CHICAGO (670 The Score) – While it remains unclear who’s the official arbiter of this declaration, the momentum is growing across the NBA.
“All I can say is the Bulls are back, man,” Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. said late Wednesday at the United Center, according to the Athletic.
Such is the refrain of foes these days when the Bulls put on a show, which they did in a 117-107 win against the Mavericks. Chicago shot 50.6% and had 26 assists to just 11 turnovers while improving to 8-3 with the victory, which is tied for the best mark in the Eastern Conference as it prepares to embark on a tough five-game West Coast road trip that begins at Golden State on Friday.
The victory was punctuated by a highlight-reel 360 dunk from Zach LaVine off a long overhand hit-ahead pass from Lonzo Ball, who had secured the ball after Alex Caruso made one of his six steals on the night.
“Zo’s an incredible passer, QB1 throwing that pass up to Zach, and then Zach did what he does,” Caruso said.
Whether the Bulls are back yet is in the eye of the beholder, but they certainly have a growing respect across the NBA. That’s because they’ve formed an identity for a foundation of success – they take care of the ball really well, force turnovers at a high rate, get to the free-throw line at a quality clip and have a dynamic one-two scoring punch in LaVine and DeMar DeRozan while others settle comfortably into their roles. Those are traits that can usually be counted upon on a nightly basis.
“The way we play, if we’re playing the right way and we have some energy in our offense, the ball and the game of basketball will find a way to show us who’s night it’s going to be,” Caruso said.
On Wednesday, the Bulls placed five players in double figures, led by 23 points from LaVine and 21 from Ball, whose fingerprints were all over the win. In addition to shooting 7-of-10 on 3-pointers, Ball also took his turn in playing strong defense on Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who shot just 6-of-18 while still nearly putting up a triple-double with 20 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Ball said. “For us, it’s just one game at a time. Like I said, it’s a brand-new team. We’re trying to build a new culture here. And 8-3, you know, is not too bad.”
While the fan base is riled up, the Bulls themselves have been tempered their enthusiasm about their 8-3 start. They know it’s early, they know they’ve barely survived in a couple close games and they know the challenge gets tougher in the next week.
That was all on Caruso’s mind as he was informed of Hardaway’s “the Bulls are back” comment.
“We’ve been down double-digits in Boston, didn’t really play great the first game against Detroit,” Caruso said. “Like, we have games here and there where we’re just kind of finding ways to win and I think that’s the sign of a good team. But I think we have a lot of ways to get better. And I think that’s probably the most encouraging thing for me. Eleven games into the season, I don’t think you can say anybody’s back, especially for the prestige of the Bulls. They won three championships in a row twice. Being back, that’s a big statement.”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.