Bulls show little resistance in blowout “It’s just a compete thing; you’ve got to compete at a higher level,” guard Coby White said. “We’ve got to be more physical. We’ve got to take a stand. Giving up 140-plus in back-to-back games is unacceptable. It’s embarrassing. It’s a disservice to the organization, a disservice to the fan base.”loss to Rockets. Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun (28), goes up for a shot against Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine (8), during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Chicago. Houston won 143-107. Paul Beaty/AP Photos It got out of hand fairly quickly for the Bulls.
The Rockets and Bulls struggled in the first quarter. Baskets were hard to come by. But in the second quarter, the Rockets started attacking the paint, and protecting the paint is the Bulls’ biggest issue, which is saying something given the team’s myriad defensive problems.
The Bulls’ poor second quarter provided the springboard for the Rockets to pull away to a 143-107 victory Sunday. The Bulls allowed 41 points in the second quarter and 40 in the third and were down by 39. Bulls guard Josh Giddey ‘has got to execute’ defensively to stay on the floor
“There are going to be times in the game where there’s a guy against a player in space, and there’s an individual-pride component that comes into really having to sit down and guard the ball with the level of discipline,” Billy Donovan said. On a team full of suspect defenders, Giddey is the Bull opponents are singling out, and they’re having success. His lack of lateral quickness makes it easier for guards to blow past him. It’s common for a skilled guard to get targeted, but Giddey has to fight back at a certain point. The team and Giddey, who is keenly self-aware, know that.
“We’ve got to get better at being able to do multiple things, and we’ve got to help him find solutions,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Then the other part of it, too, is he’s got to execute. We’ve got to be able to execute the things that we’re in.”
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