DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Andre Drummond recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench, and the Chicago Bulls opened a four-game road swing by sending the host Memphis Grizzlies to a seventh consecutive loss with a 118-110 decision Thursday.
Chicago trailed most of the first three quarters against the depleted Memphis lineup, but never by more than nine points. Remaining in striking distance allowed the Bulls to take control with a 19-7 run in the fourth quarter.
Chicago took its biggest lead at eight points with 1:48 remaining when Drummond followed up his first missed field-goal attempt of the night with a tip-in.
Drummond shot 10 of 11. DeRozan shot 11 of 17, including 3 of 3 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Chicago made 43 of 79 shots (54 percent), including 12 of 26 (46 percent) from 3-point range. Drummond was the only Bull to miss a free throw on his team’s 20-of-22 performance.
Memphis could pull no closer than five points in the closing stretch despite the efforts of GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr.
Pippen scored 15 points and passed one of his six assists to Jackson for a 3-pointer with 1:12 left that cut the deficit to 108-103. The shot lifted Jackson to a career scoring high at 25 points, and he tacked on two more to finish with 27.
At 19 years and 53 days old, Jackson became the youngest player in NBA history to score 25 or more points off the bench.
The Grizzlies had a look at pulling to within a single-possession margin when Trey Jemison’s steal set up an open 3-point look for Santi Aldama. But Aldama’s attempt rimmed off, sealing the Chicago win.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points, Aldama added 15 points and Vince Williams Jr. flirted with a triple-double, tallying 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Nikola Vucevic scored 20 points for the Bulls and grabbed 10 rebounds. Coby White scored 20 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least that many. White also dished eight assists and grabbed six rebounds.
–Field Level Media
