The Chicago Bulls defeated the Brooklyn Nets by 26 points on Monday night, 128-102. It was the first time this season Chicago had beaten an opponent by 20-plus points. Scoring an absurd amount of points has never been out of the question for the Bulls, but limiting an opponent to around 100 points didn't seem to be in the realm of possibility.
Chicago had allowed an average of 128.6 points per game in its last five. The only opponent to score less than 122 was the lowly Washington Wizards. 102 points was the second-fewest point total Chicago has allowed all season long. The Bulls forced 13 turnovers and held the Nets to 40.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Perhaps most importantly, Chicago ceded only 42 points in the paint—a far cry from the 57.6 season average.
All five Chicago starters finished with a positive plus/minus, led by Nikola Vucevic's plus-29. The 6-foot-10 center dropped 21 points and added 10 rebounds. And for the seventh time this season, Vucevic connected on three or more triples. Vucevic only hit three-pointers three times or more on five occasions last season.
Matas Buzelis' career night must not go unnoticed
Despite missing Coby White and Patrick Williams due to injury, the core foursome of Vucevic, Zach LaVine, Josh Giddey, and Ayo Dosunmu helped carry Chicago to victory. However, it wasn't only the usual suspects to lead the charge, 11th-overall pick Matas Buzelis played the best game of his young career.
Buzelis scored 20 points, knocking down 7-of-10 field goals and 4-of-5 three-pointers. The 20-year-old also added five rebounds, an assist, and two blocks on the night. His career night coincided with his best plus/minus of the year—finishing fourth on the team with a plus-17.
Matas Buzelis was HOOPIN.
20 pts | 7-10 FG | 4-5 from three | 2 blk pic.twitter.com/jflY5i59su— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 3, 2024
A 20-point performance is huge for Buzelis' confidence going forward. After receiving modest playing time to begin the season, Head Coach Billy Donovan has started to entrust the 20-year-old with extended minutes. Following the game, Donovan said of Buzelis, "He earned his minutes tonight with the way he played." A career-best game and praise from your head coach is the ultimate confidence boost for the young wing.
Speaking of confidence, Buzelis' three-point shot is going up without hesitation. It was essential for Buzelis to display improved, confident shotmaking following a shaky showing in the G-League a season ago (27.3 percent from three). He's beginning to silence doubters (35.1 percent from three in November) and looking the part of a three-level scorer as of late.
Besides his three-point marksmanship, Buzelis is adept at running in transition and scoring off the ball. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to make a difference offensively—an important quality on a Bulls team brimming with playmakers. Furthermore, he's begun to display intriguing chemistry with Giddey, who dished out 11 assists on the night. Giddey assisted on two of Buzelis' seven baskets.
Buzelis' 20-point outing doesn't immediately equate to a starting role, but it goes to show he's on the verge of making his first career start sooner rather than later. In place of the injured White, Donovan opted to start second-year wing Julian Phillips. In 26 minutes, Phillips finished with five points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block.
Phillips' statistics don't stand out, yet he contributed immensely on the defensive end of the floor. However, despite a year less experience, Buzelis is ready to contribute more so on the offensive end than Phillips while holding his own defensively. The time will be here before we know it when Buzelis is granted his first start.
