3 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ 123-119 road loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Bulls’ inconsistencies continued in their overtime loss against the Thunder.

© Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder outscored the Chicago Bulls 13-9 in overtime to win 123-119 at home. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 30 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds, Zach LaVine finished with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Nikola Vucevic added 13 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

The Bulls’ inconsistency continues

The Bulls’ results remain contradictory; the team is now 2-2 in the last four games, with wins against the Celtics and Bucks, the two best teams in the league, and losses against the Magic and Thunder.

The Bulls couldn’t replicate the sense of urgency on the defensive end that led to a season-high 12 blocks and nine steals in the 118-113 road win against the Bucks on Wednesday. The Thunder made the right plays when it mattered the most, and their fast-paced offense and elite bench proved too much in the end.

The Bulls couldn’t contain SGA and Pokusevski

Containing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Aleksej Pokusevski was one of the keys heading into the game last night. But the Bulls couldn't do it, and both players ended up having big games. 

Gilgeous-Alexander once again put up a superstar performance, as he led the Thunder with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He also hit five straight free throws in the final minute of overtime to seal the win for the Thunder.

The 24-year-old turned the ball over just once and got his teammates involved, including Pokusevski, who finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 6-of-13 shooting, surpassing his season averages by a considerable margin.

The Thunder reserves were outstanding

Bench play made a big difference in this game. The Bulls usually get a lot of help from their bench -- they even outplay the starters on some nights -- but that wasn’t the case yesterday, as OKC's second unit outscored the Bulls’ reserves 48-31.

The Thunder came into the game with the seventh-best bench in the league, and it carried them on Friday, led by 17 points from Darius Bazley, 10 points from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and 8 points apiece from Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe.

Goran Dragic and Javonte Green, two of the biggest contributors off the bench for the Bulls this season, were not at 100 percent. They combined for just three points and Green didn’t attempt a single shot in 11 minutes of action.