The Bulls’ Josh Giddey shoots over the Brooklyn Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe during Monday’s game in Chicago.
AP
The Bulls may have created the ideal marriage of NBA franchise and on-court product.
This year’s team is playing fast and is just competitive enough to make the games entertaining. The Bulls rank fourth in the league in points scored and 30th in points allowed, so there’s plenty of action.
It’s a nice fit, because Bulls games are more like a show at the Chicago Theater than serious sport. The loudest cheers every night are for the ending of the Dunkin’ Donuts race. An important turning point for the franchise was finding a corporate sponsor for Benny the Bull’s nightly popcorn spill.
Bulls games are usually a good time, as long as challenging for NBA titles isn’t that important. By beating the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets 128-102 on Monday at the United Center, the Bulls improved to 9-13 on the season.
Josh Giddey collected his first Bulls triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Center Nikola Vucevic finished with 21 points and 10 boards, while rookie Matas Buzelis scored 20 points, well above his previous career-high of 14.
Growing up in West suburban Willowbrook, Buzelis usually attended Bulls games when center Jonas Valanciunas was playing on the other team, since Buzelis’ Lithuanian parents have a connection. After Monday’s game, the Bulls rookie talked about getting more comfortable on the court.
“I think obviously it was the best game of my career right now,” said Buzelis, who hit 4 of 5 shots from 3-point range, to go with 5 rebounds. “I just keep learning, keep striving, keep progressing. Every time I play, I keep learning, I keep getting more comfortable.
“One thing everyone preaches is activity on the court. On the offensive end, I’m just trying to play free.”
If the Bulls could figure out something that works on defense, they might even dare to dream of a real playoff series, not just the play-in tournament. Since firing coach Tom Thibodeau in 2015, the Bulls have made the playoffs twice in nine seasons, if you’re keeping score.
Maybe you’re not that interested in the standings. The Bulls have remained near the top of the NBA attendance leaders, despite the lack of team success. This franchise is fighting for the entertainment dollar as much as basketball victories.
With that in mind, the Bulls aren’t likely to attempt an all-out tank. Not saying that’s a good idea, but management wants to stay competitive enough to make every trip to the United Center a fun night out.
One problem this year is the Bulls have gone 6-6 on the road, compared to 3-7 at home. Their 3-point percentage is 30 points higher in away games.
With that in mind, coach Billy Donovan moved the morning shootarounds from the practice facility across the street to the UC. The transition began last Friday before the Boston game.
“I think this is a great building to play in, there are great fans,” Donovan said. “I think you’ve got to give them things to cheer for. When we’re playing well, this is a really hard place to play.”
The Bulls have had some clunkers at home this year, while competitive losses against the Celtics, Cavaliers and Timberwolves provided a good return on the price of admission.
Coby White missed Monday’s contest with a left ankle sprain and second-year forward Julian Phillips got his first NBA start in White’s place.
Brooklyn (9-13) was missing four of its top seven scorers, playing without Cam Thomas (hamstring), Cam Johnson (ankle), Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), Ziaire Williams (knee) and Ben Simmons (back, knee).