The Atlanta Hawks were this summer’s special girl and muscular guy at the beach. Everyone was stopping to take a second look and admire the changes. The Hawks finally seemed to fix that dysfunction around All-Star guard Trae Young with All-Star unicorn and NBA champion Kristaps Porziņģis. Protecting them was the All-Defense first teamer and Most Improved Player winner Dyson Daniels. Big time super wing scorer Jalen Johnson was back from shoulder surgery, and they even purloined defensive specialist Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the tough Minnesota Timberwolves.
And Monday the Hawks became the third latest Eastern Conference rising star team this season to lose to the undefeated 3-0 Bulls, 128-123.
“A lot of people had us projected probably not winning any of these games,” noticed Josh Giddey, who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, including a three-pointer with 1:05 left for a six-point lead and then effectively finishing off the upset — the Bulls haven’t been favored in any of their three games, not that we look at point spreads — by retrieving his own missed drive with 14.5 seconds left and the Bulls leading by three. Atlanta then had to foul and Tre Jones made the clinching free throws.
“We try not to listen to the outside noise,” said Giddey. “(Projected) playoff teams all. To beat Orlando on the road and two good teams at home…we’re excited where we are at, but (also) excited to grow and get better.”
Who knows what’s possible for these Bulls with this surprising and special start to the season, especially without leading scorer Coby White and reserve center Zach Collins, both injured and out into next month.
But once again the Bulls did it with their secret sauce of hustle, smarts and savvy against an opponent with the consensus superior talent. But with the Bulls formula of speed over sinew and smarts over status, the Bulls outrebounded the way, way, way taller Hawks 51-36, had eight players score in double figures after seven against Orlando and got 53 points from the reserves after 58 in the win over the Magic .
The Bulls were led by Ayo Dosunmu with 21 points, a team high plus/minus and two more clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter after sinking three similarly late in Orlando Saturday.
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“My confidence is great,” said Dosunmu, who missed much of last season with shoulder surgery. “Put a lot of work in this offseason; not just physically but mentally. I had a lot of time to sit and think. I was able to shoot, understanding what it takes, being able to space the floor and what that provides for the team. And balance that with getting downhill. It’s just growth. Having growth in the game and trusting yourself and having confidence, being obsessed with getting better. I always take the approach to try to get one percent better. That’s the motto I have and seeing results now.
“It’s strength in numbers (for the Bulls),” Dosunmu added. “Being ready when your number is called and whoever coach chooses to start with or close….we respect that because we know everybody on the roster puts in the same work to go out there and help the team.”
There was the usual warnings of how early in the season it is, but the Bulls’ play has been impressive the way they’ve cleaned up some issues from last season, like getting to the free throw line more by drawing contact and following to the offense boards to create more shots. The Bulls led in second chance points 15-12 even though in two sequences in the game the Bulls didn’t play either Nikola Vučević or Jalen Smith at a time when the Hawks were using both 7-foot-3 Porziņģis and rugged Onyeka Okongwu. The Bulls didn’t lose ground either time while moving the ball around so swiftly Meadowlark Lemon would be proud.
“Habitually, sometimes, not a lot of guys are blocking out, quite honestly,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan offered gently about the Bulls rebounding edge.
In other words, the Bulls are not your AAU guys.
That’s a frustration among many NBA coaches, that their super athletic players don’t box out or play position because they rely on their athletic abilities. No offense, but that’s not Giddey or Vooch or Ayo or Tre, or a lot of those Bulls players. So they pass and move and cut and box out and all those curious things from the book of fundamentals. What fun is that? Well, winning seems to be.
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“There are times guys feel they can rely on their athleticism,” noted Donovan. “We don’t have the size to do that. So we’ve been trying to send guys to the glass as hard as we can to manufacture a couple of extra possessions; maybe a put back with the margins so small and we were such a poor offensive rebounding team. Isaac (Okoro) is good at that, Josh exceptional, Patrick (Williams) has done a better job on the glass. Last year we shot the ball well, but we didn’t get to the free throw line, didn’t get offensive rebounds. We’ve got to find other ways than transition to manufacture points. We could have different guys in the starting lineup, different guys closing games. It’s really how the game is going, who is playing well. For us, we have to use the whole 48 minutes to play.”
That 48 minutes thing is a familiar cliche, usually hauled out for losses. But it seems to be a separator for the Bulls, who with their depth keep coming at you. The startling lineup has remained the same. But Donovan admits he pretty much has changed to a seat-of-the-pants ethos, like who’s playing well, who needs a quick rest, who fits with whom. Mostly around the constant of having at least two and sometimes three primarily ball handlers on the floor. Like Giddey, Jones and Dosunmu, who closed the game. Though perhaps not their most physical players, the result keeps the ball moving with cutting for open shots and drawing fouls against late reacting opponents.
Donovan says the Bulls just don’t have those players who can isolate and go one-on-one like most of the NBA. Whew, thanks for that.
That formula gave the Bulls the edge at what Donovan said were the two crucial points in the game, when the Bulls got within 58-57 at halftime after trailing by 11 with 3:28 in the first half — the Hawks led by 13 in the first quarter with Porziņģis on the way to 27 points — and the last six minutes of the game after the Bulls trailed 112-106.
Then it was Dosunmu with those two threes and some big time scores from Vučević, who had 17 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, and in this small sample has been very big in leading the team in scoring, rebounding and shooting.
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He’s not old; he’s mature.
Maybe we did get that one wrong.
“Some of the questions I was asked were out of line,” Vučević offered post game with a slight smile.
This Vooch means business.
With the Bulls trailing by six with under six minutes remaining, Donovan out of the timeout drew up that floater in the lane for Vučević that has become lethal. And then Vučević tipped in a Kevin Huerter miss, got another offensive rebound on a Jones missed three and then made the passes for Matas’ Buzelis’ three with 2:30 left that broke a 118 tie and gave the Bulls the lead for good, and then to follow that the passes for Huerter’s fast break layup after a steal from Porziņģis.
Pretty much like in the opener against Detroit, the Bulls don’t win this one without Vučević.
“A big part of it is the experience you’ve gathered over the years,” said the 15-year veteran who was second to Dosunmu in plus/minus. “The game becomes easier to you. Things you used to spend so much energy on when you were younger you maybe find now there are more efficient ways to do it. Everything kind of comes together. Also, the way we play our offense fits my skills. I have good chemistry with my teammates and they are able to find me in my spots. I still feel pretty good. My game, I don’t necessarily rely on athleticism. So I won’t lose any of that. Hopefully, I can stay healthy and continue. I’ve been lucky to not have injuries. I always take care of my body. I also understand at my age I had to change certain habits regarding recovery, the way I eat. I also have (older) kids, so there is energy from them.”
Hey, whatever works, and a lot seems to be working lately for Vučević and the Bulls.