Preview: Bulls at Nets

[October 31, 2016]  The Chicago Bulls are not taking as long as expected to come together, but a stretch of 11 road games in the next 14 looms to test the chemistry between Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Jimmy Butler and company. The Bulls will kick off that stretch by visiting the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

The Bulls already knocked off two teams with plans to contend with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown in the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers to kick off the season, and all the new players seem to be buying into the team-first concept so far. "Offensively we moved the ball exceptionally well," Wade told reporters after a 118-101 win over the Pacers on Saturday. "It's good to see this early in the season. We have the format to how we need to play." The Nets have a home win over the Pacers on their resume as well but dropped two games on the road already. Brooklyn thought it had forced overtime in Milwaukee on Saturday before a last-second tip left it with a 110-108 loss.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, CSN Chicago, YES (New York)

ABOUT THE BULLS (2-0): Chicago was able to fly under the radar a bit in its own city during the first week of the regular season thanks to the Cubs being in the World Series for the first time since 1945, but the fans that stayed on the south side of town and went to the Bulls game on Saturday night saw a team filled with high-priced stars that let reserve forward Doug McDermott take the most shots. McDermott, who had his fourth-year contract option picked up by the team on Friday, buried 5-of-6 from 3-point range en route to a team-high 23 points in the win over Indiana. The strong effort from the bench allowed the starters to rest a bit more, with Butler's 26 minutes ranking as the most among the starting five.

ABOUT THE NETS (1-2): Brooklyn gave one of its key players a little extra rest on Saturday as well by not even taking center Brook Lopez on the trip for the second night of the back-to-back. The decision was an organizational one aimed at keeping Lopez healthy throughout the season, and the Nets plan to give several players planned days off throughout the season. "We just take kind of a holistic approach to each player and their development and playing time,” coach Kenny Atkinson told Newsday. "I’m sure in the future you will have questions about some other guys on our team. We’re all on board. Again, we want peak performance for the long-term."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nets G Greivis Vasquez (ankle) left Saturday's game and is day-to-day.

2. Rondo is 3-of-14 from the field in the first two games but totaled 22 assists.

3. Chicago took five of the last seven in the series, including its last three trips to Brooklyn.

PREDICTION: Bulls 101, Nets 99

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