Chicago Bulls play their best game of the season — an OT win against the Milwaukee Bucks — without Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan

Williams dunks during overtime against the Bucks on Nov. 30, 2023, at the Unit

Bulls forward Patrick Williams dunks during overtime against the Bucks on Nov. 30, 2023, at the United Center. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Loading your audio article

Alex Caruso is beginning to feel casual about being clutch.

The guard didn’t hesitate when he shimmied away from Brook Lopez and pulled up to drain a 3-pointer, beating the buzzer by a half-second to send the Chicago Bulls into overtime against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at the United Center.

ADVERTISEMENT
[ [Don’t miss] The Chicago Bulls are in turmoil with seemingly little to build on. Is coach Billy Donovan’s job in jeopardy? ]

The play wasn’t drawn up to give Caruso the shot. But in the moment it just felt natural for Caruso, who has played the savior three times this season.

“That shot, I don’t think it’s that difficult,” Caruso said. “I shoot that a lot in the summer playing open gym and then playing in August and September when we come back with the guys. I just don’t get the opportunity to shoot a lot of those because usually I’m the guy taking the ball out, so I was excited to shoot it.”

ADVERTISEMENT
The Bulls finally found a small sense of cohesion in the 120-113 overtime victory. All it took was the absence of their two biggest stars.

Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were sidelined with injuries against the Bucks. LaVine had been playing through a sprain in his right foot for nearly two weeks. DeRozan injured his left ankle in Tuesday’s road loss to the Boston Celtics.

With neither star available, coach Billy Donovan leaned into a productive focus — let the young guys cook.

Donovan added Ayo Dosunmu to a starting lineup that already featured Patrick Williams and Coby White. He brought Julian Phillips into the game in the first quarter and played the rookie nearly 14 minutes.

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu drives to the basket against the Bucks on Nov. 30, 2023, at the United Center.
Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu drives to the basket against the Bucks on Nov. 30, 2023, at the United Center. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)
The young group wasn’t perfect. It coughed up a season-high 21 turnovers. In the final minute of regulation, it allowed the Bucks to go on a 10-point swing to take a lead. And it benefited from an off-kilter performance from the Bucks, who shot 33.3% from 3-point range, gave up 20 turnovers and seemed to check out of defensive possessions.

But this version of the Bulls was fun to watch — perhaps a first this season.

Without DeRozan or LaVine, the Bulls played with a desperation that had been missing for the first 19 games. The young core didn’t look afraid or timid, punching first and forcing the Bucks to respond. And they moved the ball with gusto, tallying a season-high 32 assists.

[ [Don’t miss] Artūras Karnišovas faces reality of Chicago Bulls’ dismal 5-14 start: ‘I’m not running from it. It’s my responsibility.’ ]

White went 4-for-11 from behind the arc while Williams continued an uncharacteristically aggressive streak attacking the rim, slamming two dunks in the final 31 seconds of overtime. Dosunmu had four steals and six assists.

ADVERTISEMENT
And this invigorated play extended beyond just the young core. Andre Drummond had 11 points and 14 rebounds in less than 14 minutes. Torrey Craig added 10 points and eight assists off the bench. And Jevon Carter was a steadying force against his former team.

“Those guys did a great job,” Donovan said. “We kept hanging in the game and just kept playing the next possession. There was some resiliency. We turned the ball over a lot, we made some mistakes, but the force that we played with and how we were communicating on defense was really good.”

Bulls guard Alex Caruso drains a tying 3-pointer during the final seconds of regulation against the Bucks on Thursday at the United Center. The Bulls went on to win 120-113 in overtime.
Bulls guard Alex Caruso drains a tying 3-pointer during the final seconds of regulation against the Bucks on Thursday at the United Center. The Bulls went on to win 120-113 in overtime. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Tribune Sports
Weekdays
A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.
By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
So what does it mean for the Bulls that it took the absence of LaVine and DeRozan to spark their most convincing win of the season?

None of these players are meant to be stars for the Bulls. Their value is centered on the ability to perform specific roles — which they outperformed with eagerness Thursday. This is something to be celebrated in the short-term, but it can’t be replicated or utilized as the foundation of the team.

As the only available member of the team’s central trio, Vučević pushed back at the concept that the Bulls benefited from DeRozan and LaVine’s absence in the win.

“That has nothing to do with it,” Vučević said. “We just came together. We knew we had to show better spirit. It’s one game. Those are our two best players. We need them. If we want to achieve anything big, we need them.”

ADVERTISEMENT
Regardless, the win did create a road map for how the Bulls can — and should — approach the coming weeks.

Sure, they are stuck in a waiting game as they weigh the possibility of trading LaVine. But that doesn’t mean the weeks until the trade deadline have to be played in vain.

Leaning into the development and confidence of young players such as Williams and White won’t just create long-term progress but a better product on the court, providing up-tempo basketball that allows the Bulls — and their fans — to have fun with the game again.