CHICAGO _ While the Bulls preach patience in the midst of the third season of their rebuilding process, the Pelicans accelerated their rebuild last summer. They ignited the process with a strong return in the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers, then they benefited from some lottery luck to land the No.1 pick in the draft, which they used to draft phenom Zion Williamson.
The disparity between the two rosters was on full display during the Bulls' 125-119 loss to the Pelicans on Thursday night at the United Center, the Bulls' fourth straight loss.
Williamson had his way in the paint, bulldozing past a shorthanded frontcourt with ease to score 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting in 25 minutes. The Pelicans were not met with much resistance all night by the Bulls, who are missing their top two defenders, Wendell Carter Jr. and Kris Dunn.
The Bulls struggled defensively for the third straight game. The Pelicans assisted on 38 of their 49 field goals and shot 56.3% from the field. They scored 72 points in the first half. By the end of the third quarter, they had surpassed the triple-digit mark with 103 points, which led to some boos.
A late 23-4 run by the Bulls' reserves, led by a spirited charge from guard Adam Mokoka, helped cut the deficit down to four points late before the Pelicans sealed the game. Mokoka scored 15 points in five minutes, making all six of his field-goal attempts. The 21-year-old rookie from France had not scored in 17 minutes of NBA action in five games going into Thursday.
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