Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey sends urgent warning to team

The bench helped the Bulls earn the win after a long night in Utah on Sunday.

Ayo Dosunmu was tied with Josh Giddey for a team-high 21 points. All Chicago starters were double-digit minuses on the +/- scale, but the bench had four on the double-digit plus side, including Dosunmu, who led the team with a +25 in 26 minutes.

The team effort helped overcome a toasty night by star center Nikola Jokic, who earned a triple-double with a game-high 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists. But he missed a 36-foot three-point attempt as time expired to allow the Bulls to improve to 7-6.

Jokic accounted for 11 points in the final six minutes, but fortunately, Chicago was able to force a stop on the Nuggets’ final offensive possession.

Star Jamal Murray also had a big night, scoring 34 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

Josh Giddey on the Chicago Bulls’ defense

Following the game, Giddey had a message for the Bulls, suggesting they needed to alter their defensive strategy as stars have dominated Chicago in the final minutes during the five-game losing streak.

“It’s been an issue for us where the main guys have gotten off in the fourth quarter and taken over games,” Giddey told reporters, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We can’t leave that responsibility to one person. Every team is going to their best guy down the stretch.

“We can’t leave guys on an island to guard these guys because they’re too good, too big.”

A favorable schedule is upcoming

The Bulls won’t have to deal with a superstar when they play the 6-7 Portland Trailblazers on Wednesday night to wrap up a three-game trip against Western Conference teams.

Chicago has a favorable schedule upcoming to end November. Only the Miami Heat (8-6) has a winning record in the next six contests.

But Giddey’s message needs to be taken to heart when the Bulls play the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks in December.

It’s the only way the Bulls can avoid being a Play-In Tournament team… or worse.