The Chicago Bulls (12-3) could not slow the Memphis Grizzlies (6-6) en route to an 86-102 drubbing. With the Bulls suffering from injuries to PG Derrick Rose and G Richard Hamilton, the Bulls found themselves incapable of taking the lead on Monday afternoon.
Chicago trailed the entirety of the game after the first basket, despite coming as close as nine points early in the fourth quarter. Altogether, the team shot a regrettable .423 percentage, connecting on only one of the their 12 three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies maintained a devastating .540 field goal percentage. Had the Bulls not added 19 points from free throws, the game could have been out of control by halftime.
SF Luol Deng led the Bulls on offense, scoring 20 points while collecting 6 rebounds. PF Carlos Boozer led the team with 7 rebounds, despite playing only 27 minutes to Deng's 39, but he became a almost non-factor after putting up 10 quick points in the first quarter.
For the Grizzlies, SF Rudy Gay and PG Mike Conley proved unstoppable. The two Memphis players combined for 44 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.
The Bulls will be back in action on Tuesday night, taking on the Phoenix Suns at 7:00 PM CST.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Grizzlies information is available at Straight Outta Vancouver. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.