PHOENIX — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was not unaware of Kevin Durant's abilities.
He coached Durant in Oklahoma City, where he quickly learned about Durant’s killer instinct at the end of games.
“He will be remembered as one of the best scorers in the history of this game,” Donovan said. “He doesn’t avoid matchups. … He is not afraid in the moment. He embraces that. He wants every bit of that.”
So when Durant scored 30 points in the second half on Monday, including the winning shot with 1.6 seconds left, Donovan was not surprised — just frustrated that his team was the victim.
He shrugged as he sat down for his postgame media session.
“I told you so,” Donovan said.
Durant’s 43-point performance led to the Bulls' defeat with a score of 115-113 at the Footprint Center. The Bulls are now 21-24 and remain ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Here are 5 important points from the loss.
1. Assists fueled the Bulls’ strong start.
The Bulls immediately found a rhythm, with assists on their first 10 field goals, leading to a 19-point advantage. Ball movement was crucial for the early success, with the Bulls getting 12 assists in the first quarter, led by Coby White (five) and Nikola Vučević (four).
With the ball moving around the court, the Bulls shot 65.2% and went 7-for-14 behind the 3-point line, scoring 37 points, their best quarter of the season.
As usual, White was the star of the offensive burst, scoring 11 points and going 3-for-3 behind the 3-point line.
2. Alex Caruso’s foul trouble helped the Suns make a comeback in the third quarter.
The Bulls built a 23-point lead four minutes into the third quarter. But the Suns started to regain control as the game became increasingly aggressive.
DeMar DeRozan argued with Grayson Allen. Drew Eubanks pushed White. Andre Drummond pushed Eubanks. DeRozan got his shot blocked while trying to dunk over Eubanks as payback.
The first half featured a strong defensive effort led by Alex Caruso, who ended with three blocked shots. Caruso took on the difficult task of guarding Durant, while Ayo Dosunmu often helped to create traps and disrupt Durant’s rhythm.
But the Bulls struggled without Caruso on the court — especially in the last seven minutes of the third quarter.
Caruso was forced to sit after getting his fourth foul. With the Bulls' best defender off the court, the Suns went on a 24-11 run to reduce the lead to seven points entering the fourth quarter.
3. DeMar DeRozan and Coby White battled with Kevin Durant.
Durant took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points to lead a 32-point quarter for the Suns.
The Bulls tried to stop Durant but it didn't work. He only missed two field goals — both 3-point attempts — as he calmly eliminated the Bulls' lead.
On the Suns’ final play, Durant received a pass at the top of the key, took a single dribble before pulling up, then adjusted the ball midair to avoid Caruso’s jumping block attempt before making a sure shot for the game-winner.
DeRozan tied the game with 22 seconds remaining by making a turnaround jump shot in the key area. His attempt to score a 3-pointer that could have won the game missed slightly and bounced off the rim, leaving the Bulls very close to a win.
DeRozan acknowledged Durant as one of the best players in the game and emphasized the need to acknowledge his abilities. He also mentioned that despite that, their team still had a chance to win.
4. The Bulls were successful in getting more rebounds, but they allowed a crucial second opportunity for their opponents.
The Bulls were able to grab 14 offensive rebounds compared to the Suns' 5, and they also scored 17 second-chance points while the Suns scored 9.
However, they missed a critical chance to secure the game when Eubanks grabbed an offensive rebound and passed to Durant, who made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds left.
5. DeMar DeRozan disagreed with a decision that was changed.
The momentum shifted in favor of the Suns after a decision was overturned in the final three minutes.
DeRozan believed he had the opportunity to increase the Bulls' lead by two points when he made a baseline jump shot over Allen and was fouled in the process. 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 annulled the points and gave the Suns the ball with 2:08 remaining.
“In my opinion, that was unfair,” DeRozan stated. “Nevertheless, I still believe I was fouled first. That decision was detrimental to us. If we had been awarded the free throw, the game would have been completely different.”
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