Chicago Bulls Big 3 of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr. combined for 109 in an overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
When you have two of the worst teams in all of the NBA you wouldn’t expect the type of record-setting game played in Atlanta between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. But that’s what fans got Friday night in a game that the Chicago Bulls won 168-161 in four overtimes. The 15th game in NBA history to reach quadruple overtime and the third involving the Bulls and Hawks.
The third-highest scoring game in history it helped the Bulls win their fifth of their last six games and in a game where so many players helped contribute to it, you can’t choose just one player of the game. So even despite Zach LaVine scoring a career-high 47 points to go with 9 assists and 9 rebounds, as well as two steals, you can’t just give him the player of the game.
You have to give it to the Bulls Big 3 of LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr., who were all just as important in the victory on Friday night. Markkanen’s and Porter Jr.’s 31 points each just as important as LaVine’s 47.
While it was LaVine who was big in the majority of the four overtimes, scoring 23 of his 47 points during that time. It was Porter Jr. who almost single handily helped the Bulls send the game into overtime by scoring their last 8 points in the fourth that tied the game 124-124 with .4 seconds left. Started on a 3-pointer that was his career-high tying seventh with 53.5 left in regulation to cut the Bulls deficit to two at the time and end a 9-0 late 4th quarter run that gave the Hawks a five point lead before that.
Otto Porter Jr. just hit his SEVENTH three tonight against the Hawks 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bXlL3gtmD2
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 2, 2019
Markkanen was just as important, getting 10 of the Bulls fourth quarter points. Him and Porter Jr. combining for 21 of the Bulls 29 points in the fourth quarter that sent the game into overtime. While Markkanen’s 31 points and 17 rebounds giving him yet another double-double and showed how he has really transformed into one of the games very best players in the league that is prime to become a superstar elite player.
His seven points in the fourth overtime showing how much of a clutch player Markkanen has become too.
You of course can’t forget how Porter Jr., who was almost Otto-matic in that final minute in regulation to send the game into overtime has really transformed this Bulls teams fortunes since they acquired him a few weeks ago. Porter Jr. bringing an intensity on both the offensive and defensive end that really shows how bright of a future this young Bulls team has with him, Markkanen and LaVine. Which all three really displayed in the victory Friday night.