WASHINGTON — And now, the Bulls scatter for All-Star break.
They do so on a season-high-tying, six-game losing streak and sitting a season-worst 17 games under .500. They are banged up, though there is hope Otto Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. will begin practicing shortly after the break.
The playoffs, at this point, are a pipe dream.
“We gotta keep pounding the rock, man. Keep trying to play competitive basketball. Limit our turnovers and poor spurts and keep developing these guys,” coach Jim Boylen said. “We’re trying to develop and win. We’ll keep working at that. Nobody is hanging their head.”
Zach LaVine surely isn’t. He posted his fifth 40-point game of the season with a ridiculous display of shotmaking, scoring 19 of his 41 in the final period and shooting 15-for-21.
“He’s a big shotmaker. He understands the moment. He’s a crunch-time guy,” Boylen said. “He’s a guy you can rely on to bring the game home for you. I thought Zach tried to do that.”
LaVine’s night included eight 3-pointers on 11 attempts. He’s now five 3-pointers away from Ben Gordon’s single-season franchise record of 173. And it’s his third game this season with at least 40 points and eight 3-pointers. Gordon posted the only other such game in franchise history.
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“I was just trying to help us come back in the game. It’s the only chance we get,” LaVine said. “I stayed hot. Once you get locked in, I have the confidence to take any shot. It just gets easier. Even if I would’ve missed one, I would’ve come down and shot. I just thought it was our only chance to come back if I start rallying and put something together.”
What does LaVine want to see from the Bulls when they reconvene with 27 games remaining after the break?
“Just make sure everybody’s mind is at the right spot,” LaVine said. “We’re not on vacation yet. We still have to try to hunt and make a goal for ourselves. I know I’ll be ready and bring it.”
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