CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls made 17 of their 20 shots in the first quarter Wednesday night and led the San Antonio Spurs by 22 in the second. San Antonio still won 124-119, its 10th straight victory, behind 32 points from Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama went 13-for-18 from the field with 9 rebounds and 5 blocks, and he scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter. The game came two days after he scored 40 in a win over the Phoenix Suns, and it closed a 4-0 road trip for San Antonio. He is averaging 30.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.4 blocks.
Dylan Harper finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals, and De’Aaron Fox added 17 points, 11 of them in the first quarter, with 9 assists and 3 steals. San Antonio had 16 steals and turned the ball over only six times.
From 22 Down To In Front
Chicago opened 10-of-12 from 3-point range and pushed its lead to 64-42 on a Nic Claxton free throw with 5:03 left in the second quarter. The Bulls shot 65.9% in the first half and led 70-56 at the break.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said afterward that his team lacked physicality and resistance in that half. “Just a really sloppy performance from us defensively in the first half,” he said.
The Spurs came out of halftime on an 18-3 run, with Chicago turning it over five times along the way. Harper’s 3-pointer tied it at 73 with 8:05 left, and Wembanyama’s free throw after a technical foul on Jalen Smith gave the Spurs a 74-73 lead nine seconds later. San Antonio did not commit a turnover in the quarter and outscored Chicago 20-10 in the paint, winning the period 34-19 for a 90-89 lead going into the fourth.
“We’re careless with the ball, and you know, against a team like this, you play 12 bad minutes and they beat you,” Bulls coach Tiago Splitter said.
San Antonio started the fourth on an 11-2 run, capped by a Stephon Castle layup off a Harper steal for a 101-91 lead with 9:36 left. Wembanyama’s step-back 3-pointer made it 107-94, and the Spurs led by as many as 15.
Smith led Chicago with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting hitting all five of his 3-point attempts, tying his career high. Claxton scored 17 off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, made 7 of 9 free throws, and had 6 rebounds.
“Pretty much just shoot the ball,” Smith said.
Chicago shot 57.9%, made 15 of 29 3-pointers, and assisted on 33 baskets. Its 19 turnovers led to 22 San Antonio points, with Josh Giddey committing 7 and Matas Buzelis 6. Giddey also had 9 points and 7 assists, and Buzelis scored 13. The Bulls outrebounded San Antonio 40-33 and made 16 of 18 free throws.
“They turned up the physicality, and we didn’t punch back. I didn’t punch back,” Buzelis said.
For the game, the Spurs shot 50% with 32 assists, went 13-of-34 from 3-point range, and held a 66-56 edge in the paint and a 21-6 edge on fast breaks. Julian Champagnie scored 12, Castle added 11, and Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant had 10 each.
Caleb Wilson Leaves As Bulls Lose Eighth Straight
Caleb Wilson scored 15 points in 15 minutes on 5-of-7 shooting. He checked out with 9:21 left in the third quarter, shortly after a three-point play, and did not return because of a right hand injury. Wilson’s college season was cut short last winter by two hand injuries. He is averaging 18.9 points.
Chicago fell to 1-9 with its eighth straight loss and is 0-4 at home. Norman Powell, the Bulls’ second-leading scorer, missed his second straight game, listed with low back spasms. San Antonio guard Devin Vassell missed his second straight game, listed with left adductor tightness.
The Spurs, now 10-2, host the Golden State Warriors on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT. The Bulls host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, then play at Minnesota on Saturday.
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