DeMar DeRozan added 18 points and Ayo Dosunmu scored 20 for the Chicago Bulls in a 125-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
The Bulls overcame a 17-0 deficit in the third quarter to secure their sixth victory in eight games, despite Zach LaVine’s absence due to a sprained right ankle.
Thursday night in a victory at Toronto, the two-time All-Star sustained an injury, and head coach Billy Donovan had no timetable for his return. Prior to his return two weeks ago, LaVine missed 17 games with inflammation in his right foot; during that stretch, the Bulls were 10-7.
For Chicago, Coby White added seventeen points. Patrick Williams contributed 15 points, while Andre Drummond contributed 10 rebounds and 15 points.
Jaren Jackson Jr. registered 26 points for Memphis following his 36-point performance in Thursday night’s loss at Minnesota. Vince Williams Jr. and Luke Kennard both tallied 14 points.
Scotty Pippen Jr. recorded three points in five minutes while competing in the arena where his father’s No. 33 is suspended from the rafters.
The Grizzlies suffered their fourth consecutive loss in five contests due to the absence of three of their top four scorers. Memphis is 9-24 without Ja Morant, who sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and served a 25-game suspension from the NBA for off-court conduct at the beginning of the season. With him, the Grizzlies were 6-3. Desmond Bane (ankle) and Marcus Smart (finger) are both out for at least another month.
Chicago led Memphis 50-40 at halftime and by a margin of 15 in the second quarter prior to Memphis’s rapid start in the third.
With 8:33 remaining in the quarter, Jackson’s three-point play and floater gave the Grizzlies a 55-53 lead. However, the Bulls reclaimed control swiftly.
The key stretch was initiated by DeRozan with a fadeaway jumper. White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso all made consecutive three-pointers, and the Bulls were off and running.
White attempted to hoop while driving. The run was capped by Vucevic’s tip-in and DeRozan’s 23-footer, which extended the deficit to 70-55 with 5:22 remaining in the third period.