Buzelis powers Bulls to first win after LaVine trade |
CHICAGO - Tuesday marked a new era for the Chicago Bulls (22-29), as it was their first game without Zach Lavine. Considering the NBA trade deadline is two days away, this roster may look vastly different come the weekend as many moving parts are in motion.
In exchange for LaVine, the Bulls landed Tre Jones, Zach Collins, and Kevin Huerter, neither of whom was in action at the United Center. There are reports that Chicago is trying to move a few, if not all, of those pieces, as plenty of things are in motion for this team. Knowing that coming into their game against the Miami Heat (24-24) without their best player and short-handed, things didn't stack up nicely for the Bulls. The fans witnessed a small glimpse of what the future might hold as the Bulls erased a 10-point halftime deficit and used a massive 39-21 fourth quarter to take down the Bulls 133-124. It was an impressive win nonetheless, but with all that went on leading up to this game, you could make the case that this was the most impressive win by the Bulls this season. Any time you put up the numbers the Bulls put up in this one, you know contributions are happening across the board. Not only did that happen with six players scoring double figures, including four with 20 points, but the rookie Matas Buzelis stole the show. Expected to get more minutes the rest of the way, knowing the changes are coming, Buzelis had one of the most impressive games this season. He not only went a perfect 4-4 from deep but also 6-6 from two to finish the game 10-10. He did that in a career-high 31 minutes off the bench and led all scorers with 24 points in the win. He was just one of the four players to top 20 points for Chicago, with the other three coming in the starting lineup. Josh Giddey was one of those players, as he matched Buzelis with 24 points and dished out seven assists. Expected to get the bulk of the starts with Lavine gone is Ayo Dosunmu, as the fourth-year man is starting to settle into a nice rhythm. Since returning to the starting lineup nearly two weeks ago, Dosunmu is starting to look like the player everyone hoped he would be on both sides of the ball. He added 21 points and nine assists in just 29 minutes. Coby White also chipped in with 22 points and seven assists, and those four played a massive role in the Bulls' overall success. White is one of those players to watch as the deadline nears, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sitting out on Wednesday if a deal is imminent. The same can be said about Nikola Vucevic, who is the Bulls top target. Even though he wasn't at his best, scoring just 12 points, he did manage to grab 11 rebounds and sacrificed his body several times to save loose balls. If this is the end of the road for him in Chicago, you will get a sense of that soon as his future hangs on the ballot during these next two days. Should he be on the move, look for Jalen Smith to slide into his spot, with Patrick Williams possibly moving back into the starting lineup despite both of them playing better off the bench. While the Bulls may have drama regarding who will be on this team come Thursday, the Heat are dealing with a different type of drama, as the Jimmy Butler saga seems to have no end. The former Bull has been a part of the Heat for several seasons but has demanded a trade from Miami a little over a month ago. Not only have the Heat not granted him that trade, but it appears they have no intention of doing so. Instead, they would suspend him and keep him unhappy instead of trading him for assets. Not having him in the lineup is a massive blow, but you don't need star players to beat the Bulls when you consider how poor their defense has been. Even if this wasn't a win for the Heat, Miami had to like some of the production they saw from several guys, including Bam Adebayo, who led the Heat with 23 points. Adebayo grabbed eight boards and dished out four assists, doing a little of everything in the loss. Tyler Herro matched Adebayo with a team-high 23 points, adding eight rebounds and nine assists. Nikola Jovi scored 20 points off the bench, giving the Heat three premier scorers. Those three played a massive role in giving the Heat the lead in the first half and keeping it until the fourth quarter. The Heat also saw Kel'el Ware, with his 17 points, round out the starting five, and Jamie Jaquez Jr. drop 14 off the bench, as they, too, had many scoring options across the board. Chicago will look to make it two straight in the Lavine-less era on Wednesday as they head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves in their final game before the deadline. Don't expect Jones, Huerter, or Collins to play in this one, but also keep an eye on White, Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball, as the Bulls may choose to sit all players linked to trades.
