Coby White scored 24 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 19 as the Chicago Bulls pulled away early and cruised to a 124-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night, earning a split of the teams’ home-and-home series.
Chicago set the tone in the opening quarter, using a 10-0 run fueled by Dosunmu 3-pointers at the start and end of the surge to open up a commanding lead. The Bulls took a 39-22 advantage into the second quarter and never looked back, building a 70-51 cushion by halftime and keeping the margin above 20 points for much of the second half.
Nikola Vucevic posted a well-rounded night with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while rookie Matas Buzelis also chipped in 17 points as Chicago’s balanced attack overwhelmed a struggling Brooklyn team. The Bulls shot efficiently and controlled the pace after falling 112-109 to the Nets on Friday in Brooklyn.
Nolan Traore led the Nets with 16 points, while Danny Wolf and Jalen Wilson scored 14 apiece. Brooklyn continued to slide, losing for the ninth time in its past 11 games.
The atmosphere at the United Center was quieter than usual at tip-off, which came 30 minutes after the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears kicked off their NFC divisional playoff game at nearby Soldier Field. A Bears touchdown shown on the video board during an early timeout drew one of the louder reactions from the crowd.
Up next:
Brooklyn returns home to host the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Chicago remains at home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
