CHICAGO _ The tests keep coming for rookie Wendell Carter Jr., from Nikola Jokic in the final preseason game to Joel Embiid in the season opener to Andre Drummond in Saturday's home opener.
"It's his third straight All-Star," coach Fred Hoiberg said.
The tests also keep coming for a young Bulls team, who employ no All-Stars and who lost to the Pistons, 118-116, as Carter's education continued.
Ish Smith, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, shredded the Bulls' defense for a go-ahead layup with 5.4 seconds left. Zach LaVine, who had tied the game with a huge 3-pointer with 24 seconds left, lost control of the ball as he rose for a game-winning 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
With 33 points, LaVine joined Bob Love and Michael Jordan as the only Bulls in franchise history to post back-to-back, 30-point games to open the season.
Blake Griffin, with 33 points and 12 rebounds, led the Pistons.
As for Carter, there's a fine line between gaining experience and becoming overwhelmed. And when Carter outplayed Robin Lopez in preseason to earn the starting center spot, the Bulls began walking it.
Carter finished with eight points and two rebounds in 18 foul-plagued minutes, picking up his third before the second quarter reached its midway point. There are going to be such nights for the No. 7 overall pick, who won't turn 20 until April. "It's important to get a gauge on the strengths and weaknesses of the greatest bigs in our game so I get a taste of what I have to work on," Carter said. "My teammates have encouraged me.
"I just try to take (the opponent's) name out of it. Just look at them as a player. Look at what they do well and not so well and try to expose their weaknesses. I try not to focus too much on, 'Oh, it's Andre Drummond' and get caught up in any hype. Just take it down to the X's and O's."
Similar to his performance in Thursday's season opener, in which Embiid overpowered Carter early before Carter rallied, he acted undeterred by Saturday's early foul trouble. He blocked a shot that led to a LaVine transition opportunity. With a physical post up, he drew a foul on Zaza Pachulia, in for a similarly foul-plagued Drummond.
"You can't get frustrated. You have to continue to battle and do your job, which he'll do," Hoiberg said. "He plays beyond his years. He has a great future in this league."
So does LaVine, who consistently and effortlessly attacked the rim. He was 7 of 9 from the line and continued to prove the disjointed nature to his last season, in which he was returning from left ACL rehab, is behind him.
"Yeah, man. A year after that ACL, I feel I'm back to myself _ athletically, speed-wise, quickness, my legs under me. I just needed y'all to give me a little bit of time," LaVine said. "I was about 70 percent last year. I think I did all right. But it feels good to be back in my own skin."
But as good as LaVine was, Bobby Portis struggled. After scoring 20 points in the opener, Portis missed his first six shots and didn't crack the scoring column until 8 minutes, 8 seconds remained. He finished with six points and, to his credit, didn't let his offensive woes affect his effort. He also had 14 rebounds and five assists.
Though, like all Bulls, Portis struggled to contain Griffin.
The Bulls did get production from the point guard position after Cameron Payne failed to score in the opener when he replaced Kris Dunn, who remained on paternity leave Saturday. Payne scored eight points in the first 3:45 of the third quarter, while Ryan Arcidacono posted seven assists in 20 reserve minutes.
The Bulls only trailed 60-58 at halftime despite Portis failing score in the first half, the Pistons shooting 22 of their 23 free throws and outscoring the Bulls 27-6 from the 3-point line.
