Vucevic, Drummond Shine as Bulls Cruise to 128-104 Win Over Spurs
CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Andre Drummond set season-bests with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls handed San Antonio their ninth straight loss, beating the Spurs 128-104 Monday night.
Zach LaVine had 20 points and DeMar DeRozan had 19, which helped the Bulls set a season-high with their third straight win. They also got some revenge for a defeat in San Antonio in October.
It stood at 85 late in the third quarter as Chicago put on a 23-3 run that buried the team with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Two more losses and Spurs will hit their worst slip of the season.
DeRozan started the deciding run with a three-point play and a step-back jumper in the final minute of game three, giving the Bulls a five-point lead.
Drummond continued to plead for a bigger role. The two-time All-Star played 21 minutes in his second double-double in three games after being called on in a limited role. He scored 10 points in Chicago’s Big Run and wowed the crowd with back-to-back dunks.
The Bulls had seven players who scored in double digits and shot 56.2% despite scoring just 6 of 22 3-pointers. It was her fourth win in five games.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 21 points. But the Spurs opened a nine-game season high on an all-too-familiar note.
Coby White hit two free throws and fed Drummond for a dunk in the first minute of the fourth to increase the lead to 94-85. Doug McDermott hit a 3 for San Antonio, but the Bulls kept pulling away.
TIP INS
Spurs: San Antonio had won four out of five against Chicago. … F Jeremy Sochan (lower back wound) and G Tre Jones (left foot wound) missed their second straight game.
Bulls: The Bulls’ 39 points in the first quarter fell one point short of their high for the season. … G Alex Caruso (sore left foot) missed his second game in a row. Chicago’s top fullback was injured in Thursday’s 114-98 win over Charlotte. “He’s made some significant strides in a very positive direction,” said coach Billy Donovan.
NEXT
Spurs: Visit Toronto on Wednesday.
Bulls: Visit Memphis on Tuesday.
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AP NBA: and
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