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Chicago Bulls: Walter Lemon Jr. unsung hero in streak-ending victory

By Nello Rubio

WASHINGTON, DC -  APRIL 3: Walt Lemon Jr. #25 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Washington Wizards on April 3, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC -  APRIL 3: Walt Lemon Jr. #25 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Washington Wizards on April 3, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Chicago Bulls homegrown talent Walter Lemon Jr. scores 25 points and is unsung hero in losing streak ending victory to Washington Wizards.

The Chicago Bulls have struggled much of this season and it has been a really tough one for both the team and it’s fans.

Especially with so many games that have been so close and within reach of wins, but ended up losses. So to see the team get a rare win on Wednesday night in the nation’s capitol against the Wizards with a 115-114 victory was nice to see.

The win was led by a great performance from a rare source many wouldn’t have even thought played for the team. The former Windy City Bulls guard didn’t think he would even get much of a shot at all with the Chicago Bulls, let alone get any playing time this season in Walter Lemon Jr.

A homegrown Chicago product, Lemon Jr. scored a career-high 24 points in 28 minutes on a really solid and very efficient 11-of-16 from the field.  Also adding eight assists and three rebounds, as well as a couple of steals to fall just a couple assists short of a double-double.

Plays like these sure to put the rest of the league on notice to not sleep on Lemon.

But none of those points were more important than the two free throws he made in the final 1.8 seconds.

He wasn’t the only surprise great performance in the Bulls victory to end their five-game losing streak. As JaKarr Sampson also added 18 points of his own to go with nine rebounds and two assists on 6-of-11 shooting from the field.

With his two clutch free throws and overall great play Lemon Jr. was more important than any player in the win though. The rare opportunity the Chicago Bulls gave him to play, let alone have a chance to help the one-time former G-League player fighting to stay on either his hometown team or another team next season is not lost on him either.

As the player who has played just eight career games in the NBA had the following to tell the media after the game, “Nobody really expected me to be here, and the fact that the Bulls gave me the opportunity to play, let alone giving me the chance to win an NBA game, is — I can’t ask for more, man.”

light. Related Story. Good, bad, and the ugly from Chicago Bulls 2018-19 season

Whether it leads to Lemon Jr. getting a chance to fight for a roster spot on his hometown Bulls next season remains to be seen. But at least for now he can take solace in knowing he helped his hometown Bulls get just their 22nd victory of the season and give the fans something to not be fully ashamed of.

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