Field Level Media
Dec 26, 2020
Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as the Indiana Pacers shrugged off a slow start with two huge scoring runs to put together an easy 125-106 road victory Saturday over the Chicago Bulls.
T.J. Warren added 23 points and Victor Oladipo had 22 as the Pacers earned their 10th consecutive victory over the Bulls going back to the 2018-19 season and won for the fifth consecutive time at Chicago.
The Pacers reeled off a 21-0 run in the second quarter and an 18-0 run to open the second half.
Zach LaVine scored 17 points and Lauri Markkanen added 16 points with nine rebounds for the Bulls, who were humbled for the second consecutive game. Chicago trailed by as many as 40 points in a season-opening defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Malcolm Brogdon had 18 points for the Pacers, who led 99-71 after three quarters while playing on the road for the first time after a season-opening victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Coby White had 12 points and Denzel Valentine added 11 for the Bulls, who are off to an 0-2 start after two home games and have another at home Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.
The Bulls got off to a solid start, taking an eight-point lead in the first quarter at 18-10 and a six-point advantage in the second quarter at 40-34 before the Pacers got red hot. Pressuring the Bulls on defense, the Pacers went on a 21-0 run in the second quarter to take a 55-40 lead.
Warren scored 12 of his 17 first-half points in the opening quarter for the Pacers, while Sabonis had 14 of his 16 first-half points in the second quarter as Indiana took a 66-56 lead into the break. Markkanen scored 14 points in the first half for the Bulls.
The Pacers took an 84-56 lead with their offensive outburst to open the third quarter as the Bulls did not score for nearly five minutes into the second half.
--Field Level Media