6 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ 130-113 win, including Andre Drummond’s 10K milestone and Alex Caruso’s bruised arm

The Chicago Bulls snapped a three-game skid with a decisive 130-113 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

It was a season high in scoring for the Bulls as eight players scored in double digits. Zach LaVine logged 24 points and DeMar DeRozan added 21, while Coby White dished out eight assists.

Here are six takeaways from the game.

1. The Bulls capitalized on Jazz mistakes.

One scoring margin set the tone for the entire game — points off turnovers.

The Bulls dominated this category, taking advantage of plentiful Utah mistakes. The Jazz turned the ball over 22 times, resulting in 30 points. The Bulls turned the ball over eight times, and the Jazz scored only one point off those mistakes.

Scoring off opponent mistakes was already a strong suit for the Bulls, who averaged 19 points off turnovers (11th in the NBA) entering Monday’s game. But this was their most clinical display of making an opponent pay for its errors.

2. Heating up behind the arc.

The Bulls have not been a strong 3-point shooting team this season, hitting at a 34% clip in their first seven games. But Monday the shooting scales began to tip in their favor as they finished 18-for-34 behind the arc. White went 4-for-6 and Jevon Carter was 4-for-8.

The total attempts reflected improvement upon the team’s goal to take more 3-pointers this season, especially in a game dominated by open-court play.

3. Lauri Markkanen stood out against his former team.

The one bright spot for the Jazz was Lauri Markkanen, who dished out another explosive performance against his former team.

Markkanen was drafted No. 7 in 2017 and acquired by the Bulls in the same trade that brought LaVine to Chicago. He struggled with a stagnant start to his career with the Bulls and watched his scoring numbers dwindle in a frustrating stretch from 2019 to 2021, when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But in Utah, Markkanen has found himself. He earned his first All-Star selection last season while averaging 25.6 points, forging an identity as one of the most efficient scorers in the league.

Markkanen led the Jazz with 29 points Monday, adding five rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.

“You knew how good he was when he was here, and then you really didn’t get to see how good he was until he left,” LaVine said. “It’s unfortunate, but I’m so happy for him and his career and his development and the type of person he is. We still talk and text to this day. It’s great to see the man he’s become.”

4. Jevon Carter led the bench unit.

Carter continues to bring an immediate lift to the Bulls off the bench as the primary guard in the second rotation. He scored 12 points on 4-for-8 3-point shooting, taking all of his shots behind the arc.

Carter also was the defensive marshal of the bench unit as it pressured the Jazz along the perimeter to force errors, then immediately pushed the pace in the open court once a turnover occurred.

5. Andre Drummond recorded his 10,000th career rebound.

Drummond etched his name in the history books in the first half when he recorded his 10,000th career rebound.

He’s the 43rd player in NBA history with 10,000 or more rebounds — and one of only three active players alongside DeAndre Jordan and LeBron James. Pau Gasol and Dennis Rodman are the only other players to reach the milestone while playing for the Bulls.

Drummond finished the game with seven rebounds.

6. Alex Caruso played through a bruised right arm.

Caruso played a normal rotation while he continued to nurse a bruised right arm, which he banged up after a hard collision while completing a dunk Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.

Caruso stayed in Saturday’s game for one minute and briefly attempted to return in the second half, but coach Billy Donovan quickly pulled him when it became clear Caruso was playing through pain.

On Monday, Caruso wore a heat pack and wrap on his right arm whenever he wasn’t in the game. Despite any discomfort, Caruso brought the same consistency the Bulls have come to expect — 10 points, an assist and a steal in 20 minutes.