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    • Chet Holmgren and OKC Thunder defeated Bulls in Alex Caruso’s return to Chicago
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    Chet Holmgren and OKC Thunder defeated Bulls in Alex Caruso’s return to Chicago

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    CHICAGO — Billy Donovan hinted at the Bulls’ demise on Saturday night, hours before it happened.

    Take care of the ball, he said. That OKC lived and thrived by making offenses uncomfortable enough to cough up the ball, he warned.

    But Chicago’s fate was decided.

    The Thunder, perhaps the most annoying, infuriating, and handsiest team in the NBA, edged the Bulls to a 114-95 road victory. Donovan’s fears quickly unfolded.

    Before the fourth quarter, the Thunder had forced 21 turnovers. The Bulls finished with 26 turnovers.

    The Thunder’s guards, circling the Bulls’ ballhandlers, made a moment of calm seem rare. There were many more moments when they were rushed, or baited, or simply stripped of the ball and their will.

    One of the most laughable? Less than two minutes into the second half, Cason Wallace chased down Nikola Vucevic’s inbound attempt before coming up with a steal and a quick shot attempt.

    One of the most forgettable? The lane steals, the poked balls, the taps from behind that started to blend together.

    “It’s fun to watch,” guard Alex Caruso said. “Usually teams have one or two guys who do that, and I’m usually one of those two guys. But this team is full of guys who like to defend. … When you see guys play like that, it makes it easier for you to have good energy and play hard.

    The Thunder’s gaudy numbers deserve context; the Bulls had 21 turnovers in their season opener in New Orleans. Chicago is not absolved of all accusations of being a team that can’t keep the ball. But after shooting 8 for 40 from deep — putting the Thunder at 16 for 76 from there through the first two games — the Thunder’s defensive activity became a legitimate lifeline.

    Every questionable violation didn’t matter. Not the uncharacteristic first half of scoring, with unrecognizable fast breaks and paint scores. Or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (23 points, eight rebounds) tests his new pull-up 3 mid-game, going 2 for 9 from deep, his third-most 3-point attempts in any game in his career.

    If the Thunder is built on charismatically spouting platitudes and clichés, let him burst out with a smile: “The best offense is a good defense.” OKC appears to have a great defense, and the offense has been given room to expand later.

    Giddey & Thunder reunited

    Josh Giddey’s reunion with the Thunder hardly had the same vibe as when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen met Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics. There was no blood in the water. OKC wasn’t targeting him. Giddey posed for a photo with most of his former teammates as soon as the final buzzer sounded.

    If anything, the Thunder gave Giddey more respect on defense than most teams did a season ago. They played him closely as a ballhandler and didn’t often stray far from his line of sight as he approached the three-point line. Nothing annoying. Nothing like the way teams defended him last year.

    He finished Saturday’s game with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists on a team-high 14 shots.

    And for the young Thunder, the most notable victim of his rise to war still holds a dear place in their hearts.

    “I think you can dig into what this is,” center Chet Holmgren said, “because it is a business, and it is an extremely serious matter. But you can’t lose sight of the relationships you build with guys you know along the way.

    “I don’t think anyone has ever played with the same fifteen or seventeen people their entire career. That’s how the competition works. People and teams must do what is best for them from a business perspective. And you can’t blame anyone for that. When you go out and play against guys you know and really like, you still enjoy it.

    The season is young, and so is Holmgren. But after two games, the 7-footer seems virtually free of youthful shackles.

    He’s grabbing rebounds like a Venus flytrap and had a career-high of 16 rebounds on Saturday, just two days after collecting 14 in Denver.

    He scores differently, stretching his elastic limbs for putbacks and alley-oops on his way to 21 points on Saturday.

    Showing his added muscle, he pushes and pulls his way to eight free throw attempts, a third game with as many attempts this season, including preseason; In his rookie season, Holmgren only had eight games in which he attempted eight or more free throws.

    His defense remains the same, with him still denying shots he can reach (most of them) and altering shots around him (pretty much all of them). His assist block in the second half on Saturday looked like he had swatted a fly.

    Of course, Holmgren may have created his image growing up thinking of Kevin Durant. But in Year 2, he walks the line between mythical forward and respected big man. A man who can not only have an impact in the basket, but can also earn a living there.

    The Rim Reaper, if you will.

    After a year in which he was forced into difficult situations without a real center behind him, Holmgren’s growth is evident. And even in a similar situation, where Isaiah will miss Hartenstein for several weeks, Holmgren seems unfazed and returns to freedom as if Hartenstein were present.

    Holmgren continually posits the idea that progress is not linear. While objectively true, his growth in the NBA has essentially been just that. From now on, the uptrend will end when he decides it should.

    “He controls his destiny,” Caruso said of Holmgren. “Whatever he wants to achieve in this competition, he has it in front of him. He has the work ethic, he has the competitiveness. If you have the ability to get better, the desire to get better and the work ethic to get better – if you have those things, you can control your own destiny in the NBA.

    More: How Alex Caruso lives up to his reputation at OKC Thunder: ‘His fingerprints are on everything’

    Thunder vs. Bulls live score updates

    More: OKC Thunder ‘far superior’ to Denver Nuggets and more quick thoughts on the NBA season opener

    What time is Thunder vs. Bulls

    • Date: Saturday October 26
    • Time: 7pm CT
    • Where: United Center in Chicago

    More: OKC Thunder vs Chicago Bulls: prediction, picks, injury updates and odds

    What channel is OKC Thunder vs Chicago Bulls on today?

    • TV: FanDuel Sports Network
    • Watch online: Fubo (free trial)
    • Radio: WWLS 98.1FM

    More: OKC Thunder Predictions: Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. win the NBA title in 2024-2025?

    Thunder vs. Bulls Odds

    Odds courtesy of via BetMGM as of Friday, October 25

    Chances: Thunder with 9.5

    Top/bottom: 229.5

    Moneyline: OKC-450 | Chicago +333

    More: How the OKC Thunder roster was built to protect the King: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

    OKC Thunder roster

    • Alex Caruso, PG
    • Ousmane Dieng, SF
    • Luguentz Dort, SG
    • Alex Ducas, SG*
    • Adam Flagler, PG
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, SG
    • Isaiah Hartenstein, C
    • Chet Holmgren, PF
    • Isaiah Joe, SG
    • Dillon Jones, S.F
    • Ajay Mitchell, S.G.*
    • Alex Reese, PF
    • Nikola Topić, PG
    • Cason Wallace, S.G
    • Aaron Wiggins, S.G
    • Jalen Williams, S.G
    • Jaylin Williams, PF
    • Kenrich Williams, PF

    *-two-way contract

    More: What does the new OKC Thunder arena look like? Why architect David Manica is not yet certain

    OKC Thunder schedule

    October 24: Thunder 102, Nuggets 87

    October 26: in Chicago, 7 p.m

    October 27: Atlanta, 6 p.m

    October 30: San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

    November 1: in Portland, 9 p.m

    November 2: at LA Clippers, 9:30 p.m

    More: OKC Thunder Bold Predictions: What Will Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Do?

    Thunder vs. Bulls Highlights

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