Chicago Bulls

The best remedy when your top two scorers have uncharacteristically slow offensive nights? Forget about it and play smothering defense. Despite an off night from Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Chicago Bulls joined forces to make life miserable for the Charlotte Hornets. LaVine gets in on the action by recording one of his two steals, while elsewhere an Alex Caruso pickpocket leads to points on the other end. The Bulls also earn a variety of rejections, as Nikola Vučević, Derrick Jones Jr. and Patrick Williams all pick up big interior blocks, while Javonte Green punctuates a 7-for-7 shooting night with a deflection that changes possession in his squad’s favor. All told, the Bulls blocked nine shots and swiped six steals while forcing 16 turnovers, forcing Charlotte into a .391 percent shooting night from the field — including an abysmal 7 for 32 downtown — in Chicago’s dominant 106-88 triumph on November 2, 2022.