LaVine drops 37 as Bulls rally over Grizzlies

[October 26, 2019]  Zach LaVine scored 37 points, Coby White added 25 and the Chicago Bulls stormed back for a 110-102 win over the host Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

The Bulls trailed by as many as 14 points and did not get their first lead of the night until White hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 95-94 with 3:54 to go. Chicago outscored Memphis 63-42 during the second half.

Jaren Jackson Jr. posted a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead Memphis in its home opener. Teammate Jonas Valanciunas also notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards.

The Bulls ended the game on a 12-1 run in the final 2:17. White and LaVine made back-to-back layups to spark the outburst, as Tomas Satoransky and LaVine combined to go 6-for-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch.

After White's go-ahead 3-pointer, the Grizzlies regrouped to go up 101-98 with 2:29 remaining. Jae Crowder and Ja Morant made back-to-back shots to prompt a full timeout by Bulls coach Jim Boylen.

The Bulls closed the third quarter on a 9-2 run to pull within 81-79. White's basket with 2:17 to go in the quarter started the rally, and he added a driving layup and 3-pointer to account for all but two points during the run.

Memphis led 60-47 at the half thanks in part to a strong second quarter in which it outscored Chicago 31-22.

A floating jump shot by Shaquille Harrison pulled the Bulls within 29-27 in the first minute of the second quarter. But the Grizzlies quickly established a double-digit edge with a 9-1 run that included a jump shot and a 3-pointer from Marko Guduric, plus a 3-pointer and a free throw from Grayson Allen.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) dribbles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks (24) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Clarke capped the first-half scoring with a layup with 22.7 seconds remaining.

Memphis posted a 56-45 advantage on the glass in a losing effort, including a 15-9 edge in offensive rebounds.

Grizzlies rookie Morant finished with 10 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in his second NBA contest.

--Field Level Media

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