NBA Hoops

Bulls mount comeback vs. Jazz after Lauri Markkanen onslaught

Bulls mount comeback vs. Jazz after Lauri Markkanen onslaught

10 observations: Bulls turn tables on Markkanen, Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Chicago Bulls moved to 9-11 on the season with a 114-107 win over the Utah Jazz Monday night.

It took weathering an early onslaught from old friend Lauri Markkanen, and flipping a 10-point third quarter deficit, but ultimately, the Bulls bounced back from Saturday’s loss to the Thunder, and moved to 2-1 in a critical early-season road swing that began with a win at the Milwaukee Bucks.

Here are 10 observations:

1. Markkanen got up for this matchup against his former team, to say the least. He wasted no time asserting himself by scoring a career-high (for a half) 24 points in the opening two quarters, shooting 9-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 from 3-point range.

Yes, that scoring was built on a foundation of catch-and-shoot jump shots. But he also found a few easy buckets at the rim on a post-up bruising of Zach LaVine in the first quarter and two timely cuts in the second, which speaks to the diversity of his usage in Utah:

Markkanen added another two 3-pointers in the third quarter to eclipse 30 points. But he was largely invisible down the stretch, scoring just two points and committing two turnovers from the final minute of the third quarter on to finish with 32 points and nine rebounds.

2. The Bulls were dominated from beyond the 3-point arc in this one, another commentary on this roster’s lacking personnel in that department. The Jazz shot 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from 3-point range in the first half, while the Bulls attempted just 10 shots from that distance (making three, which was good for a 24-point disparity). They trailed by seven points at that juncture.

By game’s end, even as the Bulls won by seven, the Jazz held a 39-point advantage from beyond the arc by shooting 19-for-49 (38.8 percent) to the Bulls’ 6-for-21 (28.6 percent).

3. However, the Bulls compensated for the above disparity by dominating the free throw and paint points departments. The Bulls shot 22-for-25 from the line compared to a woeful 6-for-15 by the Jazz, and outscored Utah 64-44 in the lane.

4. The third quarter, which the Bulls won by a margin of 33-20, was also a pivot point after the Jazz jumped out to a 60-53 halftime lead. In the third, DeMar DeRozan scored 12 points after shooting 1-for-7 in the first half and the Bulls tallied seven points off four Utah turnovers, erasing a deficit that at one point climbed to 10.

5. From Coby White’s left quad, to the…

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