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On some nights, basketball can feel pretty simple. For the Bulls’ offense — a unit in desperate need of a breakout — tonight was one of those nights.
“I told him, whenever you get it, just shoot it. No matter where you at,” Coby White said of Zach LaVine (who else?) after the Bulls routed the Hawks 136-102. “It just seems like when he gets in a rhythm, he's impossible to stop.”
At present, that sentiment resonates strongly. LaVine scorched the Hawks Wednesday night to the tune of 35 points on 12-for-15 shooting, 7-for-7 from 3-point range. And he did it all in just 25 minutes, sitting the entire fourth quarter of a resounding victory that the Bulls, mercifully, polished off early.
“You know, I get it going. And I want it to stay that way,” LaVine said. “It finally got all put together… It feels good. You wanna have wins like that. It does good for the team and obviously for the body [resting the entire fourth quarter].”
Trouncing the Hawks simultaneously snaps a three-game losing streak for the team, and a shooting funk for LaVine. He shot only 33.3% from the field on 19 attempts per game in the three games that comprised that scheid — hard-fought losses to the Warriors, Heat and Raptors. The Bulls’ total margin of defeat from those three contests was eight points.
“That's what we've been trying to put together,” LaVine said of the Hawks game. “Even though we've had our losses, we’ve been competing every game, we've had stretches where we look really good, where we look like the better team. But we're coming out with the losses.”
Not so tonight. But of course, it’s facetious to call the type of display LaVine put on ‘simple’. Every NBA game, no matter what colors the competing teams sport, features the best basketball players in the world. There are no easy nights at the office in this profession.
Which makes just how easy he can make it look all the more astounding. And all the more worth appreciating.
“Zach's efficiency obviously is just unbelievable,” Jim Boylen said. “He wants to be great, and he's working, and his habits are good. So I'm happy for him.”
LaVine joins a list of only 13 players in NBA history to score 35 points in 25 minutes of play with this performance, including Ben Gordon and *drum roll* Michael Jordan. He is also now the 20th player in league history to shoot 100% on 3-pointers on seven or more attempts in a game. When he’s on, it’s a spectacle. Appointment television.
But, for LaVine, the focus remains on the team. And the future.
“I don't think every game's gonna be like this, obviously,” he said. “But we need to have more of them.”
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On this edition of the Bulls Outsiders podcast, Matt Peck, John Sabine, and David Watson react to the Bulls 136-102 win over the Hawks
0:45 - Reaction to blowout win over Hawks, no cookies though?
3:30 - Viewer comments on Matt being angry, and admitting being wrong on LaVine
5:00 - Zach LaVine highlites by Big Dave
8:10 - On Denzel Valentine and the potential for starting
9:35 - Viewer comment asking for Coby White to start, Matt gets annoyed
10:05 - Viewer comment on trading for Michael Porter Jr
11:30 - Viewer comment on Denzel Valentine in 3-point contest
14:30 - Viewer comment making fun of Sabine’s Cowboys
15:15 - Viewer comment on Markkanen
17:15 - On Otto Porter Jr and missing at least another month
20:55 - Viewer comment on LaVine being the most athletic player in the NBA
23:30 - Viewer comment on Kris Dunn
24:30 - What was your life ‘It’s Over’ moment when you were overconfident?
Listen to the full podcast here or via the embedded player below:
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Attention Dish and Sling customers! You have lost your Bulls games on NBC Sports Chicago. To switch providers, visit mysportschicago.com.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Bulls easily on your device.