Faced with the high tempo and the very broad style of play of the Bulls, the Wolves had difficulty finding rhythm in the first half. Rudy Gobert suffers from Nikola Vucevic's technique and external threat, which forces him to cover a lot of ground and opens up a lot of space in the Minnesota defense…
Chicago is therefore in the lead against a Minneapolis team which lacks a collective bond, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle isolating themselves from their teammates.
The good news for Chris Finch's men is that the Bulls' lead will never swell too much, but it is Chicago who has control of the match for three quarters.
Except that it will then change. Donte DiVincenzo finally shoots, Rudy Gobert takes advantage of the shifts under the circle, and here is Julius Randle who allows the Wolves to take the lead six minutes from the end!
The offensive explosion that we no longer expected from Minnesota continues, with Anthony Edwards who no longer misses anything. The Bulls were stunned and saw the gap reach unthinkable proportions (119-135) a few minutes before.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– The explosion of the fourth quarter. Not necessarily clumsy for three quarters, the Wolves nevertheless raised the tone in the final round, scoring 45 points against the Bulls at 71% success! The whole team was in rhythm, like Anthony Edwards (13 points) and Rudy Gobert (11 points).
– Rudy Gobert suffers then punishes. Not an easy matchup for the Frenchman, who struggled to manage all the space created by the very wide play of Nikola Vucevic. Long caught by the Montenegrin's technique when the latter was launched towards the circle, he took revenge in the fourth quarter, by multiplying the baskets with the mistakes, including a last “spin move” to confirm the domination of the Wolves over the period.
– Fourth defeat in a row for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic is in good shape and, even without Zach LaVine, this team can pose problems for anyone when they put on rhythm and have skill. The problem is that the defense must be at the level, and above all that the intensity lasts 48 minutes…
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
