The Chicago Bulls went through the wringer before pulling off a 124-119 overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Here are two takeaways from the come-from-behind victory.
LaVine is making an impact
Playing in his third game after an extended absence, Zach LaVine is showing he can still be an impactful player even when he’s missing shots. After missing on three drives to the basket and scoring only three points in the first, LaVine’s effort did not waver on the other end of the floor, as he racked up three steals in the first half alone.
LaVine’s offense finally caught up with him in the second half as he scored on strong drives to the basket in the third. However, his finest moment came in overtime as he scored six straight points—a three-point play and a trifecta—to shove the Bulls in front, 120-119, after trailing by five at the 2:50 mark.
LaVine finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
GIMME THE HOT SAUCE, ZACH ????@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/Q3ayhtna4X
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 11, 2024
Fourth quarter follies
Like in their last game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Bulls’ offense went AWOL down the stretch. Chicago was up by 16 but lost that lead as they went without a single point in the last 4:15 of regulation.
DeMar DeRozan, a man with a reputation for making crunch time baskets, failed to score on an isolation play that would have won the game. Deebo finished the game shooting 5-of-19 from the field.
This disciplined defense by Jabari Smith Jr. on DeMar DeRozan was huge.
They called a silly loose ball foul that was upheld after review, but they added on a flopping technical against DeRozan. Just really unnecessary involvement by the officials. pic.twitter.com/Ss2K18WMB9
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) January 11, 2024