Bulls at Nets
Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are still dealing with the emotions connected with the death of Kobe Bryant but are at least back in the win column after toppling the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The Nets will try to make it back-to-back victories when they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Irving sat out a 110-97 loss at New York on Sunday shortly after Bryant's death was reported and was emotional during a pregame tribute to his mentor before scoring 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting in Wednesday's 125-115 triumph. "I had that mentorship relationship with him, where I was able to ask him almost anything," Irving told reporters of Bryant. "You know, no matter how nervous I was or how fearful I was, he was just easy to approach with those type of questions about what goes on in the day-in and day-out basis of chasing something that's bigger than yourself and when you're trying to leave a legacy or something of a mark on a game." The Bulls put up a fight in the opener of a three-game road trip on Wednesday but ultimately could not find enough scoring to make up for a poor shooting night from star guard Zach LaVine. "We have to be a better team," LaVine told reporters after falling 115-106 at Indiana on Wednesday. "We can beat the bad teams, but can't beat any of the good ones, it's pretty self-explanatory."
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Chicago, YES
ABOUT THE BULLS (19-31): LaVine scored 20 points on Wednesday but went 7-of-23 from the floor, including 1-of-11 from beyond the arc, and struggled down the stretch. "I'm upset with myself, I played (terribly)," LaVine told reporters. "I missed shots I should make. I made a bad decision. I just couldn't close the game for us today." LaVine had a string of 12 consecutive games leading Chicago in scoring come to an end as small forward Chandler Hutchinson came off the bench and scored a season-high 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the loss.
ABOUT THE NETS (20-26): Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who was one of several players to announce that he would be changing his jersey number in honor of Bryant, scored 28 points on 8-of-13 shooting in Wednesday win while coming off the bench behind Irving. Dinwiddie is averaging 23 points in 33 starts and 17.3 in 13 games as a reserve. Joining Irving and Dinwiddie at 20-plus club on Wednesday was forward Taurean Prince, who scored 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting - his highest point total since posting 23 at Atlanta on Dec. 4.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets SF Joe Harris is 2-of-11 from 3-point range over the last two games and is shooting 31 percent from beyond the arc this month.
2. Chicago PF Thaddeus Young scored in double figures in each of the last four games while starting in place of PF Lauri Markkanen (pelvis).
3. Brooklyn earned a 117-111 win at Chicago on Nov. 16 as Dinwiddie and Harris combined for 46 points.