Wednesdays marquee matchup between the Nets and Bulls began with a playoff feel, and ended in a resounding blowout.
Indeed, the Nets rode an avalanche of a third quarter to a 138-112 victory, and made quite the statement in the process.Thirty-six seconds into the game, Derrick Jones Jr. landed awkwardly on his right leg attempting a jump pass to LaVine in transition, then crumpled to the floor in obvious pain. Jones Jr. was eventually helped off the floor by multiple Bulls staffers and minutes later ruled out with a right knee injury.
But Brooklyn found an advantage at the free-throw line, where they shot 9-for-12 in the opening frame, drawing eight Bulls fouls. Worse: Ayo Dosunmu and both found themselves in foul trouble in the first quarter. Troy Brown Jr. wasn’t far behind them early in the second. McKinnie picked up his fourth early in the third and fifth before the start of the fourth.
A seven-point spurt from LaVine at the end of the second quarter – which featured a contact layup, steal and two stepback jump shots – drew the hosts to within 62-60 at the break.But the game got away in a hurry in the third quarter. The Nets won that period 39-19 – and engineered a 21-4 run in its final six minutes – to lead 101-79 entering the fourth. Brooklyn shot 12-for-18 in the period , while holding the Bulls to 30.4 percent shooting and six turnovers at the other end.
Further, he , Harden and Patty Mills combined to shoot 14-for-20 from 3-point range, making up the majority of the Nets’ scorching 17-for-32 long-range shooting.The Nets also flipped the Bulls’ identity on their head, dominating the fastbreak and turnover game by scoring 28 points off 17 Bulls giveaways – 13 in the second half alone.
Donovan refuted the idea that those lapses are rooted in poor effort, instead emphasizing the need for better focus and consistency on the defensive end, which he's stressed for weeks as that side of the ball has seen some slippage.