10 Observations: Bulls hold off Trail Blazers comeback for second straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Following a home win against the Wizards on St. Patrick’s Day, the Bulls came back Monday at the United Center to host the Portland Trail Blazers. They won, 110, 107.
Here are 10 observations from the game.
— Pregame, head coach Billy Donovan spoke at length about the jumps both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu have made this season. He talked about the greatest jumps in development he’s ever seen, mentioning Joakim Noah’s jump at Florida as the “biggest jump” he ever saw. He also talked about Chris Paul’s undivided dedication to detail and gaining “any advantage possible.”
How close are White and Dosunmu to that level of competitiveness and drive?
“I love both of those guys’ mentality. Love it. They’re just both very, very driven and competitive and they both have a lot to learn. You feel confident that they’ll figure it out because of the drive.”
— Damian Lillard was courtside tonight at the United Center. He played the first 11 seasons of his career with the Trail Blazers. He also shares an agent with DeRozan. He and DeRozan embraced after the game.
— Back to the game, Alex Caruso was made available for tonight’s game. Coby White is still out with the hip injury he recently suffered. Donovan rolled with Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Torrey Craig and Nikola Vucevic for tonight’s starting lineup.
— DeRozan singlehandedly drew the Trail Blazers into the penalty free-throw mark in the first quarter. By the end of the first frame, the Trail Blazers had recorded eight fouls.
— One thing Donovan preached about Dosunmu’s development pregame was consistency. Dosunmu put up 34 points on Saturday against the Wizards — a flash of his best playmaking. Donovan challenged Dosunmu to try and be successful consistently as a means to develop.
— Challenge successful, for Dosunmu. He played an electric game on both sides of the floor. He poured in 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, finding his way to the rim easily and shooting confidently on the outside. This game marked his second straight 20+…
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