© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls bounces back with a 118-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks
The Chicago Bulls bounced back with a morale-boosting 118-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at the United Center. Still smarting from the 109-95 beating they received at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in their previous game, the Bulls leaned on several clutch plays from DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso to pick up their third win in this six-game home stand and improve to 14-18 for the season.
Next man up
Thrust into a starting role for the first time this season due to an adductor injury suffered by Nikola Vucevic, Andre Drummond showed he still had plenty left in the tank. The 6-foot-10 big man dropped 24 points and 25 rebounds in a performance that harkened back to his All-Star days in Detroit.
What Drummond started, DeRozan and Caruso eventually finished as the latter canned a three-pointer to shove the Bulls in front, 109-106, with 3:57 to go. A few plays later, DeRozan made two straight jumpers for a 113-110 Bulls lead with less than two minutes left to play.
Hawks star Trae Young split his charities to pull them closer, 113-111, but DeRozan responded with a tough finger roll after he shed Jalen Johnson’s defense with a shimmy and up-and-under combo for a 115-111 Chicago lead.
Winning stretch
The Bulls have now won nine games in the last 13 outings. DeRozan scored 25 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. Coby White had another cold-shooting night as he missed all seven of his three-point attempts. The former Tar Heel finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Backup guard Ayo Dosunmu also had 19 markers, seven boards, four assists, and three steals. Alex Caruso had 11 markers, while Jevon Carter pitched in 10.
