Bulls observations: Turnovers lead to 4th quarter collapse originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bulls had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 106-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns, squandering an at one point 16-point second-half lead.
Here are 15 observations:
1. The Bulls overcame a sloppy start that saw them trail by as many as 11 in the first quarter to pull even heading into the second. Despite four early turnovers, the Bulls shot 55 percent from the field in the opening 12 minutes.
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2. Wendell Carter Jr. badly struggled in his first stint, missing his only shot and committing two turnovers in seven first-quarter minutes. Luke Kornet tapped him out at the 5:05 mark, a break from Billy Donovan typically using Thad Young as his first substitute.
Carter finished with his worst performance since returning from his quad injury, posting 2 points, 5 rebounds and 4 turnovers.
3. Evergreen observation: Young altered the course of this game for a stretch early on. In his first stint, which spanned the back end of the first through the middle of the second quarter, he posted 8 points on 4-for-5 shooting and tacked on 2 rebounds and an assist, checking out with a +4 plus-minus in a game the Bulls trailed by four.
Young finished the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists -- his third double-double of the season.
4. The Bulls won the second quarter 32-20, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 4-for-8 from 3 while holding the Suns to 38.1 percent shooting and 0-for-6 from deep. At halftime, they led 58-46.
5. The Bulls entered the break with a 22-10 advantage in bench scoring (and ended 43-31), but the starters did some heavy lifting in that second quarter.
6. Ten of those first-half reserve points belonged to Young, but Tomáš Satoranský poured in 10 as well on perfect shooting from the field (4-for-4) and 3-point range (2-for-2). He finished with 12 on 5-for-6 shooting, 2-for-2 from 3, moving his season-long splits to 56.3 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3.
7. The Suns chipped away with a 15-8 run to open the third quarter and pull within 66-61, but the unlikeliest of heroes staved them off: Luke Kornet. "Cool-hand Luke" knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers in a span of just under two minutes to pull the Bulls back ahead 75-63. Donovan continues to ride Kornet over Daniel Gafford because of Kornet's floor-spacing, and he provided that in practice in this one.
Kornet entered play having scored 9 points, blocked 3 shots and converted 1 of 14 3-point attempts all season. He finished this one 3-for-4 from 3, and with 11 points and 3 blocks.
8. The Bulls led 81-74 after three quarters, but short-circuited in the final frame:
- The Suns won the quarter 32-16, shooting 68.4 percent to the Bulls' 33.3 percent.
- Chris Paul came alive to score 6 of his 14 points and sling 6 of his 15 assists in the fourth.
- A 10-0 run from the 5:15 mark to the 3:19 mark, punctuated by a Cam Johnson transition 3, knifed through the host's hearts.
- Zach LaVine committed 4 turnovers in the fourth. The Bulls as a team committed 10 in the period (off which the Suns scored 10).
9. The turnover bug is back. The Bulls have 40 cough-ups in their last two games after showing signs of progress in that area. In this one, the Suns scored 24 points off Bulls turnovers (and committed just 7 turnovers of their own).
10. The matchup of the night -- Devin Booker vs. Zach LaVine -- didn't quite deliver. Booker posted 10 points on 10 shot attempts in the first quarter. LaVine came alive as the first half progressed, scoring 16 points (6-for-9 FG, 3-for-6 from 3) through two quarters with a game-high +13 plus-minus.
Neither matched their gaudy February figures entering play. Booker posted 22 points on 24 shots, and while LaVine notched his 19th straight 20-spot with 24 points, he won't be pleased with the end result.
11. The Bulls avoided an injury scare with White during the break between the third and fourth quarters. After a collision with E'Twaun Moore, White limped to the Bulls locker room, grimacing and appearing to favor his right leg. But he walked back out to the Bulls' bench shortly thereafter and checked back in to close the game out.
Despite going 1-for-6 from 3-point range, it was a solid enough outing for White; he finished with 19 points and shot 6-for-10 inside the arc. But 11 of those points came in the first half, and four came in garbage time.
12. The Suns shot 1-for-10 from 3 in the first half, and, despite the win, finished 6-for-22 (27.3 percent) on the game. The Bulls entered play first in NBA in opponent 3-point percentage (31.9 percent) and second in NBA in opponent 3-point attempts per game (29.7) in February.
13. Patrick Williams (at minimum) does one or two things per game that make you sit up a little straighter in your seat:
14. That fourth quarter leaves a sour taste, but this isn't an existential loss for the Bulls. The Suns entered play winners of 12 of their last 15 games and were fully staffed outside of missing Dario Šarić.
15. A chance for the Bulls to post their first four-game winning streak since December 2017 eludes them once again.
Next up: Off to Tampa Bay, Fla. to face the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
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