7 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Atlanta Hawks, including Ayo Dosunmu’s 1st NBA buzzer-beater

The Chicago Bulls won their second straight game Wednesday, beating the Atlanta Hawks 110-108 on the second night of back-to-back road games.

The Bulls improved to 13-18 but remained in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Here are seven takeaways from the win.

Dosunmu rebounded a DeMar DeRozan miss and banked in the putback as time expired. The teams traded punches throughout the final two minutes as Zach LaVine tied the game, then sent the Bulls ahead by two. The Hawks tied the game twice in the final minute on Onyeka Okongwu dunks that sandwiched a DeRozan basket, returning the ball to the Bulls with four seconds remaining for one final possession.

Coach Billy Donovan drew it up for DeRozan to take the game-winner, but the veteran shot an air ball. Dosunmu, who started the play from well outside the arc, flew to the right block to track down the rebound.

The final minutes harked back to the last time the teams faced off 10 days earlier. The Bulls appeared to have that game clinched with half a second left in overtime after DeRozan was fouled on a 3-pointer and hit all three free throws. But the Hawks won on an improbable inbound lob to AJ Griffin for the game-winner.

This time it was Dosunmu delivering the unexpected final blow to keep the game from going to overtime.

“I knew before the play DeMar was going to shoot it. The coaching staff said to just crash,” Dosunmu said after the game. “The way we are this season, we need every game. I just wanted to make an impact on the game.

“Two in a row, that’s how you build. We know what we’re capable of, we know our potential. Now it’s just about us going out there and making it happen.”

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After a series of slow starts and early deficits earlier in the season, the Bulls continued a trend of improvement in Atlanta by leading 30-25 after the first quarter and 61-51 at halftime. LaVine tallied eight points and three assists in the first quarter.

The Bulls continued to set the tone for the rest of the half, scoring 10 points off 10 turnovers and holding the Hawks to 36.4% shooting before the break.

Dosunmu’s basket with 5:34 left in the half gave the Bulls a 50-32 lead, and they seemed set to run away with a blowout win. But the Hawks quickly took advantage of sloppy shooting and poor decision-making, clawing their way back to a five-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

It was clear this week could be the type of moment to make or break this Bulls team. Reports swirled of verbal altercations between players in the locker room after Sunday’s blowout loss in Minnesota. Players and coaches publicly decried the team’s effort and cohesion both on and off the court. And with a four-game losing streak sinking them further in the East, the Bulls desperately needed these wins.

Winning back-to-back on the road in a gritty fashion was perhaps the best-case scenario. The Bulls’ big three led the way in both games. DeRozan had 28 points, six rebounds and five assists Wednesday, LaVine finished with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists and Nikola Vučević had 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Bulls have one more road game Friday against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden before returning home. Coming back on a winning streak could be the morale boost this team needs to return to some semblance of rhythm.

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Dosunmu matched up with Young throughout the night after previously shutting down the Hawks guard in a February game last season, holding him to 3-for-17 shooting and forcing four turnovers. The Bulls couldn’t find the same defensive answers Wednesday for Young, who scored a game-high 34 points.

While Young often made his own opportunities through crafty ballhandling, the Bulls also gave him too much room on several plays. LaVine and Dosunmu both left Young wide open behind the 3-point arc in the third quarter, giving him time to square his shoulders and take a deep breath before sinking a shot to pull the Hawks within five points.

Young cooled off in the fourth quarter after his blazing start, though, taking only three shots and scoring two points.

It was all Young from the 3-point arc through the first three quarters. He shot 7-for-13 on 3s while the rest of his team went 2-for-14. But the Hawks finally found a shooting rhythm in the fourth quarter. Griffin sank three 3-pointers to open the quarter as the Hawks went 5-for-9 from behind the arc to close the game.

The Bulls, meanwhile, went ice cold from 3-point range, missing all four of their attempts in the fourth quarter and finishing 7-for-24. Vučević (2 of 7) was the only player to make more than one 3-pointer.

Injury worries grew for the Bulls after Caruso suffered a right shoulder sprain in the second quarter. It occurred in Caruso’s signature style — diving parallel to the court to punch a ball away for a steal, then crashing to the hardwood after a midair collision with a Hawks player.

Caruso missed half of last season with a litany of injuries, including a fractured wrist, back spasms and sprains to his ankle and foot. His availability has been better this season but remains a concern. Dosunmu filled in for Caruso for the remainder of the game.

The Bulls already were missing Dragić (left ankle soreness), Jones (left ankle sprain) and Green (right knee soreness). Injuries have prevented Donovan from experimenting with a new starting lineup featuring Green and Caruso, which he debuted for a single game against the Golden State Warriors before both players were sidelined.

Terry recorded one rebound in five minutes off the bench after a dogged journey to Atlanta.

The rookie was called back up Tuesday night shortly after starting for the Windy City Bulls in the semifinals of the G League Showcase Cup in Las Vegas. Terry tallied 15 points and eight rebounds for the Windy City Bulls, who won 95-94 on Carlik Jones’ buzzer-beater.

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The next morning, Terry and fellow guard Malcolm Hill woke at 4:30 to meet the Bulls in Atlanta, cramming their 6-foot-7 and 6-6 bodies into middle seats on a commercial flight.

When asked by reporters before the game how he felt, Terry responded with his standard humor: “I’m 20.”