NEW ORLEANS — The Chicago Bulls failed to set a new tone in their season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, fumbling an opportunity against a short-handed opponent with a 123-111 loss Wednesday.

Despite a high-scoring night from Zach LaVine — and another step in a long comeback journey for Lonzo Ball — the Bulls couldn’t take care of the ball enough to hold off the Pelicans.

Here are five takeaways from the loss.

1. Lonzo Ball took another step: Ball played his first regular-season game since Jan. 14, 2022 — and looked comfortable the entire time he was on the court.

He drained his first 3-point attempt, continuing his consistent shooting from the preseason. And there was a return to vintage high-flying action between Ball and LaVine, including a soaring alley-oop in the third quarter.

Ball played 14 minutes, the low end of the 14- to 16-minute restriction the Bulls medical team has imposed. He finished with five points, four assists, two rebounds and one turnover.

2. Zach LaVine balanced the good and bad: It’s been a moment since LaVine was comfortable on the court. But he set a high bar of expectation in his first game back in his role as the team leader, hitting all five of his 3-point attempts in the first half.

LaVine cooled in the second half — failing to take a single 3-pointer in the third quarter — but still finished with a team-high 27 points.

He also was at the forefront of the team’s ballhandling struggles, committing a team-high seven turnovers.

“It happens sometimes,” LaVine said. “You’ve got to be aggressive. Obviously we’re not trying to turn the ball over, but I’ve got to do a better job of taking care of it.”

3. Defense started on the wrong page — and the wrong foot: From the opening possession, the Bulls confirmed all the fears about a lack of defensive rigor.

The disconnect began on the first play. Center Nikola Vucevic swung out to blitz a screen at the top of the arc, but the help defense never came, leaving a backdoor pass wide open for the Pelicans to effortlessly pick up their first points.

These errors continued throughout the night as the Pelicans relentlessly attacked from above via lob passes, taking advantage of the Bulls’ severe lack of size around the rim even without Zion Williamson, who sat out because of illness.

The Bulls eventually switched to a zone to shore up their defensive rotations, but breakdowns continued through the final buzzer.

4. New style, too many errors: The Bulls want to play faster this season. That goal was reiterated ad nauseam in the preseason, a constant topic of conversation from media day to the final exhibition game. But playing fast comes with a risk — making mistakes at a volume too high to offset.

That was the case Wednesday, when the Bulls coughed up 21 turnovers that led to 30 Pelicans points. Former Bull Javonte Green was responsible for four of the Pelicans’ 15 steals, including tapping away a lethargic pass in the fourth quarter and outrunning Coby White to slam down a breakaway dunk.

5. Matas Buzelis made his NBA debut: The Bulls’ first-round draft pick earned his first regular-season minutes, entering during the second quarter. Although coach Billy Donovan said he intended to utilize a 10-player rotation in games Ball plays, he brought Buzelis off the bench as the 11th man to enter the game.

From his first possession, Buzelis showed his signature fearlessness. His first shot — a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer off a swing pass from Ball — whiffed the entire basket. Buzelis didn’t care. He fired again without a hint of hesitation the next time he got a chance behind the arc. He missed again — although this time he hit the rim.

The rookie didn’t make much of a mark on the game. He logged only the one four-minute rotation in the second quarter before checking in for garbage time.

“We’ve got to help Matas in situations just to try to get his feet wet, get him experience, let him go and play,” Donovan said. “There is a logjam there with Matas and Patrick (Williams) and Julian (Phillips). All three of those guys have done a really good job, so there’s going to have to be some sacrifice.”

Buzelis played fewer minutes than Talen Horton-Tucker, the final player to make the 15-man roster, and finished with two rebounds, an assist and a foul while going 0-for-3 behind the arc.