PHOENIX – Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was well aware of Kevin Durant.
He coached Durant in Oklahoma City for a season, where he quickly became familiar with Durant's strong desire to win at the end of games.
Donovan stated, "He'll be remembered as one of the best scorers in the history of the sport." He also mentioned that Durant is not afraid of facing tough opponents and actually embraces challenging situations.
So when Durant scored 30 points in the second half, including the game-winning shot with 1.6 seconds remaining, Donovan was not surprised, but frustrated that his team suffered the defeat.
He just shrugged when he sat down for the postgame press conference.
"I told you so," Donovan remarked.
Durant's 43-point performance led to the Bulls' 115-113 loss at the Footprint Center. The Bulls' record is now 21-24, and they remain ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Here are five insights from the loss.
1. The Bulls' first-quarter dominance was fueled by assists.
The Bulls started strong, with assists on their first 10 field goals, taking a 19-point lead. Ball movement was crucial for their early success, recording 12 assists in the first quarter, led by Coby White (five) and Nikola Vučević (four).
With the ball moving efficiently, the Bulls shot 65.2% and went 7-for-14 from the 3-point line, scoring 37 points, their best quarter of the season.
As has become customary for the Bulls, White played a key role in the offensive outburst, scoring 11 points and going 3-for-3 behind the arc.
2. Alex Caruso's foul trouble contributed to the Suns' third-quarter comeback.
The Bulls extended their lead to 23 points within four minutes of the third quarter, but the Suns started to regain control as the game became more intense.
DeMar DeRozan had a dispute with Grayson Allen. Drew Eubanks pushed White. Andre Drummond pushed Eubanks. DeRozan had his shot blocked while attempting to dunk over Eubanks for payback.
The first half showcased a strong defensive effort led by Alex Caruso, who ended with three blocked shots. Caruso took on the challenging task of guarding Durant, while Ayo Dosunmu often assisted in trapping and disrupting Durant's flow.
The Bulls struggled without Caruso on the court, especially in the last seven minutes of the third quarter.
Caruso had to sit out after getting his fourth foul. With the Bulls' top defender off the court, the Suns went on a 24-11 run, reducing the lead to seven points at the start of the fourth quarter.
3. DeMar DeRozan and Coby White faced off against Kevin Durant.
Durant took charge in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points to fuel a 32-point quarter for the Suns.
The Bulls threw everything they had at Durant, but it was futile. He missed only two shots, both of which were 3-point attempts, calmly erasing the Bulls' lead.
On the Suns' final play, Durant received a pass at the top of the key, took a single dribble, adjusted the ball mid-air to avoid Caruso's jumping block attempt, and then made a decisive shot for the game-winning basket.
DeRozan had tied the game with 22 seconds remaining with a characteristic turnaround jump shot in the key. However, his potential game-winning 3-point shot missed slightly and bounced off the rim, leaving the Bulls just inches away from a victory.
“He’s one of the best players in the sport,” DeRozan commented. “You have to acknowledge his skill. It's amazing what he can do — but despite that, we still had an opportunity.”
4. The Bulls dominated the rebounds but surrendered an important second opportunity.
The Bulls grabbed 14 offensive rebounds compared to the Suns’ 5, and outscored them 17-9 in points from second chances.
But they let slip a crucial second chance that could have secured the win when Eubanks grabbed an offensive rebound and passed to Durant for a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds to go.
5. DeMar DeRozan objected to a reversed decision.
The momentum shifted in favor of the Suns after a reversed decision in the final three minutes.
DeRozan believed he had the opportunity to put the Bulls up by two possessions when he made a baseline jump shot over Allen and drew a foul on his way down. However, the Suns challenged the decision, claiming that DeRozan had fouled Allen by grabbing him with his left hand as he fell.
Suns coach Frank Vogel succeeded in the challenge, which nullified the points and gave the Suns possession with 2:08 left.
“That was unfair in my opinion,” DeRozan remarked. “Despite that, I still thought I was fouled first. That was detrimental to us. If we had been awarded the free throw, the game would have been completely different.”
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