Chicago Bulls rookie Noa Essengue logged another appearance in the G League on Friday, leading the Windy City Bulls in scoring on the road against the Iowa Wolves.
Essengue produced 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in the 156-129 loss at Casey’s Center. He went 7-of-13 from the field, including 1-of-5 from 3-point range, in 31 minutes as the Bulls (4-1) sustained their first loss of the season.
The 12th pick scored 15 points in the first half as Windy City trailed by just four points at the intermission. The group was outscored 50-28 in the third quarter after allowing Iowa to shoot 64.3% from the field, while missing all of its 3-point attempts, in the period.
Essengue has yet to suit up with Chicago in the regular season as the group has started with a 8-7 record through its first 15 games. The team has utilized a 9-10 man rotation for much of the early going, leaving Essengue and others out of the fold.
The Frenchman debuted with Windy City on Nov. 11, tallying 28 points, eight rebounds and one assist in a win over the Wisconsin Herd. He did the majority of his work in the paint in that contest after converting several tough finishes, while also connecting on a couple of 3-pointers.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said previously that Essengue would likely spend extensive time with Windy City to log playing time. However, with the Bulls dealing with multiple injuries, Essengue was recalled and could see minutes on Saturday against the Washington Wizards.