USA Today via Reuters
Jan 8, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Wesley Matthews (9) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 8, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Wesley Matthews (9) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bulls lost once again, but that didn’t stop star Zach LaVine from setting records. He had another 30 point game tonight and almost took them to a win. But the team didn’t rally behind him, and the Bulls fell to the Thunder in an overtime loss.
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LaVine had a 4th consecutive 30 point game where he shot at least 50% from the field. He became the first Bulls player to do that since Michael Jordan did it back in November 1996.
Zach LaVine is the first Bulls player with 4 consecutive 30-point games while shooting 50% (or better) from the floor since Michael Jordan had a 5-game streak in Nov. 1996. pic.twitter.com/0RU6GWIpDZ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 16, 2021
During tonight’s performance, he shot 8-14 from the three-point line. With this, he became the first player in Bulls history to have back-to-back games with at least seven made threes.
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Zach LaVine is the first player in Bulls history with at least seven made threes in consecutive games 💦 pic.twitter.com/UjWPFIC9eD
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 16, 2021
10-time All-Star Chris Paul was also watching the game and echoed the emotions of all the NBA fans.
Zach Lavine nice as hell
— Chris Paul (@CP3) January 16, 2021
Zach LaVine needs more support from the Chicago Bulls
While LaVine has been excellent in these last four games, the Bulls have lost each of them. Tonight’s loss was arguably the worst. According to ESPN, they had a 99.1% chance of winning with 1:56 left in regulation. The Bulls were up 116-108 at that point. But after that, they made zero shots, while Thunder missed none, which led to OT.
The Bulls just made two of their nine shots in overtime, which led to a two-point loss for them.
The Bulls were up to a 99.1% chance to win up 10 with 1:56 left in regulation before they lost to the Thunder in OT
Teams were 1-2,930 when trailing by 10+ points in the final 2 min of regulation over the last 5 seasons. The only other win was by the Kings on January 27, 2020. pic.twitter.com/vK84WPUjKF
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 16, 2021
LaVine is leading the Bulls offense averaging 28.3 points per game. Lauri Markkanen has been supporting him and is also shooting an impressive 43% from three.
Coby White is slowly stepping up but his efficiency has been letting him down. With six players averaging double digits, their offense has been clicking, which is why they rank 4th in points scored per game.
But their defense has been atrocious. They couldn’t hold on to an eight-point lead in the last couple of minutes and eventually lost because of it. They rank 29th out of the 30 teams in the league when it comes to points allowed. This is one of the main reasons they keep losing.
So despite LaVine’s All-Star form, the Bulls are one of the bottom teams in the Eastern Conference. If they continue to perform at this level, LaVine might soon ask to leave for a more successful team.
