The Windy City Bulls lost to the Texas Legends by a score of 107-98, as they fall to 1-2 in their inaugural season. The Bulls showed signs of making a comeback but end up falling well short, despite an incredible game by Aaron Thomas, who dropped 30 points to lead the game in scoring.
Thomas, who was once a star on the Florida State Seminoles in 2014, leading the team in scoring, brought that shining light with him to the pros. This brand new basketball team is showing that they have guys that can heat up on any given night.
On the historic opening night, it was J.J. Avila who poured in the scoring, with 21 points and he also added six assists and nine rebounds. Avila is also a player who had one of the most legendary statistical seasons for the Naval Academy, where his 357 point year was good for third all-time in school history.
As for Thomas, he is no stranger to putting the ball in the basket, as he averaged over 14 points during his junior year at Florida State. He also was known for his impressive ball handling skills at Brewster Academy high school, and was even dubbed the “Quiet Assassin” by the Basketball Diary.
Quietly, he nearly helped bring the Bulls back from a double-digit deficit along with some continued solid play from Spencer Dinwiddie among others. Dinwiddie’s play may not come as a surprise for people who watched him during his short time with both the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the NBA.
Despite what already seems to be a roller coaster career for the young guard, having played for a few teams between the D-League and NBA, he has proven to be quite a spark plug. That spark showed as early as college, as, during his freshman year, he helped the Colorado Buffaloes reach their first NCAA tournament since 2003.
Dinwiddie even has some national team experience, having played in the Universiade in Russia in 2013. There, he led the team with 44 assists, showing that he is more than just a solid scorer, and he was also the only Pac-12 player represented on the team.
Despite the scoring outburst by Thomas and balanced play of Dinwiddie, Manny Harris and the Texas Legends were just too much to handle. Harris dropped 22 points, just a game after he racked up 49 against the Maine Red Claws, a game in which they lost.
The 27-year old Harris has played virtually everywhere, including the NBA, D-League and overseas. Harris enjoyed a very solid college career at Michigan, where he was a Big Ten All-Conference player three years in a row, and a two-time Big Ten Academic All-Conference as well.
Unfortunately for Harris, injuries have slowed down his professional career which included playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But, it’s fair to say that he has found a home with the Texas Legends, as he is already becoming one of the D-League’s most dangerous scorers.
As for the Bulls, they have proven once again that they have an extremely versatile, where anybody can come out of nowhere to have a great game. But, some lockdown defense by Texas made it tough for the Bulls to get some baskets.
They also continue to struggle behind the three-point line as well. Texas also had issues, shooting a lower percentage than the Bulls behind the arc, but their defense and ability to score on the inside, helped them cruise to the win.
Let’s see if the Bulls can turn it around in their next game against the Oklahoma City Blue on Nov. 25th. Be sure to catch all of the action on the official broadcast home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.