Hours after the trade deadline came and went --- and the Bulls opted to stand pat, making zero trades for the third straight deadline --- they played the Memphis Grizzlies on the road.
It probably should've been an easier task, but the Bulls came away victorious in Memphis, 118-110.
Here are 10 observations from the game:
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---- For the third straight season, the Bulls stood pat at the NBA trade deadline. They had talks surrounding Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago. On Caruso's front, they even checked in on Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga's availability. But, alas, the Bulls chose to stand pat. More on that here.
"We didn’t see anything that was going to make us better," Executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas said Thursday. "We would take a step back, which we don’t want. We want to stay competitive," he said. "We have an obligation to this organization and this fan base and this city to stay competitive and compete for the playoffs. That’s what we’re doing."
---- The Grizzlies, on the other hand, didn't stand pat. They traded Xavier Tillman and David Roddy away. Derrick Rose and Zaire Williams will also not play Thursday against the Bulls, adding to a Grizzlies' injury list that's filled to the brim. That includes Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart, too.
---- Hot start alert. DeMar DeRozan finished the first quarter with nine points, shooting 4-for-4 from the field. Ayo Dosunmu notched seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field. At the half, Andre Drummond put up 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field.
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---- The Bulls were terrific on offense in the first half, posting 52 points with shooting splits of 55% from the field and 50% from downtown. But their defense was another story. Jaren Jackson Jr. posted 18 points and GG Jackson --- a rookie out of South Carolina --- put up 14 points in the first half. Grizzlies went up four points at halftime.
---- Turnovers, a mishap that rears its ugly head with the Bulls, played a huge disadvantage for the Bulls early, at one point down 11-3 to the Grizzlies. The Bulls took care of the ball in the second half, as turnovers ended 15-10, with the Grizzlies still coming away with fewer.
---- A familiar face in Scotty Pippen Jr. was an X-factor in this one. He let his presence be known early, flashing the "3" sign to the Bulls bench on his first made shot. He blocked Coby White emphatically in the third quarter to give the Grizzlies some momentum, too. This game represented the 13th NBA game and the third NBA start of his career.
---- Low energy appeared to be a symptom the Bulls suffered against the Grizzlies. They failed in all hustle areas, fouling 3-point shooters, failing to get back in transition and handling the ball recklessly (see above point on turnovers).
---- Nikola Vucevic struggled in this one. He posted 20 points but shot 7-of-19 from the field. The other big man, Mr. Drummond, had a spectacular game off the bench. He finished with 19 points on 9-of-9 shooting; he created several energizing plays to help put the Bulls back in front in the fourth quarter, including this one:
---- Fun fact: The Bulls have used the fewest number of players in games thus far (15). The Grizzlies have used the most (23). If that doesn't tell you the drastically different state these organizations are in, I don't know what will. That should tell you, too, all you need to know about who should win this game.
---- Big plays from White, Drummond and Caruso helped lift the Bulls over the Grizzlies. This probably should've been more of a breeze for the Bulls, but they got away with a crucial win after remaining steady after the trade deadline.
The Bulls will travel to Orlando on Saturday to play the Magic, who are currently the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.