Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine shows All-Star caliber status in win over Mavs

On the night of Jan. 3, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine had his best game of the season so far in a 118-108 home win over the Mavericks.

A massive win for the Chicago Bulls over a Dallas Mavericks team at home at the United Center on the night of Jan. 3 was a great way for this team to round out the weekend. While that Mavs team and longtime head coach Rick Carlisle were down superstar point guard and the reigning All-NBA First Team selection Luka Doncic, the Bulls were still able to get it done in a situation where they often times wouldn’t in the past during this four year rebuild.

The Bulls headed into this matchup with the Mavs with a record of 2-4, coming off a disappointing 30-point road loss at the hands of the divisional foe Milwaukee Bucks on New Years Day. That loss to the Bucks on the night of Jan. 1 had snapped a two-game winning streak for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls.

Meanwhile, the Mavs came into this game with a record of 2-3, coming off a nice win at home over the Miami Heat 93-83 from Jan. 1. But the Mavs still didn’t get off to the ideal start they were looking for with a young and talented team this season.

While the Mavs were favorites ahead of tip off, that was likely assuming that Doncic was healthy and ready to go for this game. That didn’t turn out to be the case, as he was downgraded to doubtful on the afternoon of Jan. 3 (just hours ahead of tip off). He was dealing with a left quad contusion.

The likes of standout shooting guard Zach LaVine and second-year point guard Coby White took full advantage for the Bulls. LaVine was thoroughly dominant out of the gates, scoring a whopping 21 points in the first quarter alone. And White had what was likely his best game of the regular season so far.

LaVine finished up this game with a season and game-high 39 points, to go along with six rebounds, five assists, three steals, no blocks, and four turnovers. He shot an efficient 14-of-25 from the field, 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, and a solid 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, White was good in this game too as he registered 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, no steals, no blocks, and four turnovers. He shot 7-of-14 from the field, 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.

LaVine and White were the only two Bulls players in this game that finished with at least 20 points. They helped push the Bulls to nab the win over the Mavs by the final score of 118-108.

The Bulls got solid play in the starting five from veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr. OPJ posted 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals, on the night.

And they got help from the bench in the form of efficient nights from second-year center Daniel Gafford and shooting guard/wing Denzel Valentine. Those two combined to shoot well over 60 percent from the field and score in double figures off the bench.

On the Mavs side, guard Jalen Brunson had a huge night with a team-high 31 points. He just wouldn’t go away at all in this game and forced the Bulls hand down the stretch. LaVine and White really had to be solid to keep pace with Brunson and the Mavs still tough backcourt rotation.

The win over the Mavs by a solid 10-point margin moves the Bulls to a record of 3-4 on the regular season so far. Next up for LaVine and the Bulls is a road meeting on Jan. 5 against star point guard Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, with tip off time set for 9:30 p.m. CT.