Pull out 118-113 victory over Atlanta Hawks
Thanks to a season-high 24 points and 25 rebounds by center Andre Drummond, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks 118-113 on Tuesday, December 26, at the United Center.
Drummond became the first Bulls player with 25 rebounds in a game since December 15, 2006, (Ben Wallace) according to Bulls PR. He also became the eighth player in team history with 25 rebounds in a game (B. Wallace, D. Rodman, C. Oakley, M. Landsberger, A. Gilmore, T. Boerwinkle, J. Washington).
In addition to Drummond’s huge game on Tuesday night, forward DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 25 points. DeRozan said he appreciated the balance scoring [attack] from the team, which finished with six players in double figures scoring.
“Man, it’s everything,” said DeRozan to the Crusader about the team’s consistent balance scoring attack lately. “It makes my job easier going into the fourth quarter.”
With the Bulls leading 113-110 with 43.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Hawks guard Trae Young was sent to the free-throw line via an Andre Drummond foul. Young missed the front end of two free throws but cut the Bulls lead to 113-111.
On Chicago’s ensuing possession, DeRozan connected on a three-foot layup, following a pump fake, to give the Bulls a 115-111 lead with 25.6 seconds remaining.
The Bulls would not relinquish this advantage for the remainder of the contest, connecting on four-of-four free throws down the stretch to ice the game, added Bulls PR.
Overall, DeRozan and the Bulls outscored the Hawks 28-17 in the first quarter, 33–29 in the third quarter and 35-28 in the fourth quarter.
Final score: Bulls 118, Hawks 113
With the victory, the Bulls improved to 14-18 on the season. The team will play their next game on Thursday, December 28, at the United Center.
Crusader Player of the Game:
Andre Drummond, Bulls, finished with a season-high 24 points and 25 rebounds.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
