The Chicago Bulls have had an up-and-down summer league so far, and heading into their Thursday afternoon contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were 2-1.
A win would have given Chicago a puncher’s chance at making the summer league playoffs. Unfortunately, the Bulls weren’t able to get the job done.
Chicago mounted a comeback near the end of the game, but the Cavaliers held on, securing an 87-83 win over the Bulls. The Bulls’ 3-point shooting took a massive step back; they shot 7-of-35 (20%) from distance as a team, a big reason for the loss.
Let’s take a look at the top performers of the game.
Bulls Summer League: 3 top performers in loss to Cavaliers: Adama Sanogo
Stats: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-of-5 FG
Adama Sanogo played 15:32 against the Cavaliers, but he put up some great numbers. He made a real impact on the glass and, despite his foul trouble, looked like a promising young talent for the third game in a row.
Bulls Summer League: 3 top performers in loss to Cavaliers: Yago Dos Santos
Stats: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1-of-7 FG, 1-of-5 3PT
Despite not shooting particularly well (which no one on the Bulls did), Yago Dos Santos was clearly effective for Chicago. He provided a solid ball-handling option and helped on the offensive end outside of the scoring column.
Bulls Summer League: 3 top performers in loss to Cavaliers: Julian Phillips
Stats: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 4-of-10 FG, 0-of-4 3PT
Like Dos Santos, Julian Phillips found a way to impact the game outside of his scoring, as he had an inefficient night. The rookie was hustling all night long, showing off his defensive potential and elite athleticism.