NBA: Nikola Vucevic puts up 39 as Bulls dump Spurs
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) falls on top of San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the first half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Nikola Vucevic poured in a season-high 39 points and Ayo Dosunmu added a season-best 27 points to go with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double as the visiting Chicago Bulls defeated the San Antonio Spurs 139-124 in the NBA on Thursday.
The Bulls led by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter after fending off a tepid San Antonio run late in the third period. The Spurs pared the margin to 130-122 on two Keldon Johnson free throws with 3:18 remaining, but Chicago reeled off nine straight points, capped by Vucevic’s banked layup with 1:31 left, to cement the win.
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Talen Horton-Tucker scored 13 points for the Bulls, who won their second game in a row. Zach LaVine had 11 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Dalen Terry hit for 12 points and Matas Buzelis added 11.
Nikola Vučević drops a season-high 39 PTS on 72.7 FG% (16-22 FGM).
Ayo Dosunmu records his 1st career triple-double (27p, 11a, 10r).
The @chicagobulls get their 10th win of the year! pic.twitter.com/sXJkKkFLoI
— NBA (@NBA) December 6, 2024
Johnson logged 28 points off the bench for the Spurs. Devin Vassell had 17 points, Jeremy Sochan amassed 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Chris Paul, Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie scored 12 points apiece. Paul dished out nine assists.
San Antonio played without star center Victor Wembanyama (sore back) and dropped its second straight game and third in its past four.
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The Bulls owned the first quarter, taking a 36-22 lead behind 11 points from Dosunmu.
Chicago pushed the gap to 20 points on Buzelis’ dunk with 2:43 remaining in the second quarter. Charles Bassey’s floating jumper with 14.9 seconds left brought the Spurs to within 14, before Vucevic’s putback layup in the final second granted the visitors a 73-57 advantage at the break.
Vucevic and Dosunmu led the Bulls with 13 points apiece before halftime, while Chicago outshot San Antonio 60 percent to 43.1 percent. Johnson paced San Antonio with 11 points.
Overall on the night, the Bulls hit 57.8 percent of their field-goal attempts while the Spurs sank 46.3 percent. Chicago had an even wider margin from 3-point range, drilling 45.9 percent (17 of 37) to San Antonio’s 28.6 percent (8 of 28). –Field Level Media
