Bulls Take Down Best Team In The East Short-Handed

After beating the Knicks and the Nets in their last two games, the Bulls are the kings of New York. The Bulls finished off their New York trip with a win over the best team in the Eastern Conference -- the Brooklyn Nets -- extremely short-handed due to injury and Covid-19 related absences. Javonte Green, one of the team's most reliable defenders and hustle players, completed a drive home to Chicago from New York after he tested positive for Covid. Midway through the first half, Alex Caruso, the NBA's leader in steals, went out of the game with hamstring soreness. He was listed as a game-time decision before the game with the same injury.

Caruso did make two quick threes in the opposite corners to give the team a quick six points before he left the game but was still absent for the majority. Nonetheless, Billy Donovan dug deep in the bench to configure a lineup that could stop the high-octane offense of the Brooklyn Nets that ranks 10th in points per game this season. Derrick Jones Jr. got an unlikely 33 minutes off the bench, guarding the likes of Kevin Durant for most of the game. He did what he could, allowing Durant 28 points on 12-of-26 shooting from the field. Jones Jr. also added eight points and four rebounds on his own on offense. Jones Jr., Alize Johnson, Troy Brown Jr., Tony Bradley and Ayo Donsumu made up the bench for the short-handed Bulls. The bench combined for 26 points, 11 of which came from an outstanding performance by Donsunmu, who knocked down a crucial free throw at the end of the game to make it a two-possession game. The willingness and inability to back down from teams has become a strong suit for the Bulls. Without Caruso, Green, Coby White (positive for Covid-19) and Patrick Williams, the Bulls still find a way to win.

DeMar DeRozan is an MVP candidate

The Brooklyn Nets, like their offense, have an equally strong defense that ranks 10th in points allowed per game to their opponents. DeRozan came into the game with a target on his back as one of the league's leading scorers with a hot hand. Kevin Durant followed him for most of the game, making it difficult for him to work on offense. Yet, DeRozan scored 29 points, 13 of which were in the fourth quarter, on 13-of-24 shooting from the field. He added six rebounds and three assists to his night. DeRozan moved down to seventh on the NBA's MVP tracker, three spots further than his previous spot at fourth. However, the league should remain vigilant of DeRozan, as he continues to lead the Bulls to stardom in the Eastern Conference.

There is still room for improvement

Billy Donovan said this after the Bulls win over the Nets, "I'm not going to take one game in the middle of December and act like it's unbelievable. It's one game. We can get better." Amid the Bulls' most impressive regular-season win, Donovan stayed grounded to Earth and ready to improve upon the Bulls' win.

He's not wrong. The Bulls can take plenty away from that game to improve upon. The Bulls shot 70.4 percent from the charity stripe, atypical of the best free-throw shooting team in the NBA. They lead the league shooting 83.7 percent from the stripe. Rebounding was a major issue for the Bulls, as they were outrebounded 47-55, 15 of which were offensive rebounds for the Nets and led to 23 second-chance points. The Bulls' interior defense is an overarching antithesis of their desire to be a strong defensive team. They allowed 54 points in the paint to the Nets and were constantly bullied by LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap. While the Bulls came away with a hard-fought win that shortened their Eastern Conference chase to 0.5 a game behind the Nets, there is still plenty of room for improvement. They will take on the Denver Nuggets at home on Monday night, who are struggling with a record of 11-11.