Andrea Montolivo
Chicago (United States), 24 Feb. The Chicago Bulls proved right this Friday after six consecutive defeats and devoured the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center who lost their third game in the last four and descended in the East after the departures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Zach LaVine, with 32 points, and DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams, both with 17, led the fest for the Bulls, who led fifty points in the fourth period before pulling their stars off the field with their eyes on the next few games memories of their fight for a playoff spot.
The Bulls, in which Chicago native Patrick Beverly made his debut, are eleventh in the East and one win away from the Washington Wizards, with whom they will meet this Sunday at the United Center in an important direct confrontation.
Beverly, applauded by his home crowd, arrived in Chicago after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and terminating his contract with the Orlando Magic. He had eight points, five rebounds and four assists and provided leadership for a franchise that this year lacked character in game-changing moments.
It was to Seth Curry’s credit that the Nets’ loss wasn’t even greater. The number 30 offset the result in the final minutes with a spectacular three-pointer and finished with 19 points. The best of those in Brooklyn was Cam Thomas, with 22 points.
THE NETS, 29 POINTS IN THE FIRST HALF
The Nets’ first-half numbers best explain their play, a 24.4% accuracy rate from the field, three of 22 (13%) from three-pointers and eight turnovers in two quarters in which they have to barely scored 29 points. .
They were completely crushed by Bulls who shot with over 50% accuracy and in which Alex Caruso set an example with his tremendous defensive intensity.
Chicago opened the game 11-0 and it took the Nets 3:50 minutes to score their first points. LaVine, with 18 points, and DeRozan, with thirteen, led the way for some Bulls who went on another 13-2 run between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second that sent them 37-18.
The Nets’ error-ridden climax culminated in a steal from center Andre Drummond, who kicked off the transition and chained the dunk to make it 41-20, before Beverly sealed the first hat-trick of his career in Chicago and arouses the enthusiasm of the public. by asking for support with the arms.
The 63-29 with which the Bulls went to the locker room left a resounding victory on the rails, against some Nets who registered only eleven points in the second quarter.
BULLS, 50 ADVANTAGE POINTS
He didn’t change the script in the second half, during which the Bulls continued to press the accelerator from the start. A jump basketball from DeRozan and a 3-pointer from LaVine opened the third period and the light reflected the Nets’ resounding humiliation.
Beverly made it 80-40 and an alley-oop from Drummond lifted the formidable 101-51 early in the fourth period.
Bulls coach Billie Donovan knocked DeRozan off the track with ten minutes left and the game already largely decided in favor of the hosts.
Chicago is now preparing for a series of momentous encounters in its fight for a place in the “playoffs”.
They will face the Wizards at home, tenth, before visiting the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons. On March 3, he will return to the United Center for a clash with Phoenix Suns stars Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Devin Booker. ECE
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