The first matchup between the Bulls and the Thunder went down to the wire before the Bulls claimed the win behind a fantastic fourth-quarter performance from Derrick Rose. Chicago made sure things didn't get to that point in the Christmas rematch in Oklahoma City. They controlled the game from start to finish, never trailing and leading by as many as 18 points at one point en route to a 105-96 victory.
NBA Christmas 2015, Bulls vs. Thunder results: 3 things we learned from Chicago’s wire-to-wire win
The Bulls stopped a three-game skid with a quality win on Oklahoma City on the second game of the Christmas Day slate.
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Kevin Durant led all scorers with 29 points and Russell Westbrook pitched in 26 of his own, but it wasn't enough to overcome a balanced attack by the Bulls, who had four players in double digits.
The Bulls started the game better and created separation early. They took advantage of the edge they had inside, as Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson combined for 20 of Chicago's 36 first-quarter points. The Thunder, meanwhile, had trouble scoring. They got some good looks, but missed them and had to rely on Kevin Durant to keep them in the game.
Russell Westbrook upped his aggressiveness in the second quarter, for better and for worse. He went 3-of-8 in the frame and turned the ball over twice, but set up Durant, who continued to be the one Thunder player the Bulls couldn’t stop. Durant finished the half with 19 points and three assists. With Chicago’s offense falling back to earth, his efforts were enough to have Oklahoma City to trail by only two points after falling behind by as much as 14.
All the effort the Thunder made to erase that early deficit went to waste on the third quarter. The Bulls went on a Rose-fueled 8-0 run and took control of the game. Chicago got what it wanted inside, outscoring Oklahoma City 22-6 in the paint during the period. On the other end, they held the Thunder 16 points on 24 percent from the field, as Durant finally went cold. It was close to a perfect quarter for the Bulls, which seemed on their way to an quality win on the road.
The Thunder didn’t go down without a fight. Durant and Westbrook led the way, as Oklahoma City chipped away at the Bulls’ lead. They tightened up on defense and took advantage of a stretch in which Rose and Gibson were resting to make it a game late. They got as close as six with just under four minutes to go, but ultimately couldn’t complete the comeback.
After three straight losses, the Bulls made a statement by holding strong and taking down one of the best teams in the league on the road.
3 other things we learned
Kevin Durant's MVP-like performance is flying under the radar
With Stephen Curry looking like a lock to win MVP, a lot of great performances are going unnoticed. Former league MVP Kevin Durant is one of the players that hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves, but he reminded everyone on Friday that he’s still one of the best players in the world. Durant finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and carried the Thunder for most of the game.
Durant came into Christmas averaging 26 points and eight rebounds, while shooting over 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from beyond the arc. After suffering career-threatening foot injuries, it’s great to see him back to superstar level.
The Bulls can still put it all together
The Bulls were on a three-game losing streak and faced controversy when star Jimmy Butler called out his coach for not holding everyone accountable. The next game after those statements, they lost to the lowly Nets just as Fred Hoiberg decided to change the starting lineup. Things were not looking great for Chicago's chances of growing into a legitimate contender.
But the win against the Thunder shows that talent is the most important piece of the puzzle for any team, and the Bulls have plenty of it. Rose played well, Butler showed his two-way value and the big men rotation was the huge asset it's supposed to be, even without Joakim Noah. With rookie Bobby Portis looking ready to contribute and Mike Dunleavy Jr. on his way back from injury, the Bulls could be a serious threat to the Cavaliers. They just need to stop the in-fighting and figure out the right rotations.
The Thunder's offense still lacks ball movement
Billy Donovan was hired in part because his predecessor Scott Brooks had never been able to install an offense that didn't rely completely on Durant and Westbrook. So far, Donovan hasn't figured out how to do that either and it doesn't look like he will anytime soon. Against the Bulls, only 20 out of 37 field goals were assisted, and Westbrook and Durant accounted for 15 of those dimes.
The Thunder average the lowest amount of passes in the league and rank in the bottom 10 in secondary assists, per SportVU data. That means that unless the stars create open looks, no one gets them. It’s understandable to want to put the ball in the hands of superstars, but the Thunder will need to diversify their attack to maximize the offensive talent in the roster.
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