A career-high 42 points in a win over the Boston Celtics saw the young shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls Zach LaVine rise up.
The Chicago Bulls would be in an interesting spot this season if it weren’t for a few recent key happenings that changed the course just before the All-Star Break. The deadline was a big time for the Chicago Bulls, with a few trades that had mixed reactions across the NBA.
When the Chicago Bulls acquired small forward Otto Porter Jr. from the Washington Wizards, it appeared that a rebuild could start to formulate for the 2019 off-season. This summer is a very important time for the front office in the Windy City since the fan base will get increasingly impatient.
However, if this Chicago Bulls fan base was looking for wins of late it is finally transpiring behind a few well-rounded efforts from the starting five. Porter Jr. did spark a few wins, but not all of the success this team saw of late. Two straight wins coming out of the All-Star Break were sparked behind the efforts of shooting guard Zach LaVine and power forward Lauri Markkanen.
A big night from Markkanen pushed the Chicago Bulls beyond the Orlando Magic out of All-Star Weekend on Feb. 22. But, it was LaVine’s more than 40 points that really helped the Bulls pull off a shocking win over the talented Boston Celtics. LaVine outscored the likes of Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving, forward Jayson Tatum, and center Al Horford in this double-digit victory.
Although, Irving wasn’t far behind LaVine’s game-high 42 points as he posted 37 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. LaVine didn’t have near the assist numbers that Irving posted in this matchup too.
This was the best performance that Irving had yet against the Chicago Bulls in three outings this season. The previous two showings for Kyrie against the Bulls saw him post a combined 30 points. There was clearly the opportunity for some new players to emerge in this meeting. Only five times this season has Irving posted more than 37 points in a single game.
LaVine was literally able to one up his previous season-high in points with 42 here. An early season win over the New York Knicks saw LaVine post his second most points in a single game this season, with 41.
Moreover, the idea that LaVine could actually play point guard for the Bulls continues to be tossed around with the way he played this weekend. What LaVine continues to show us is that he can command the floor for this offense but really thrives in a more reliable scoring position at the two when head coach Jim Boylen has his scheme working well.
LaVine did have four assists and six rebounds to go along with his 42 points. But, his style of play still benefits him the most when he’s not the facilitator each possession for this offense. Most of the time he had the ball in his hands, it was to find some open looks in which he hit 17 of his 29 attempts from the field.
No one could see this run coming from the Bulls around the All-Star Break. A win over the Memphis Grizzlies started the current three-game winning streak this team finds itself on. This was the most complete effort the Bulls put together in the past 10.