Jalen Smith’s night ended with a scare, even as the Chicago Bulls snapped their skid in Atlanta.
Chicago arrived Friday carrying an eight-game losing streak and without Caleb Wilson, who is sidelined by a broken hand. Still, the Bulls found enough to outlast the Hawks 125-117 in overtime and grab their first win of the NBA Cup group stage.
The victory came with a late hit to the Bulls’ frontcourt rotation. With fewer than five minutes left in overtime, Smith took a hard fall under the basket on Atlanta’s end, according to Ross Pins Swish Theory. He was then seen clutching his wrist before heading back to the locker room.
Before leaving, Smith had put together a strong stat line: 15 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double.
Smith has recently stepped into the fifth spot in place of veteran center Nic Claxton, who is working his way back from a hamstring injury suffered in the preseason that cost him two weeks. Smith also entered this stretch coming off a hand injury he picked up against the New York Knicks on November 4. He left that game, said he would return, and did.
Through 10 games as the starting big man, Smith has played in every one of them and is averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The extent of the latest injury is not yet known.
The Bulls now move on to a busy road swing, starting Saturday at 7:00 pm CST/8:00 pm EST against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After that, they head to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Monday and then to Brooklyn to play the Nets on Wednesday.
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Bulls Finally Showed The Edge Fans Needed Before This Road Trip
The Bulls walked into a tricky spot and finally played like a team determined to stop the slide, ending an eight-game losing streak with a 125-117 overtime win over the Hawks. Norman Powell led the way with 33 points, and Chicago got enough from several others to turn a tense game into the kind of response it badly needed before heading out on the road.
Josh Giddey was a major part of the push, stuffing the box score and helping steady the offense when the game tightened late. For a team that had been searching for some edge, the bigger takeaway was less about one hot night and more about the way the Bulls carried themselves when the pressure rose, a sign they may have found something worth taking with them beyond Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]
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Chicago is in the middle of an eight-game losing streak and facing Atlanta in NBA Cup group play, so the timing of Hields milestone offers at least a little perspective amid the frustration. He has played eight games this season and is averaging 5.8 points per game, but even in a difficult start for the Bulls, his climb up the all-time 3-point list is the kind of accomplishment that stands out. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Face One Big Frontcourt Question Against A Red-Hot Wolves
The Bulls head into the second night of a back-to-back with a frontcourt issue hanging over their matchup in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves have stayed strong even without Anthony Edwards. Chicago is trying to sort out its big-man rotation on the fly, and Jalen Smiths status is part of that equation after he was listed questionable following the previous game.
Smiths availability matters because the Bulls are already dealing with the usual wear and tear that comes with a back-to-back, and Minnesota has been playing with enough consistency to make any lineup uncertainty feel more significant. The Wolves are still operating without Edwards, but they have found ways to keep winning, which leaves Chicago needing clarity inside before tipoff and a little more stability than a late injury report can provide. [Read more 🡒]