No Nikola Vucevic, no problem.
At least, that’s the energy that center Andre Drummond brought to the Bulls’ 118-113 victory over the Hawks on Tuesday night at the United Center.
Drummond got his first start in place of Vucevic (strained groin) and quickly offered an indication of what was to come, grabbing an offensive rebound for an easy putback three minutes into the game and making the “too small” gesture as he ran downcourt. He finished with 24 points — just behind teammate DeMar DeRozan’s game-high 25 — and a game-high 25 rebounds to go with three steals and two blocks, becoming the first Bull to do so. He is the sixth player in NBA history to hit those statistical marks joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Roy Tarpley, Chris Webber and Dwight Howard.
The win was the Bulls’ ninth in their last 13 games, improving their record to 14-18.
The first thing Drummond did after his historic night was walk up into the stands to hug his mother.
“She’s been my biggest supporter,” Drummond said. “She’s always telling me [that] whenever my number is called to be ready.”
Drummond’s 10 offensive boards helped the Bulls outscore the Hawks 24-21 in second-chance looks. He is the first Bull with 25 rebounds in a game since Ben Wallace in 2006.
The key, he said, is keeping the mindset he’s a starting center, even if his minutes don’t reflect that.
“The position I’m in now, I take it and play to the best of my ability,” he said.
The Hawks had the NBA’s fifth-best offensive rating coming in but looked mortal in the first quarter, shooting 21% from three-point range and 29.2% from the field. They found their rhythm in the second quarter in moments when Drummond was resting on the bench, outscoring the Bulls 39-22 to give them a six-point lead at the half.
For a third straight game, the Bulls struggled with the three, having shot 25% from behind the arc against the Spurs, 22.9% against the Cavaliers and now 28% against the Hawks. After going 3-for-10 from three-point range to start, they went cold until midway through the third quarter, when DeRozan connected from the top of the key. Guard
Coby White went 0-for-7 after going 0-for-8 against the Cavs.
Six Bulls finished the night in double figures in scoring, including DeRozan after he was held scoreless in the first quarter.
With the score tied at 106 in the fourth, it was Drummond who was diving on the floor to get the lead back. After a missed driving floater by guard Ayo Dosunmu, Drummond was there to clean up, grabbing the rebound and drawing a foul from the Hawks’ Trae Young. Guard Alex Caruso drained a three-pointer on the next play.
In the closing minutes, the Bulls narrowly held their lead as DeRozan went into clutch mode. He scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and later compared his performance to childhood fantasy.
“I remember being a kid, pouring water on my head, acting like I was sweating,” he said. “Doing moves, falling back on the bed, shooting imaginary jump shots. The kid in me loves those moments.”
The Bulls are now 9-4 without guard Zach LaVine, who has been out since late November with right foot inflammation. Donovan said LaVine has begun ramping up his activity, including light cutting, his response to which will be a significant indicator of his readiness to return.
