“It's just a testament to our team” - Ayo Dosunmu steps up as big guns fall silent in Chicago Bulls' win over the Charlotte Hornets
On most nights, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine scoring less than 20 points apiece for the Chicago Bulls would be a recipe for disaster. That wasn't the case on Thursday night as Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Andre Drummond stepped up to help the Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-98 to improve to 24-27 for the season.
Ayo gets going
The second-year guard from Illinois almost had a perfect evening as he shot 9-of-10 from the field to finish with 22 points to match his season-high. And while Ayo didn't do much of anything else apart from scoring, it was more than enough to keep the Bulls in control despite the subpar performances of DeRozan and LaVine.
“It's just a testament to our team,” Dosunmu said. “We have a very deep team. At this point of the season, we're gonna need everyone to come out and play on both ends.”
DeRozan was named an All-Star for a second straight season before the game, but had a quiet night with just 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting. He did have seven assists and two blocks. On the other hand, LaVine had just 10—his lowest scoring output since finishing with just four points in a loss to Orlando back on November 18, 2022.
But even with the team’s two best players not scoring the way they normally do, Chicago had six players in double figures and made enough plays to beat the Charlotte Hornets who have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.
The bench stepped up
Coby White added 20 points and four rebounds while playing significant minutes after Alex Caruso exited the game due to a sprained ankle. Andre Drummond added 15 points and 11 rebounds in less than 15 minutes of action—becoming the first player to achieve the feat since Darryl Dawkins in 1978-79, per the team's PR.
Even though the reserve big man has been in and out of the rotation, he continues to be the consummate pro.
“At the end of the day, I just have to be a good teammate,” Drummond said. “That’s what I can focus on. When you focus on the stuff you can’t control, that’s when you start getting to that dark place.”
