CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� Josh Giddey matched a season high with 25 points and added 10 rebounds, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 124-110 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Rookie Jalen Williams scored 22 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21 for the Thunder, who have won two straight, four of five and completed a sweep of their season series against Chicago.
鈥淚 thought we drifted from our identity, especially in the third quarter,鈥� Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. 鈥淏ut we got it back on track to start the fourth quarter. Those were growth points for us.鈥�
Zach LaVine scored 25 points and Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Bulls lost their third straight. Leading scorer DeMar DeRozan missed a second straight game due to a quadriceps injury suffered in Monday鈥檚 loss at Boston.
The Bulls trailed by as many as 18 points early in the second half before going on an 18-5 run and closing within 91-90 by the end of the third period. Chicago never did overtake Oklahoma City, which got consecutive baskets off Chicago turnovers to push the lead to 104-94 midway through the final period.
鈥淲e were able to get the car back on the road,鈥� said Darius Bazley, who came off the bench to add 14 points and three of the Thunder鈥檚 10 steals. 鈥淲hen we get stops like that and teams aren鈥檛 even getting shots at the rim, it feels really good.鈥�
The Bulls never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.
鈥淪elf-inflicted wounds,鈥� Bulls coach Billy Donovan said after his team鈥檚 16 turnovers turned into 23 Thunder points. 鈥淲e knew going in they were a hard-driving team and we needed to stop a little bit shorter and defend one on one.鈥�
Giddey said the Thunder鈥檚 ability to shake off Chicago鈥檚 third-quarter charge shows how far its young core has come.
鈥淭welve months ago, if a team goes on a run like that, maybe we crumble a little bit more; maybe guys go into their shells,鈥� he said. 鈥淭onight guys stood up and were ready for the challenge.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 flinch when they threw their punch.鈥�
Gilgeous-Alexander scored six points during a first-half-ending 18-6 run that gave the Thunder a 72-58 lead at the break.
LaVine, who averaged 35.5 points in his last four games, was 14 for 15 from the free-throw line. Coby White added 19 points.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Oklahoma City has won two straight road games after a six-game skid away from home. 鈥� C Mike Muscala made his third start of the season.
Bulls: DeRozan (quadriceps) was in street clothes for the second straight game. Coach Billy Donovan said the team doesn鈥檛 want to rush him back and risk a setback. The All-Star had played in Chicago鈥檚 first 41 games. 鈥� G Lonzo Ball (left knee) posted videos of himself dunking during a rehab workout to his Instagram account earlier in the day, but Donovan said a return isn鈥檛 imminent. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be a significant ramp-up period before he鈥檚 ready to play,鈥� the coach added. Ball, who last appeared in a game Jan. 14, 2022, underwent surgery in September.
UP NEXT
Thunder: At Brooklyn on Sunday.
Bulls: Host Golden State on Sunday.
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The Associated Press
