Lonzo Ball haunts ex-team with triple-double as Bulls blitz Pelicans
Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a free throw against the New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center on October 22, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP
Zach LaVine scored 32 points and Lonzo Ball had a triple-double against his former team as the host Chicago Bulls routed the New Orleans Pelicans 128-112 on Friday night.
Ball, traded from New Orleans to Chicago during the offseason, had 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan added 26 points and Nikola Vucevic and Javonte Green scored 10 points each as the Bulls won their home opener after beginning the season with a win at Detroit on Wednesday.
Chicago never trailed and led the rest of the way after breaking from an 8-8 tie.
Brandon Ingram scored 26, Devonte’ Graham had 21, Jonas Valancuinas added 18 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker 15 to lead the Pelicans. Ingram added eight rebounds and eight assists.
Triple-double for @ZO2_ to lift the @chicagobulls to 2-0!
💥 17 PTS
💥 10 REB
💥 10 AST
💥 3 STL pic.twitter.com/6t69TzvL8c— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2021
New Orleans played without Zion Williamson, who is sidelined indefinitely while recovering from surgery to repair a broken foot, and Josh Hart, who started in Williamson’s place and sustained a quad injury in a season-opening home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Chicago extended its lead to 20 points one minute into the third quarter before Valanciunas and Ingram scored four points each to get New Orleans within 71-59.
LaVine answered with a 3-pointer, but the Pelicans pulled within 80-70 on a layup by Alexander-Walker.
Green had a dunk and Troy Brown Jr. made a 3-pointer as the Bulls extended the lead to 92-75 at the end of the third quarter.
Ball scored five points and DeRozan added a three-point play as Chicago took command with a 100-75 edge early in the fourth quarter.
DeRozan led the way for the Bulls against the cold-shooting Pelicans in the first quarter. He had 10 points as Chicago led by as many as 14 points before settling for a 28-17 advantage at the end of the period.
New Orleans made just 6 of 21 first-quarter field-goal attempts.
The Bulls increased the lead to 17 before the Pelicans pulled within 51-39 on two free throws by Ingram.
LaVine scored seven points during the final 1:45 as Chicago took its biggest lead at 65-47 heading into halftime.
