It’s just like the not-so-good old days!
In what truly felt like a blast from the past, Zach LaVine looked amazing while his teammates looked … well … borderline inept. The Chicago Bulls max player finally broke out of his slump in a big way, dropping 41 points on an efficient 16-28 shooting display. Even more impressive, he added 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assists to his final box score.
From start to finish, he looked like the explosive player and sharpshooter we’ve come to know. He attacked downhill to start the game, mixed in a flurry of smooth stepback jumpers, and simply took full advantage of his matchup against the Kings’ bottom 10 defense. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan looked completely out of his element, shooting 6-18 from the floor, and Vucevic took no more than 10 shots on the night for 12 points.
The game was yet another example of how broken this roster seems to be. Just when LaVine finally shows signs of life, his All-Star colleagues decide to disappear. The Bulls also proceeded to shoot just 25 3-point attempts compared to the Kings’ 43. Even with Sacramento shooting a lackluster 30.7 percent from downtown, they still outscored Chicago from long range! Again, the moment this front office decided they couldn’t enter another season without prioritizing shooting is the moment they set this organization back a step.
I also still can’t believe how horrible this team is down the stretch of games. In the thick of a 5-point game with the momentum on their side, the Bulls slipped on a banana peel and fell right into a bed of nails. From the 6:36 mark to the 5:45 mark, the Kings extended their 93-90 lead to 99-90. The Bulls were then unable to close the gap from there and allowed the Kings to shoot seven more free throws over the rest of the game.
The good news is that the Bulls are now done with their grueling west coast road trip and will play four of their next five games at the United Center. The bad news is that I’m not sure that even matters right now. I sure hope I’m wrong.
Anyway, more tomorrow. I’m going to go take a shot or two (or three or four or five or … ) and try to enjoy the rest of my Sunday night.
Check out the full box score here.