The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
By Sam Smith | 3.08.2015 | 2:27 p.m. CT
The Bulls got off to a late start Sunday and never led as the San Antonio Spurs dominated in a 116-105 victory.
The Bulls fell to 39-25 and 19-12 on the road and close their four games in five days at home Monday against Memphis. The Spurs won their fifth straight and are 39-23 as the teams split the season series.
The Bulls were led by Pau Gasol with 23 points and 15 rebounds for his league most 42nd double/double. Aaron Brooks added 22 points. Tony Parker had a season high 32 points. The Bulls lost for the first time all season when shooting more than 50 percent.
The Bulls trailed by double digits most of the game, but made a run early in the fourth to get within 93-85. The Spurs then made threes on their next three possessions to pull away.
Observations:
1. Pau Gasol continued his consistently excellent play with yet another double/double, which included some powerful postup moves for dunks to further show his versatile offensive game.
2. The Bulls offense too often was passive, which enabled the Spurs to create turnovers and produce an overwhelming edge in fast break points that was the deciding factor.
3. Nazr Mohammed, who has played little, played big, especially in the third quarter with a season most eight points as the Bulls made their best run.