Vit Krejci sets career highs with 18 points, 6 3s as Hawks beat Bulls 113-101
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 01: Alex Caruso #6 of the Chicago Bulls guards Dejounte Murray #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at the United Center on April 1, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO - Vit Krejci set career highs with 18 points and six 3-pointers, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 20 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls 113-101 Monday night in a matchup between potential play-in tournament opponents.
Krejci made all six field-goal attempts and surpassed his previous highs of 16 points and four 3s, helping Atlanta win for the fifth time in six games.
Dejounte Murray scored 17 points and Clint Capela added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the 10th-place Hawks moved within a half-game of the ninth-place Bulls in the Eastern Conference. Chicago owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after taking two of three from Atlanta and would host a play-in game if the teams finish tied.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 31 points. Coby White scored 22. Ayo Dosunmu added 15 points, and Andre Drummond had 13 points and 18 rebounds.
Bogdanovic made 6 of 7 shots, including a pair of 3s. The hot-shooting Hawks nailed 19 of 40 from beyond the arc.
The Hawks led by 17 late in the third quarter and were never seriously threatened after that.
Krejci, a third-year pro from the Czech Republic, almost matched his career scoring high in the first half. He made all five shots — each from beyond the arc — nailing one just before the halftime buzzer to give the Hawks a 61-53 lead.
Murray scored 11 in the half and made three 3s, and the Hawks were 14 of 26 on 3-pointers through the first two quarters.
The Bulls' Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery) was in Chicago, and Zach LaVine (right foot surgery) and Patrick Williams (left foot surgery) were flying in to continue their rehab. Javonte Green missed the game to tend to a family matter. His 10-day contract was also set to expire.
Hawks guard AJ Griffin (right high ankle sprain) is participating in individual basketball activities and will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days. Forward Mouhamed Gueye (sprained right UCL) is going through full contact workouts, and center Onyeka Okongwu (sprained left big toe) has resumed individual activities. He will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host Detroit on Wednesday.
Bulls: Host New York on Friday.