Chicago Bulls got 7 results while beating New Orleans Pelicans

The Chicago Bulls begin to search for their place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Beating the New Orleans Pelicans 114-106 on Sunday, the Bulls increased the score to 27-30 while continuing to maintain their ninth place in the conference.

The Bulls are still 4 1/2 games behind the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, an increasingly steep climb to advance further in the in-season tournament standings. However, they are also effectively clear of the Atlanta Hawks, who are two games behind in 10th place.

That gap could widen further as the Hawks face four weeks to play Without leading scorer Trae YoungHe will undergo surgery this week to treat a torn ligament in his left hand.

Here are seven other takeaways from Sunday’s win:

1. Coby White ends a quiet night with a bang.

The first three quarters of Sunday’s win were uncharacteristic for Coby White; Five points on 1-of-10 shooting. Guard Herb Jones followed White around the perimeter, blocking a 3-point attempt and preventing a steal in the first quarter. And the Pelicans encountered intense physicality from White at the rim, disrupting the balance of his typically downhill attack.

But White bounced back from the frustrating start for the Bulls, scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter. White also grabbed two steals and an offensive rebound in the final quarter as the Bulls outlasted the Pelicans.

2. DeMar DeRozan rules in the clutch.

It was a similarly quiet start for DeMar DeRozan, but the star delivered right when expected in the fourth quarter. DeRozan scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and scored important assists and baskets in the last five minutes.

The game-clinching play did not go as planned by the Bulls. Center Nikola Vučević fumbled a pass in the paint, then took the ball back and fired a shot that bounced into DeRozan’s hand. The striker dribbled from behind the three-point arc, then took the shot when he did not encounter any defensive pressure from the perimeter.

DeRozan’s second goal of the game, a three-pointer, put the Bulls ahead by five points with 30 seconds left in the game.

DeRozan scored 357 points in the fourth quarter this season, sixth-highest in the league. He ranks third among all players in fourth-quarter points since the 2021-22 season, behind Kyrie Irving and De’Aaron Fox.

3. Ayo Dosunmu continues to progress.

While DeRozan and White are logging the most minutes in the entire NBA, the Bulls will need other players to step up regularly throughout this season. Ayo Dosunmu did just that on Sunday, powering the offense through the first three quarters until the star duo stepped in to end the play.

Dosunmu scored 18 of his 21 points and recorded all eight assists in the first three quarters. He finished 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and added three steals on the defensive end.

The win marked Dosunmu’s sixth consecutive game in which he made at least two 3-pointers. He shot 21-for-36 (58%) from 3-point range through six games.

4. Mixing up the rotation.

The Bulls have to find new ways to expand their roster from now on. Patrick Williams joins Zach LaVine He is on the season-ending injury list this weekend. Against the Pelicans, that meant finding new ways to create power on the floor, including having Terry Taylor take over in the first quarter.

The rotation featuring Jevon Carter, Dalen Terry, Ayo Dosunmu and Andre Drummond was successful throughout the second half, providing the Bulls with a necessary mix of size and shooting. And Alex Caruso continued to get in over his head while creating defensive disruption on Zion Williamson.

5. Pelicans are put to work for short periods after suspension.

The Pelicans are facing a roster reduction after guard Jose Alvarado and forward Naji Marshall. got suspended due to an altercation during Friday’s game against the Miami Heat.

While Alvarado was suspended for three games, Marshall was only sidelined for Sunday’s game.

6. Ups and downs in the third quarter.