OKLAHOMA CITY _ With Justin Holiday back in Chicago after the birth of his first child and Paul Zipser slumping, Fred Hoiberg changed the starting lineup again on Wednesday.
He even did so twice, trying a different look to open the second half.
Opening the game with Kris Dunn and Quincy Pondexter didn't halt the slow starts. In fact, until the lineup contains Zach LaVine _ and even then _ there could be more of the same. Such is the nature of the rebuild, although the non-competitive losses are starting to accumulate.
That's five straight losses overall, three of the blowout variety, after the Thunder ran away and hid in a 92-79 victory.
The Bulls set a franchise-low for fewest first-quarter points with seven _ just one more than the franchise-low for any quarter. Combined with the Thunder's 101-69 beatdown at the United Center last month, the Bulls concluded the two-game season series with a 45-point deficit.
Saturday in San Antonio, the Bulls trailed 37-15 after the first quarter. This time, it was 27-7 with the Bulls posting more turnovers than points, finishing with eight. Overall, the Bulls committed 17 turnovers, which the Thunder converted into 22 points.
Dunn starting alongside Jerian Grant was known. Pondexter starting over Denzel Valentine for the slumping Zipser was not, and a mild surprise.
"I like Denzel in the role he's in coming off the bench," Hoiberg said before the game. "We need a playmaker and scorer in that second unit."
But after a first half in which the Bulls trailed 58-34 and Grant committed two turnovers and missed some defensive assignments, Valentine started the second half for Grant.
"If I come in off the bench and provide good minutes and finish the game, it's just like getting the same satisfaction as starting," Valentine said. "Of course at some point I want to start in my NBA career. But this is my role right now and I'll take this any day over what went on last year. Coach is trusting in me."
A former lottery pick not starting over either a second-round pick in Zipser or someone who has missed the last two seasons to injury in Pondexter isn't ideal optics for a rebuild. But Hoiberg tried to paint a rosier picture and Valentine scored 13 points.
"What he showed in college is he's a very versatile player. And I think he has shown some of those qualities, especially this year on a young team where he really has taken over that lead playmaking role," Hoiberg said. "Even though the ball isn't in his hands bringing the ball up the floor and initiating the offense, we are running a lot through him. And he has made good decisions for the most part. Denzel has a bright future. There's no doubt about that. He's finishing a lot of games for us."
As for starting games, Dunn didn't distinguish himself in his first such designation as a Bull. He missed his first nine shots and, like a lot of players, struggled to contain Russell Westbrook, who finished with a game-high points.
Lauri Markkanen and Antonio Blakeney led Bulls with 16 points each
"I'm making too many costly turnovers," Dunn said.
He had company.
