Bulls vs. Hawks recap: comfortable win as Bulls now 3-1 since LaVine’s return

The Bulls had a fairly routine 113-97 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday afternoon, though notable as it was the first time the Bulls have held an opponent to below 100 points since a Dec. 27 game against the New York Knicks. Lauri Markkanen (8-for-16 with 19 points) and Robin Lopez (9-for-13 from the field for 20 points) dominated in the middle.

Despite the solid scoring output, Markkanen failed to knock down a 3-point field goal, denying himself of another rookie record.

With Dunn ruled out for the game Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans, we’ll likely see more of Ryan Arcidiacono who played surprisingly well after looking lost in his only other NBA appearance this season (in the Bulls first game of the season against the Toronto Raptors). He was a +9 on Saturday afternoon, pouring in eight points and dishing out four assists in 22 minutes of playing time.

Zach LaVine had a forgettable game though, finishing with eight points on 2-for-9 from the field including this dud.

The Bulls starting lineup was a +10 through the first 4:53 of the game as the Bulls never trailed.

Only two Atlanta Hawks finished in double-digit scoring (Dennis Schroder with 18 points and Dewayne Dedmon with 11 points) and the Hawks finished 38 percent from the field and 22.9 percent from behind the 3-point line. Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli shot a combined 0-for-12 from the field as the Hawks shot their way out of this game early.

If you think there’s a proper way to tank, The Hawks may be your aspiration. Atlanta holds the third-worst record in the NBA while the Bulls are looking at a late lottery pick at this point. For the tank enthusiasts that didn't like the win, Stacey King’s Nationwide jingle was the highlight of the game.