Windy City Bulls Earn Home Victory Over Santa Cruz

The Windy City Bulls, presented by BMO, the NBA G League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls, beat the Santa Cruz Warriors 116-112 Thursday afternoon. Windy City was led by guard Javon Freeman-Liberty’s 18 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists off the bench.

After trailing by three at the end of the first quarter, Windy City took command with a 41 point quarter. The Bulls led 67-58 at the break after Chicago Bulls Two-Way guard Carlik Jones scored 15 points in the first half.

The Warriors scored 34 points in the third quarter to tie the game 92-92 heading into the final 12 minutes. Windy City center Aaron Wheeler knocked down a pair of clutch free throws in the final seconds to secure a four-point Bulls victory over Santa Cruz.

Jones finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Chicago Bulls Two-Way guard Malcolm Hill and Windy City guard Ethan Thompson also chipped in 17 points apiece. Forward Henri Drell notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Bulls dominated under the basket, outscoring the Warriors 48-26 in the paint. Also, Windy City took care of the ball, only committing four turnovers while the Warriors had 14 giveaways as a team.

Santa Cruz was led by Golden State Warriors Assignment forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field. Guard Jerome Robinson finished with 19 points for the Warriors. 

Next up, the Bulls face Santa Cruz again at NOW Arena on Saturday, Feb. 11. The game is slated to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT on NBAGleague.com.