The Chicago Bulls reached new heights in San Antonio on Thursday night, scoring a season high in points in a dominant 139-124 win over the Spurs.
This was the 11th game of the season in which the Bulls recorded at least 30 assists — and their seventh consecutive game scoring 115 points or more. The Bulls managed the dominant win without Patrick Williams (foot), Coby White (ankle) and Lonzo Ball (knee, precautionary).
Here are six takeaways from the win.
1. Nikola Vučević could not be stopped
Few NBA veterans have undergone a resurgence like Vučević, who fueled the Bulls with a season-high 39 points — only four shy of his career best.
In a recurring theme for Bulls veterans, Vučević picked his moments to stand out offensively. He scored 13 in the first half, the standard fare for a center averaging 20.9 points per game this season. But when the Bulls began to flounder in the second half, Vučević stepped up, scoring 13 points in both the third and fourth quarters while picking apart the Spurs defense.
Vučević didn’t overrely on any aspect of his game to boost his scoring. He went 2-for-6 on 3-pointers and made all five of his attempts from within the restricted area.
2. Ayo Dosunmu ripped off a triple-double
While Vučević was busy racking up points, Dosunmu stole the spotlight with a milestone: the first triple-double of his NBA career.
From the opening whistle, Dosunmu stepped up to take over facilitating duties for White in the starting lineup, totaling eight assists and zero turnovers in the first half. He balanced that playmaking with spot-on shooting (3-for-3 from behind the arc) and grabbed three offensive rebounds.
Dosunmu finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, marking his first triple-double since he was playing for Illinois in February 2021, when he recorded triple-doubles against Wisconsin and Minnesota in a two-week span of his senior season.
3. An explosive start
It didn’t take long for the Bulls to find their offensive rhythm in San Antonio, tying their season high by racking up 73 first-half points. The Bulls previously scored 73 points in a first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in November.
The Bulls outscored the Spurs 36-22 in the first quarter, fueled by Dosunmu’s 11 points. It was an efficient rout for the Bulls, who shot 60% from the floor and 56.3% from behind the arc in the first half. The Bulls bullied the Spurs in the first half on the offensive glass, picking up 16 second-chance points off seven offensive rebounds.
4. No Wembanyama, no problem
Zach LaVine leveled high praise to Spurs second-year star Victor Wembanyama ahead of Thursday’s game, describing the center as “probably the best defensive player in the league.”
LaVine had a simple adjustment for facing the renowned shot blocker: “Don’t take contested layups, I’ll tell you that.”
But LaVine ultimately didn’t have to follow his own advice. Wembanyama sat out with back soreness, his fourth absence of the season. The lack of the frontcourt star allowed the Bulls to flip the script and enjoy an unexpected size advantage in many of their rotations against the Spurs, which Vučević exploited for his high-scoring night.
Interestingly enough, LaVine — who scored 11 points Thursday — has yet to play against Wembanyama. One or both players have been injured for the last two Bulls-Spurs meetings.
5. Matas Buzelis threw it down
The rookie was on track to earn another 20-minute rotation when the unexpected happened — LaVine caught him straight in the nose with an inadvertent elbow while stepping back from a rebound. The blow sent Buzelis immediately to the bench as he attempted to stop the bleeding with a towel, but he ultimately went to the locker room to receive treatment on his nose and did not return.
The nosebleed cut short another promising game for Buzelis, who had 11 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes, 31 seconds. Buzelis made a splash with a thunderous, one-handed, put-back dunk in the second quarter, highlighting his impact on the offensive boards. And when Buzelis picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter, Donovan left the rookie in the game to navigate the foul trouble.
6. Third-quarter meltdown
It’s hard to define a quarter as a disaster when a team ultimately escapes with a dominant win — but the Bulls tried their hardest to squander their double-digit lead in the third quarter.
Scoring remained consistent for the Bulls, who shot 59.1% from the floor in the quarter, including 6-for-11 on 3-pointers. But the defensive pressure evaporated as the Spurs began to clamp down on their turnovers and heat up from long range.
The Spurs cut their deficit to 11 points by the end of the third, fueled by 8-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. They turned the ball over only once in the quarter and moved the ball efficiently, catching the Bulls out of rotation and sending defenders flying on shot fakes. LaVine picked up three fouls in a span of barely eight minutes, forcing the veteran leader to the bench.
The Bulls ultimately settled into the fourth quarter to coast to a win, but that quarter reflected the harsh truth of the season: Any team can pose a threat to the Bulls on any given night, even without their stars.
