Two nights after Brooklyn stole one from Chicago at Barclays Middle, the Bulls returned the favor at United Middle after which some, turning Sunday’s rematch right into a 3-point avalanche the Nets by no means survived.
With out Michael Porter Jr. on the entrance finish of a back-to-back, the Nets have been already in a troublesome spot. It bought worse rapidly. A sluggish defensive begin and repeated breakdowns on the perimeter turned the opening minutes into a large number Brooklyn couldn’t clear up, and Chicago made them pay for each missed rotation, sending the Nets to an 124-102 loss that dropped them to 12-28.
Rookies Egor Dëmin and Danny Wolf did what they might to regular the offense early, flattening three first-quarter 3-pointers between them to maintain Brooklyn inside hanging distance. However the different finish of the ground by no means cooperated. The Nets misplaced shooters time and again, and the Bulls punished them, hitting six of their first seven makes an attempt from deep whereas taking pictures almost 70% general within the opening quarter. Coby White drilled three triples, Ayo Dosunmu added two off the bench and Jalen Smith chipped in seven factors on an ideal begin as Chicago stormed out to a 39-22 lead after one.
Brooklyn made a pair runs within the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 10 twice, however it by no means lasted. Each time the Nets began to inch nearer, the Bulls answered proper again with 3s and straightforward seems to be on the rim, preserving the sport at a cushty distance.
Nic Claxton tried to energy the push with 10 factors on 5-for-6 taking pictures, and Brooklyn shot 57.1% as a crew within the interval, however Chicago stayed scorching from deep, drilling six extra triples to take a 70-51 lead into halftime. The Bulls buried 12 3-pointers on their first 20 makes an attempt within the opening half, with White main the way in which with 16 factors, Dosunmu including 13 off the bench and Nikola Vucevic scoring 11.
Cam Thomas did his finest to maintain Brooklyn organized amid the chaos, handing out 5 assists off the bench within the first half, matching his season excessive for assists in any half and tying the third-most he’s recorded in a half in his profession.
With Porter and Drake Powell sidelined, the Nets opened the sport with Dëmin, Wolf, Claxton, Terance Mann and Noah Clowney. However trying to find some type of jolt, head coach Jordi Fernández went to a close to full platoon change to start the second half, rolling out Thomas, Claxton, Nolan Traore, Tyrese Martin and Jalen Wilson.
It didn’t transfer the needle. Chicago opened the third quarter on a 9-3 burst that pressured Fernández into an early timeout, and the Nets by no means discovered a technique to make it attention-grabbing. The Bulls went simply 3-for-10 from deep within the interval, however they nonetheless shot 50% general whereas holding Brooklyn to 33.3% taking pictures, stretching the result in 95-71 coming into the ultimate body.
By that time, Chicago followers in attendance have been in all probability extra thinking about checking the Bears-Rams rating over at Soldier Discipline. And within the fourth quarter, the rating was by no means nearer than 20 factors.
Traore led six Nets scorers in double figures with 16 factors, going 4-for-5 from 3-point vary, whereas Thomas completed with a career-high 10 assists regardless of scoring simply three factors on 1-for-6 taking pictures. White led seven Bulls in double figures with 24 factors, 4 rebounds and three assists, as Chicago knocked down 20 of its 46 makes an attempt from behind the arc.
Brooklyn will look to bounce again Monday when it hosts the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Middle.
