funderbunk (F), NC State --&nbsp;Summer League agreement, per <a href="https://twitter.com/JShawNBA/status/1421212803151671312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Shaw/HoopsRumors</a>
Washington Wizards
Jay Huff (C), Virginia -- agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1420983981667983361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred Katz/The Athletic</a>
Jordan Goodwin (G), St. Louis --&nbsp;agrees to Exhibit 10 contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1420983666877075457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred Katz/The Athletic</a>

BasketballNews.com tracks every report of Summer League signings and pending contracts.