BY: MARIA BULLARD – SPORTS ON AIR USA CORRESPONDENT
DETROIT — The Chicago Bulls made quick work out of a depleted Memphis crew on Saturday, running away with a 125-96 victory at the United Center.
Ayo Dosunmu provided the spark the Bulls needed in the absence of Zach LaVine, scoring 20 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists while coming off the bench. DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Patrick Williams combined for 50 points.
LaVine was sidelined with a sprained ankle. There is no timetable for his return.
Jarren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 26 points and 6 rebounds while Luke Kennard and Vince Williams Jr had 14 apiece but Memphis didn’t have enough firepower to overcome a spate of injuries. The Bulls broke the game wide open with a 17-0 run in the third quarter.
The game was a tale of two teams going in opposite directions headed into the All-Star break. The Bulls won for the sixth time in eight outings while the Grizz plummeted to their fourth defeat in five assignments.
Memphis traveled to Chicago missing three of their top three scorers — Ja Morant (shoulder), Desmond Bane (ankle) and Marcus Smart (finger).
“I thought we gave great effort in the first half, only gave up 50 points in the first half. I thought our defensive game plan execution was really good. Our offense really just set us back tonight,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said in his post-game press conference.
Memphis shot just 42.7 percent from the field (32-of-75) and 31 percent from 3 (13-of-42),
FASTBREAK — Derrick Rose, the former Bulls star who won his Rookie of the Year and MVP honors while playing in Chicago returned to his hometown along with the Grizzlies. But a hamstring injury prevented him from playing.
Scotty Pippen Jr, whose famous dad and namesake was a Bulls legend, played for Memphis on Saturday and came up with 3 points in 5 minutes of action.
