The Bulls spotted warning signs long before tipoff Wednesday.
It was the first game back at home for the Bulls since their West Coast road trip. And they were facing a struggling Grizzlies team that lacked its top scorer, rookie guard Ja Morant.
In other words, it was exactly the type of night in which the Bulls could have let their guard down.
“This is a game where mentally we have to come ready to compete,” Jim Boylen said.
This time, players got the memo.
The Bulls raced to a 22-point lead in the first half and never trailed in a 106-99 win in front of a season-low crowd of 15,017.