Bulls finally show improvement, roll past Utah

This game could have been a referendum on the Bulls’ disappointing recent history of player development.

Lauri Markkanen was in town with Utah. He left Chicago and became an all-star with the Jazz last year, while the Bulls’ power forward of the future, Patrick Williams, is off to an excruciatingly slow start to his fourth NBA season.

Instead, it was a night when the Bulls showed some fight. The Jazz are also 2-5 and one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, but Monday’s 130-113 victory counts as major progress for the Bulls.

“When you’re 2-5, you should be pretty dialed in,” Zach LaVine said. “We knew we were going against a team that was hungry just like we were. We had to be ready to play.”

Perhaps the most eye-opening moment of the season happened at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter. LaVine drove into the lane, rose up and tried a two-hand dunk over Utah 7-footer Walker Kessler. LaVine didn’t make the shot, but was…