Jordan tried to pass the ball to Buck-Williams, and Williams did have several offensive opportunities, but they were limited to mid-range jump shots from both wings.
If he attempted to drive to the basket, he'd encounter Ah Gan's block; passing to Cartwright wasn't an option either, as Ah Gan could defend two players at once, turning around to swat away Cartwright's shot—Ah Gan racked up 4 blocks in the first quarter alone, making the Bulls hesitant to attack inside.
As a result, the Bulls' most effective scoring strategy became Buck-Williams' mid-range jumpers from the wings.
He certainly made a few, but this was not a sustainable solution; Williams could not beat the Trail Blazers solely with mid-range shooting.
Jackson finally realized they were in serious trouble; the Bulls ended the first quarter trailing the Trail Blazers by as much as 24:33—a 9-point deficit!
