Recapping the Chicago Bulls: With DeMar DeRozan out, a 4th-quarter collapse results in a 104-89 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies

A .500 record remained elusive for the Chicago Bulls, whose three-game winning streak ended with a 104-89 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday at FedEx Forum.

After overcoming a 15-point deficit to lead by three through three quarters, the Bulls fell apart in the fourth without closer DeMar DeRozan, who was sidelined by a sore right hip.

The Bulls have yet to string together more than three consecutive wins this season, keeping them trapped in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings.

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• The Bulls offense stumbled through the first half as they struggled to match blows with the Grizzlies, who overpowered them around the rim even with center Steven Adams sidelined. The Grizzlies swatted away shots and forced turnovers to keep the Bulls from developing a rhythm. The Bulls scored only 14 points and made only five baskets in the first quarter.
• Zach LaVine didn’t make a field goal until the final four minutes of the first half — but his main challenge throughout the night was his lack of efficiency from the free-throw line. LaVine entered the game shooting better than 80% from the stripe but went 10-for-17 on Tuesday.
• Costly errors led to yet another breakdown for the Bulls, who coughed up 13 turnovers in the first half. They fueled their third-quarter run by cutting out mistakes with only two turnovers in the quarter. But they had six more in the fourth as the Grizzlies mounted their final surge.
• The third-quarter lead didn’t last long for the Bulls as the Grizzlies regained their advantage four minutes into the fourth. A 10-0 run put the Grizzlies up 92-82 with less than five minutes remaining. Without DeRozan, the Bulls offense faltered as LaVine attempted to shoulder the responsibility of late scoring through tremulous shooting (2 of 7 on 3-pointers). The Bulls made only five field goals in the quarter.

• Despite their sluggish start, the Bulls were able to erase a 15-point deficit and take an eight-point advantage in the third quarter. They first chipped the Grizzlies lead down to four in the second quarter, but Memphis went on a 6-0 run to close the half with a 10-point lead. Forward Patrick Williams and center Nikola Vučević led the third-quarter charge, combining to go 9-for-13 from the field as the Bulls outscored the Grizzlies 36-23 in the quarter.

The slow offensive start was accentuated by a drought behind the 3-point arc. The Bulls missed their first 11 attempts until Ayo Dosunmu snapped the streak in the second quarter. Although 3-point shooting picked up somewhat in the second half, the Bulls still finished 7-for-35 (20%).

While DeRozan was sidelined with a sore right hip, Alex Caruso returned after missing two games with a sore left foot following an awkward landing in last week’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.

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The Bulls fell to 26-28 and remained ninth in the Eastern Conference.

The road trip continues Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets and Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.