The Bulls never held a lead in a 134-99 loss at Boston and fell to 1-3. The good news came Tuesday: Patrick Williams was upgraded and targets an October 28 return against New York.
Williams back in play. Williams went from out to day-to-day on October 27 with the right groin issue that sat him Monday, and his estimated return is October 28 against the Knicks. Noa Essengue was cleared Sunday and finished the Boston game on the floor. Chicago needs both bodies on the wing.
Boston never blinked. Chicago trailed by as many as 40. A 12-0 run in the second quarter cut it to 44-40, and that was as close as it got. Boston won the third 39-21, and Payton Pritchard hit 7 of 10 threes off the bench for 28 points.
Powell kept swinging. Norman Powell gave an honest 24 minutes: 20 points, 4-of-7 from deep, 6-of-7 at the stripe and four steals. Caleb Wilson scored 17 on 7-of-15 but went 1-for-5 from three with three turnovers. Leonard Miller pulled down nine boards in 14 minutes.
The number. A 120.2 defensive rating through four games, against a 101.8 offensive rating. That is a net of minus-18.3, and nobody wins like that. Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times wrote that the defense remains an ongoing issue. Monday backed him up.
Buzelis and the bench. Matas Buzelis scored 11 on 3-of-6 shooting, but his minus-27 was the worst of any starter. Cowley also called it a forgettable start for Buzelis. Buddy Hield's minus-29 came in just 13 minutes. The reserves managed 27 points to the starters' 66.
Where it stands. Chicago is 1-3 on a two-game skid, sitting 11th in the East: a half game behind Orlando for 10th and 1.5 behind Cleveland for sixth. Nic Claxton's hamstring has an estimated return of November 4. The open question is who guards the arc until he's back.
When will Patrick Williams return for the Bulls?
He was upgraded to day-to-day on October 27 with a right groin issue. His estimated return is October 28 against the Knicks.
When does Nic Claxton make his Bulls debut?
His hamstring still has him sidelined. His estimated return is November 4, at New York.
