Oklahoma City Thunder vs Chicago Bulls Match Player Stats On Mar 16, 2021

Zach LaVine scored 40 points and Lauri Markkanen added 22 to boost the host Chicago Bulls to a 123-102 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

The Bulls won their second straight to improve to 2-2 on a five-game homestand, which concludes Wednesday against San Antonio.

LaVine reached the 40-point plateau for the third time this season, shooting 15-for-20 in just under 31 minutes to finish six points shy of his season high. He scored 35 points in an overtime loss at Oklahoma City on Jan. 15.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 21 points, ending a streak of three straight games with at least 30. Moses Brown finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Kenrich Williams (14 points), Ty Jerome (11) and Isaiah Roby (11) also finished in double figures.

Thaddeus Young put together 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Bulls. Tomas Satoransky had 13 points and seven assists, while Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in nine points and nine rebounds.

Chicago rolled to a 42-28 lead after one quarter, as LaVine led the way with 16 points. The stretch included a highlight reel dunk from Markkanen, who drove from the right wing and into the lane before finishing the play with a dunk over Brown.

The surge continued at the start of the second quarter, with the Bulls going ahead by as many as 18 points.

Chicago squandered the cushion before long, however, as the Thunder used a 22-3 run to take a 50-49 lead on a Williams trey with 6:32 remaining before halftime. The Bulls responded from their lull, scoring 24 of the next 35 points to take a 73-61 lead into the break.

LaVine led all scorers with 20 points, while Markkanen followed with 14. Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points to pace the Thunder, with Brown contributing 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Oklahoma City remained afloat early despite being severely shorthanded. The Thunder's inactives included Lu Dort (sprained left toe), George Hill (thumb surgery), Al Horford (rest), Darius Bazley (shoulder contusion) and Josh Hall (sore knee).

--Field Level Media