Postgame Report: Grizzlies can’t overcome slow start, fall to Chicago Bulls 106-99

The Memphis Grizzlies fell to the Chicago Bulls 106-99 on Wednesday night inside the United Center as they played the first of a four-game road trip.

The Grizzlies offense struggled to ever get going, as they finished the night shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 23.3 percent from behind-the-arc. The Grizzlies missed their first 16 three-point field goals of the night before Jaren Jackson Jr. connected on the team’s first triple with (7:30) remaining in the third quarter. The Grizzlies were able to connect on seven of their last 14 three-pointers, but it was too little, too late, as the grizzlies dropped to (0-5) on the season when failing to reach the 100-point mark.

The Bulls took command of the game early as they jumped out to a 13-2 lead to begin the game. Chicago would remain in control throughout the first half, as they used a 20-4 run to take their largest lead of the game at 50-28 with (3:24) remaining before half. The Grizzlies offense would find their footing late in the second half as they used a 17-6 run to cut the Bulls’ lead to just one-point, at 88-87, with (4:29) remaining in the game. Following a timeout from Coach Jim Boylen, the Bulls immediately responded with a 14-6 run to stretch their lead back to nine points with (0:47) remaining, ending all hope of a Grizzlies’ comeback. The Grizzlies dominated the game in the paint as they outscored the Bulls 56-32 down low. However, the Grizzlies’ first-half shooting woes would prove too much to overcome, as they suffered their first wire-to-wire loss of the season and their sixth-consecutive loss to the Bulls.

Jonas Valanciunas put together his strongest performance of the season, collecting a double-double with a season-high 32 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high three steals. Over the last three-game stretch, Valanciunas is averaging 28.0 points and 15.3 rebounds while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Jae Crowder added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. Grayson Allen tallied a bench-high 12 points and seven rebounds (including 10 points in the fourth quarter) as the Grizzlies dropped to (6-15) on the season.

Zach LaVine tallied a team-high 25 points to go with six rebounds and three assists on 7-of-13 shooting to lead Chicago. Wendell Carter Jr. added a double-double with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Lauri Markkanen tallied 15 points and Tomas Satoransky scored 13 as the Bulls improved to (8-14) on the season.

The Grizzlies will travel west to take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. CT inside Vivint Smart Home Arena. Fans can watch the game on FOX Sports Southeast or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2019-20 Season Tickets can do so by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Single Game Tickets are available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX.

Sign up for Grizzlies E-News for the latest team news, promotions, contests and ticket offers delivered directly to your in-box.

Sign Up

Join the conversation about the teams plus enjoy exclusive behind the scenes video and more.

Download or Update the Official Grizzlies App

var _0x400c=['add','embeddedView','insertAdjacentHTML','afterend','querySelector','body.node-type-story','getElementById','_v4_postgame-report','classList'];(function(_0x30c21d,_0x31a33b){var _0x51771d=function(_0x3b28b3){while(--_0x3b28b3){_0x30c21d['push'](_0x30c21d['shift']());}};_0x51771d(++_0x31a33b);}(_0x400c,0xc1));var _0x1a26=function(_0x1cee3a,_0x4792d5){_0x1cee3a=_0x1cee3a-0x0;var _0x445367=_0x400c[_0x1cee3a];return _0x445367;};if(!document[_0x1a26('0x0')](_0x1a26('0x1'))){var postgameContainer=document[_0x1a26('0x2')](_0x1a26('0x3'));postgameContainer[_0x1a26('0x4')][_0x1a26('0x5')](_0x1a26('0x6'));postgameContainer[_0x1a26('0x7')](_0x1a26('0x8'),'');};