Even in a Blowout, Bulls Keep Leash Tight

Tuesday night showed how narrowly the Chicago Bulls define development, even when the score invites more.

They led Los Angeles by double digits for all but the first 20 minutes, taking advantage of a Clippers team playing on the second night of a back-to-back without Kawhi Leonard, and rolled to a 138-110 victory.

There was plenty to enjoy in the box score — seven players in double figures, a franchise-record tying 25 threes, and a second-quarter surge that left the Clippers reeling. Still, the game was less a turning point than a confirmation of the team’s identity.

But the approach never shifted.

Even scoring 20 points for the 11th time this season, Matas Buzelis still faced lessons in judgment that reinforced the team’s focus on structure and development.

Early in the third quarter, Billy Donovan called a timeout after a defensive breakdown from the second-year forward gave James Harden the opening to find Kobe Sanders for a corner three.

“I just made some dumb decisions,” Buzelis told The Bigs. “I was helping off the strong-side corner. I gotta be better. I was trying to help Coby [White] on James [Harden], but he had him. It was just a bad decision by me.”

Less than two minutes later, Buzelis got caught with the ball late in the shot clock and tried to make something happen, but had his pocket picked. Donovan subbed him out at the very next dead ball.

“I don’t worry about it,” he said when asked what he’s learned about managing mistakes. “I just keep working, keep grinding out the game and whatever happens, happens. I’m going to stay aggressive. I try to just read the game, see what happens, which adjustments I can make and go out and stay aggressive.”

The sequence, from defensive lapses to immediate lessons, highlighted the balance Donovan strikes between allowing young players to contribute while holding them accountable.

Success is earned. Mistakes are immediate learning opportunities.

The rotation reflected the same philosophy. Three starters began the fourth quarter, with Isaac Okoro, Tre Jones, and Jalen Smith close behind despite Ty Lue emptying his bench.

After a successful first-half stint during which the Bulls outscored the Clippers by 11 points with him on the court, Dalen Terry returned only late.

Minutes are earned. Freedom is conditional, granted by the margin, not the desire to experiment.

Even in a lopsided win, the Bulls didn't stray from themselves. They executed efficiently, shared the ball, and stretched the floor against a weary opponent.

At 21-22 and ninth in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls exist in a familiar middle ground, and still continue to develop within a narrow leash that prioritizes order over exploration.

injuries, uneven stretches, and mounting external pressure have tested that approach without dislodging it. But patience has a shelf life.

As the season presses on, their commitment to stability will either be justified by clarity -- or challenged by the cost of refusing to accelerate.