Nikola Mirotic: Comes through with 18 points, four treys Saturday

After going 2-for-14 from the field and 0-for-8 from three-point range in his first two preseason games, the other shoe dropped for the streaky Mirotic on Saturday, as he submitted what was easily his best game of the exhibition schedule. Coach Fred Hoiberg has given a start at power forward to Mirotic, Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis in each of the team’s three preseason games, but Gibson seems to have emerged as the frontrunner for a spot on the top unit when the regular season begins. Gibson hasn’t had a bad showing in any game this preseason, highlighted by Saturday’s 20-point effort on 9-for-9 shooting.