It looked like it was just a layup away for star shooting guard Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls on the night of Feb. 8 against the Washington Wizards at home at the United Center. A showdown between two of the top scoring guards in the Eastern Conference early this week definitely lived up to the hype, with LaVine and Wizards star shooting guard Bradley Beal each posting 35 points.
Yet, it was Beal and the Wizards that would get the best of LaVine and the struggling and injured Bulls in the end. A late rally from the Bulls within the last two minutes of the fourth quarter saw them ultimately fall short by the narrow final score of 105-101.
There was certainly a chance for the Bulls to come back and tie the game late after one key missed free throw from Beal in the last minute of the fourth. LaVine had a chance on a drive with less than 10 seconds to go, but missed the layup on a wide open lane when center Alex Len met him at the rim. That did look like LaVine wanted a foul call on Len, but none came his way.
What LaVine did for the Chicago Bulls
Still LaVine was good most of the way for the Bulls. He tied for a game-high 35 points, to go along with two rebounds, six assists, one steal, and three turnovers. LaVine shot an efficient 12-of-26 from the field, 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-11 from the charity stripe.
The Bulls also got a solid game from veteran forward Thaddeus Young off the bench. Once again, Young was the only Bulls player off the bench scoring in double figures. In this game, he registered 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
On the other end, Beal was really good for the Wizards. He also tied for a game-high 35 points, to go along with five rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. Beal shot 10-of-24 from the field, 1-of-5 from beyond the arc, and a near-perfect 12-of-13 from the free-throw line.
What really cost the Bulls in this game was once again their lack of paint scoring and a post presence. They were both outrebounded and outblocked. Finishing at the rim and winning the battle on the boards is becoming a real problem for the Bulls in the wake of the absences of third-year center Wendell Carter Jr. and fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen.
The next shot that first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls will have to get back on track will come against star forward Zion Williamson and small forward Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans at home on the night of Feb. 10. They have now lost six of their last eight games following the loss to the Wizards on Feb. 8.
LaVine and the Bulls will carry a record of 9-14 into that meeting at home at the United Center on the night of Feb. 10 against the Pelicans. Things are not trending in the right direction for them at the moment, though.