Getty Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Chicago Bulls ended Luka Doncic’s streak of 30-point triple-doubles.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, they could not stop much else as the Dallas Mavericks star still finished the game with 27 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes.
“He had a good game, so I feel like we could have done stuff better to slow him down,” Bulls second-round rookie Julian Phillips said, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic on March 11. “He knows how to play the game. Has a high IQ. He kind of plays at his own pace, too, so you can’t speed him up.”
Phillips defended Doncic for the third-most minutes of any Bull in the 127-92 defeat, “holding” the Mavs star to six points on 2-for-4 shooting. Doncic was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in his minutes matched up against Phillips, per NBA.com game data.
.@luka7doncic now has the second-most 3-pointers in franchise history 🔥
The rookie finished with 11 points, three rebounds, and two steals while connecting on two of his three triples.
Phillips is averaging 4.2 points, 1.2 boards, and shooting 44% on threes over his last 17 games.
It is likely due to their respective positions and the Bulls’ needs, with Patrick Williams out for the season and Torrey Craig still on a minutes restriction. But Phillips has also surpassed 2023 first-round pick Dalen Terry in the Bulls’ rotation.
Phillips joins third-year guard Ayo Dosunmu as the latest example of the Bulls’ ability to find talent beyond the first round.
Rookie swingman Onuralp Bitim is another.
Bulls’ Onuralp Bitim Holds Mavs’ Luka Doncic Scoreless
Bulls wing Onuralp Bitim is not the typical NBA rookie, coming over with plenty of professional experience internationally. And that experience has shown as he’s quickly acclimated to a larger role.
After playing in just two of the Bulls’ first 56 games, and never seeing even four minutes on the floor, Bitim is averaging 16.5 minutes per game over the last seven games.
The Bulls are 4-3 in those games, though they are now riding a two-game losing streak.
Bitim has played fewer than 10 minutes just once in that span averaging 6.6 points and 2.4 rebounds and shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc. But his defensive prowess has been a pleasant surprise.
NBA.com credits Bitim with the best defensive effort on Doncic on the night, with the Mavs star going scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in their minutes matched up against one another.
Bitim’s efficiency betrayed him at the wrong time, with the rookie going 1-for-6 from the outside.
Mavs HC Jason Kidd Name-Drops Alex Caruso
The Mavericks notably finished the game plus-14 in assists (33) and plus-6 in turnovers (12). That invited the question to Head Coach Jason Kidd of just how they accomplished such a feat. The Bulls cause the seventh-most turnovers in the league.
The Bulls also average fifth-most deflections at 15.2 per game, but had just 10 versus the Mavs.
“Just talking about Chicago; understanding their defense,” Kidd told reporters after the game. “They’re going to swipe, they’re going to be physical.
Billy Donovan lamented his team’s defensive execution Monday.
He explained that the Bulls, who gave up 62 paint points to the Mavs, needed to meet Luka Dončić higher — and Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford earlier — in pick-and-roll actions, but were preoccupied with the arc.
“Sometimes in this league, you get away with some fouls that normally you get called for. But they’re a team that’s going to be physical and play the passing lane – AC [Alex Caruso] is going to start that. And so just understand we had to take care of the ball. I thought everyone did a great job of taking care of the ball. But also, I thought our passing was at its best tonight.”