Field Level Media
Dec 21, 2019
Zach LaVine poured in 33 points, and the Chicago Bulls raced past the host Detroit Pistons 119-107 on Saturday.
Rookie Coby White supplied 19 points off the bench for the Bulls, while Tomas Satoransky had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Lauri Markkanen tossed 15 points with seven rebounds, and Wendell Carter Jr. added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the victors.
Markieff Morris had a season-high 23 points and six assists for Detroit, which has lost four straight. Andre Drummond supplied 19 points and 14 rebounds. Luke Kennard added 16 points, and Tim Frazier chipped in a season-high 13 points and nine assists.
Pistons star forward Blake Griffin missed his 15th game this season, this time due to the flu. His past absences were due to knee and hamstring soreness or load management.
The team's sixth man, guard Derrick Rose, also sat out the second game of a back-to-back due to left knee soreness.
Reserve center Thon Maker scored the 1,000th point of his career on a second-quarter free throw.
Drummond scored 14 points in the first half, and Morris added 11 as the Pistons gained a 59-53 halftime lead. Satoransky and LaVine topped the Bulls with 12 points apiece.
Chicago regained the lead at 68-65 with an 10-0 run early in the third quarter. Satoransky scored the go-ahead basket on a fast-break dunk, and Markkanen capped it with a layup.
White made a corner 3-pointer later in the quarter to increase Chicago's lead to eight, 81-73. White scored eight more points, including a pair of threes, before the quarter ended. But Morris answered with two long balls to cut the Bulls' lead to 93-89 entering the fourth.
The Pistons tied it at 96 apiece with 9:10 remaining on a Drummond layup. LaVine put the Bulls back on top with a three with 7:44 left.
Chicago led the rest of the way.
Satoransky increased the Bulls lead to seven at 106-99 with another long ball. Markkanen followed with a putback.
Detroit swept the four-game series last season, but Chicago won the first two meetings at home this season. The Pistons had won nine of their last 11 home matchups with the Bulls.
--Field Level Media