So what was all the buzz about?
The Bulls Wednesday got some relief from the sting of their recent mini-plunge by swatting the Charlotte Hornets 121-109 thanks to big nights from the Bulls' Big Three.
DeMar DeRozan continued his scoring assault with 36 points and even making three of four three pointers to briefly quiet the mathematicians and spreadsheet jockeys. It was the fourth consecutive game scoring at least 30 for DeRozan, who is averaging 37.5 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists in that period.
"Just going out there and playing," said The Amazing DeMar. "Just trying to finish this thing before going into the break, understanding how critical these games are and that it is a big opportunity for us with these next few games coming up before the break. It was big (win). Get a little momentum going on the road and understanding that this is a great opportunity going back home and we want to protect our home court going into the break."
Zach LaVine added 27 points, making five of 10 threes as the Bulls shot 49 percent on threes and 56 percent overall, their best shooting in a month. Nikola Vucevic was as dominant and efficient as he's been, making nine of 13 shots without attempting a three and accumulating 18 points, team-highs of 15 rebounds and eight assists, and three blocks.
Zach LaVine hits a three-pointer in the first quarter against Charlotte on Wednesday night.
"I thought Vooch was great offensively, and also he distributed really well, manufactured a lot of shots," said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. "We count (potential assists, the times a player passes the ball and it leads to a direct shot). Vooch is as good as there is in this league from the center spot. So when he gets the ball you feel very, very comfortable. I also thought he was really good defensively. He had some blocks, rim protection, rebounding. He anchored a lot of defense for us. There was an attention to detail, a focus to work together to shut off the ball. I thought overall he played really, really well and gave us a great presence."
And Coby White starting for Ayo Dosunmu, the latter out in concussion protocol, gave an appropriate demonstration of why it would be a mistake to trade him before Thursday's NBA trading deadline.
White's name comes up primarily because with all the injuries the Bulls have, there are so few other players on the roster of value to other teams. So the Bulls Wednesday basically used six players with 10 minutes or fewer for three others.
"We got really good minutes from Malcolm Hill (a pair of threes) tonight," said Donovan. "Troy Brown (with two important fourth-quarter threes) really gave us good minutes. Some guys on the bench did some good things. We're just not going to be able to go the next four games before the All-Star break and after playing just eight guys. It's too much on DeMar and Zach and Vooch. They've been great carrying a huge load, but I think we have to get some other guys to continue to step up."
Obviously, the Bulls are not trading DeRozan, LaVine or Vucevic.
So White's name gets mentioned in the media.
"I'm not worried," White said. "I haven't gone in and asked (management) anything. It is out of my control and I just go with the flow and control what I can control. I love being here, I love playing for this team and we have a chance to do something really special this season. It's a business and I don't really worry about it at the end of the day."
Though it would be a bad time to make it the end of White's Bulls tenure, particularly with the point guard absences.
Coby White throws down a one-hand dunk in transition against Charlotte on Wednesday night.
White, who scored 15 points, isn't a classic facilitator, though he did have some impressive passes for scores early in the game as the Bulls broke from a 39-39 tie midway through the second quarter with White in the middle of a 13-0 run. It led to a 58-45 Bulls halftime lead, and the Bulls led by double digits basically the rest of the game.
But White in the backcourt does what perhaps only Lonzo Ball can, which is occupying the defense with his scoring and shooting. White is a legitimate offensive threat whom the defense can not play off to help on DeRozan and LaVine. So both tend to get more space and perhaps it was no coincidence it's the best the duo have shot on threes in some time, eight of 14.
Though a word first on the Hornets.
Poor Michael Jordan.
That's a homonym.
I'm not talking about economics here as much as Jordan being the principal owner of a team that plays AAU ball perhaps as much as any in the NBA. They're basically about shooting threes (not particularly well, 13 for 43 this time and missing 14 straight in one stretch) and dunking the ball whenever they can. It has to kill Jordan because he was everything his team is not, fundamentally sound and as intelligent a player as there was in the game, a feared defender whose current team is one of the poorest defensively and gives up more points per game than only Houston and Sacramento.
No wonder we saw that clip of Jordan a few weeks ago walking out at the end of a close game. You'd have to cover your eyes sometimes watching this Hornets team on a regular basis. They repeatedly drive into the lane and throw to the corner for threes, which actually is not that uncommon in the NBA these days. But they seem to do it more than most, searching out long shots, making unseemly passes that have little chance of connecting.
Though the Hornets do have some highly talented, impressive players in Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball, the latter who was added to the All-Star team and had 33 points and nine rebounds. But just five assists and 10 of their 43 threes. Ball is impressive to watch with an uninhibited game. Though typical was the end with the Bulls leading by a dozen points with a few seconds left and LaVine dribbling out for a 24 second violation with six seconds left. It's one of those unwritten rules things, but then Ball took the ball so they could shoot another three.
This while Jordan's former team was relentlessly cutting them up with precision passes, smart shots and better defense than certainly lately.
"I thought (the defense) was much better," agreed Donovan. "We got off to a bad start because we turned the ball over in the first quarter; they had 12 points off our turnovers (25 points for the game and 27 Hornets fast break points). Overall the rotations, the communication, the stuff we had talked about was much better. I thought our guys worked really hard tonight. Overall, I was encouraged with the energy and competitiveness."
Tap to listen to reaction from Billy Donovan from Chicago's win over Charlotte on Wednesday night.
It was an important win for the Bulls, now 34-21 after three losses in four games. Though still well positioned a game out of first place in the Eastern Conference despite all the stumbling blocks of injury and illness. The Bulls now close the first part of the season with four home games starting Friday against Minnesota and then the All-Star break. But then it's another trying period with 11 of 16 on the road as the Bulls hope for the gradual return of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Derrick Jones and Patrick Williams. Dosunmu isn't expected to be out long after the concussion from the 76ers game.
Donovan said his symptoms didn't begin to appear until after the Monday Phoenix game.
So this kind of game was a relief for the Bulls, if not for the ESPN national audience that obviously hoped for a Ball family affair matchup.
The Hornets came out making those threes and with the Bulls gracious guests with a few turnovers, Charlotte took a 20-12 lead. The Bulls responded with 11 straight points as Vucevic provided a block on Mason Plumlee around a pair of LaVine threes. Charlotte still led 29-28 after one quarter. The Bulls tried some bench to open the second quarter, but with the Hornets immediately trapping DeRozan, the Bulls offense turned off. Vucevic returned to block Kelly Oubre and White had a big time block of Ball. White then kicked off a 13-0 run with a three and a clever pass for a Troy Brown score. As DeRozan was making a pair of threes, you could almost sense the interest waning from the young Hornets, firing up three after three, committing turnovers, watching admiringly as the Bulls moved the ball for scores.
"When we can play through Vooch like tonight you see we get a lot of open shots, backdoor cuts, layups," said DeRozan. "That definitely was beneficial. Defensively, he came up big, rebounding the hell out of the ball... kind of anchoring our defense."
Tap to watch full game highlights from Chicago's 121-109 win over Charlotte.
It just took a timely shot or defensive play at a pivotal time the rest of the way from ever making it very close. The best probably was in the the third quarter when Javonte Green went into a forward half gainer for a loose ball that looked like a Hornets fast break for a dunk and a deficit under 10.
Green wrestled the ball away and tossed back to DeRozan, who passed to LaVine, who touch passed the ball back to Green dashing in for the finish.
"That guy is all over the place," Donovan said when asked after the game about Green limping some. "He steps on feet, ankles; you never know how he lands. Sometimes he exhausts himself the way he plays. It's really hard for him to play really long stretches (only starter under 37 minutes). He goes after it. He gives it to you."
The Bulls gave it to the Hornets the rest of the time, going ahead by 21 midway through the fourth quarter. We assume Michael still was covering his eyes. Poor guy. The only thing below par was his team.