Bulls stick to the plan in comeback win against Magic

The Bulls have to hope that slow starts don’t become a trend, but after falling behind early in their 102-99 victory Wednesday against the Magic, they took their first lead in the third quarter on a three-pointer by Josh Giddey.

With their three-point-heavy offense, the Bulls (3-2) can dig themselves into a hole when shots aren’t falling, like they did in the first quarter. But when shots are falling, they quickly erase a deficit like against Orlando.

“If we stick with our pace and play the whole game, eventually it’ll break through for us on the offensive end,” guard Zach LaVine said.

LaVine, who shot 2-for-9 from the field and had 11 points, said the Bulls need to “keep playing with the same force.”

The Bulls are at their best when they’re playing off each other and letting plays develop. Coming back from deficits is impressive for a young team, but the Bulls have to figure out how to avoid falling into those holes.

The Magic were up 62-52 at the half, but the Bulls rallied in the second half, outscoring the Magic by 13. They shot 38.2% from three-point range.

“We’ve got a bunch of competitors,” forward Patrick Williams said. “That shows through the way we play. [We’ve] got to get back to the drawing board for why we’re getting in these deficits in the first place. What are things that we’re doing in the second half that we’re not doing in the first half?”

‘We don’t run, we’re done’

The Bulls have put an emphasis on playing an up-tempo style to compensate for their lack of size. The strategy was made to modernize their offensive approach but also because of necessity.

“We don’t run, we’re done,” coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s that simple. If we run, we’ll maybe have some fun. We have to understand what we have to do to win.”

Launching threes and playing at the league’s fastest pace, however, requires a commitment to defensive rebounding and limiting turnovers. Playing fast and smart is a difficult balancing act.

“[Playing in transition] gives us the best opportunity,” Donovan said. “That’s not to sit there and say that half the game is going to have to be in the halfcourt. It’s going to happen. We’ve just got to execute and do that, but when we have the opportunity to run, we need to do that.

Developing Buzelis

Rookie forward Matas Buzelis’ development is high on the priority list for the Bulls this season and for good reason. At just 19, his potential is immense because of his physical gifts. But that talent hasn’t led to a consistent spot in the rotation.

Buzelis has played 28 minutes in five games and hasn’t found a role. The Bulls speak glowingly of his skills, but game-to-game consistency will be key for Buzelis if he wants to carve out a role.

“Part of his development and growth is learning how competitively and how hard he needs to play on every possession,” Donovan said.

“If he’s playing well, you can extend him some minutes.”