Before (probably) meeting again in two weeks for the play-in, Bulls And Hawks faced each other last night in Illinois and it was the second named who gained the upper hand over the first (113-101). Bogdan Bogdanovic (20 points, 6 assists), Vit Krejci (18 points), Dejounte Murray (17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) and Clint Capela (15 points, 11 rebounds) shone for Atlanta, against DeMar DeRozan's Chicago (31 points), Coby White (22 points) and Andre Drummond (13 points, 18 rebounds).
The 3-point address makes all the difference
After a failed start (0-11), caused by ball losses which fueled the rapid play of the Bulls, the Hawks recovered by relying on the 3-point skill of their snipers, such as Bogdan Bogdanovic, Vit Krejci or Garrison Mathews (32-30). Enough to respond to mid-distance baskets from DeMar DeRozan or in the paint from Andre Drummond on the Chicago side. Except that 3 points are better than 2 points, and as Dejounte Murray begins to activate from afar, the gap increases for Atlanta, especially when the perfect Krejci puts it back behind the arc, before the break (61-53 ).
In control, the Hawks continue to make 3-pointers talk with Vit Krejci, while Clint Capela brings points inside. Touched but not sunk, the Bulls hang on with DeMar DeRozan and second chances from Andre Drummond, but unable to channel the opposing winning success, illustrated by the untenable Krejci and Bogdan Bogdanovic, they sink a little further (90- 74). Ultimately this is the summary of the match since, even if DeRozan does his best at mid-distance, with Drummond or Coby White closer, it is too much against the Atlanta collective, just imperturbable against this Chicago too limited in attack.
A capital victory for the Hawks (the fifth in six games), since they almost come back into contact with the Bulls in 9th place, synonymous remember with home advantage during the first play-in match. THE mano-a-mano of the last two weeks promises to be interesting to follow…
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Atlanta unfolds collectively. Just named Player of the Week, Dejounte Murray did not need to display a flamboyant level of play, but barely adequate, for the Hawks to bring down the Bulls. It must be said that Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vit Krejci, with their almost flawless shooting (12/13 overall, including 8/8 at 3-points!), but also Clint Capela in the racket or the Jalen Johnson trio (from return from injury) – Bruno Fernando – Garrison Mathews coming off the bench, brought everything their team needed to have a Chicago that was not in its right mood offensively and playing too predictable.
– The tone rises between Bogdan Bogdanovic and Quin Snyder. Two minutes from the end, and while the Hawks had a quiet evening with Bogdan Bogdanovic seen to his advantage, the Serbian got angry with Quin Snyder on the bench, during a time-out, and he had to be restrained by his teammates when he went to confront his coach almost head to head. A surprising image, given the outcome of this meeting.
– See you in two weeks ? Unless they manage by miracle – or almost – to find a place in the Top 8, the Bulls and the Hawks will meet in two weeks to compete in this famous play-in of all dangers, which will see the winner challenge the winner of the duel between the 7th and the 8th, in another decisive match. To date, the only question concerns the place where this future “win or go home game” will take place, because Atlanta returns to 0.5 games behind Chicago in the standings with this result (but the tie breaker works against him)…
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
