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Bulls

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has entered into Covid protocols, sources tell ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1470083106623434760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;According to Wojnarowski, the Bulls are down to just nine eligible players in advance of their next contest against the Detroit Pistons. Stanley Johnson, who the team acquired via the hardship exception as a replacement player, is also in health and safety protocols. Chicago must have eight eligible for when they play the Pistons Tuesday, and if not, it could force the league to postpone games for the first time this season.

The Bulls are down to just nine eligible players in advance of their next contest against the Detroit Pistons.

Zach LaVine enters NBA health and safety protocols

Zach LaVine reaggravated a sprained ankle in Monday's 116-102 loss to the Golden State Warriors. After the game, LaVine conceded that he may take extra rest days to heal the injury.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s a decision I&rsquo;m going to have to make coming up, because obviously you guys can tell, I&rsquo;m not myself," LaVine <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/bulls-zach-lavine-considering-rest-heal-sprained-ankle-it-just-sucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "I&rsquo;m just trying to go out there and obviously tough it out. But I rolled it a little bit again today, so I&rsquo;ll figure it out later.&rdquo;
The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high 27.5 points per game and leading an improving Bulls team. But LaVine scored just 12 points on Monday, and will regroup with trainers on a plan going forward.
"I feel I&rsquo;m back at square one again. So I&rsquo;m going to have to try to make some adjustments," he said. "Obviously, I&rsquo;ll do everything I can to get myself ready to go, but I&rsquo;ll have a conversation going forward (with the Bulls' medical staff) and figure it out.&rdquo;
If LaVine does rest, Chicago will have to lean on Coby White and All-Star trade acquisition Nikola Vucevic to pick up the scoring slack.

LaVine rolled his ankle in Monday's loss to the Warriors.

Zach LaVine reaggravates sprained ankle, considering rest days

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<div id="tweet-text" dir="auto" lang="en">Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine has committed to join the 12-man Team USA roster for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, his agent Nima Namakian tells @TheAthletic @Stadium.</div>
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<div dir="auto" lang="en">Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1407769764198498305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a></div>
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<div dir="auto" lang="en">ANALYSIS: With the team set to break training camp in Las Vegas in two weeks, LaVine is the 12th player to join the roster. He will join Kevin Durant, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Bam Adebayo, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum.</div>
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Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has committed to join Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics.

Zach LaVine to join Team USA for Tokyo Olympics

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
Despite the Bulls being undefeated, they have only edged out poor teams and a LaVine absence could hamper them significantly.

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".

Zach LaVine to play through small ligament tear in thumb

USA Basketball announced that Zach LaVine has been placed in health and safety protocols and will not travel with Team USA to Tokyo today. Per the statement, LaVine hopes to join the team later this week.
Team USA has dealt with a number of health and safety-related absences, including Jerami Grant. Bradley Beal was removed from the roster after being placed in health and safety protocols and will not be playing in the Olympics.
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LaVine hopes to rejoin Team USA in Tokyo later in the week.

Zach LaVine lands in Team USA health and safety protocols

Team USA&rsquo;s Zach LaVine has cleared health and safety protocols and will join the team in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1417706017664782336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter) </a>
ANALYSIS: Zach LaVine entered health and safety protocols earlier this week but will still be able to participate in the Tokyo Olympics after clearing the protocols Tuesday night. Losing LaVine would have been devastating for Team USA after it was announced last week that they would be without starting shooting guard Bradley Beal because of a positive COVID test.

According to The Athletic, Zach LaVine has cleared health and safety protocols and will rejoin Team USA in Tokyo on Thursday.

Zach LaVine (health protocols) cleared to rejoin team in Tokyo on Thursday

While the fight to reach the NBA's Play-In Tournament continues on, the Chicago Bulls may be looking at an uphill battle to hold onto their current position in 10th place. According to ESPN, Chicago All-Star Zach LaVine is slated to miss several games, as he's been entered into the NBA's health and safety protocols.
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Chicago Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine is expected to miss several games after entering into the league's health and safety protocol, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1382765169273675784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This season LaVine made his first All-Star game and is holding averages of 27.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game.&nbsp;

There's no timeline for LaVine to return.

Zach LaVine to miss several games due to health and safety protocols

Chicago Bulls teamates Zach LaVine and Coby White made NBA history on Wednesday. They became the first pair to each knock down eight or more three-pointers in the same game during the Bulls' 129-116 win over New Orleans.
LaVine exploded for 46 points in the victory, along with seven rebounds and four assists, and canned nine of his 14 three-point attempts. The second-year White scored 30 points and dished out seven assists while making eight threes.
Behind their efforts, Chicago also set a new franchise record with 25 threes in a game. They improved to 10-14 in the win, while the Pelicans dropped to 11-13.
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They helped the Bulls knock down 25 threes in a win over the Pelicans.

Zach LaVine, Coby White are first teammates with 8 threes in a game

For one night, the Chicago Bulls looked like a playoff-worthy team.
The return of Zach LaVine to the floor certainly had something to do with the Bulls' inspired effort, which ended a four-game skid.
Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 14 rebounds, LaVine had 13 points after missing 11 games due to the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols, and the Bulls swept the season series from the Charlotte Hornets with a 120-99 win on Thursday night.
&ldquo;It definitely opened up some things for us,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of LaVine's return.
Said Vucevic: &ldquo;We're happy to have him back. We played a great game and that helped motivating us and getting us ready to play knowing he was back. So hopefully we will continue to play that way."
Chicago is a long shot to make the postseason, still 3 1/2 games behind Washington for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Bulls have six games remaining; the Wizards have five.
LaVine said he felt &ldquo;really tired&rdquo; after the long layoff and wanted to make sure he didn't try to do too much.
&ldquo;I told (my teammates), don&rsquo;t expect me to try to go get 40 (points) the first night,&rdquo; LaVine said.
LaVine averaged more than 30 points in his five previous games before being sidelined, but mostly deferred to his teammates in the first three quarters, attempting six shots. But he began to show his scoring ability with back-to-back jump shots to start the fourth quarter before Donovan took him out after 27 minutes of action.
&ldquo;I thought there was a lot more opportunities for him to shoot the ball, and to try to go score and attack,&rdquo; Donovan said. &ldquo;But with him being out three weeks and the respect he has for his teammates, and I think he just tried to fit in and take the shots that were there and not try to force things.&rdquo;
P.J. Washington, who missed Charlotte&rsquo;s last game for the birth of his child, had 24 points on six 3-pointers. Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench for the Hornets, who played without Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham.
Charlotte could have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament had it won.
But Vucevic would have none of it. He returned after missing two games with right adductor tightness and dominated. Looking fresh, he made 12 of 24 shots from the field and was 5 of 7 from 3-point range, helping opening things up for his teammates.
&ldquo;I think they just played harder than us every time we played them," Washington said. &ldquo;For us, it&rsquo;s just about defense at the end of the day. We have to stop teams from getting offensive rebounds and easy second-chance points."
The Bulls, who beat the Hornets by 13 and 17 points in the two previous meetings, jumped out to a 48-33 lead this time.
It appeared Charlotte might make a game of it after hitting 8 of 13 3-point attempts in the second quarter to cut the lead to five, but the Bulls extended their lead to 22 entering the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve struggled with Chicago all year,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. "Give them credit. For whatever reason, the matchup does not fit our group.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bulls: Had 19 second-chance points. ... Never trailed in the game. ... Former North Carolina coach Roy Williams was in attendance watching one of his former players, Coby White.
Hornets: Caleb Martin had the play of the night when he drove the baseline and skied over Vucevic for a one-handed dunk. ... Shot 38.9% (7 of 18) from the free-throw line.
NOT ON THE BALL
It was a miserable night for Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball, who was 1 of 10 from the field and finished with four points.
STARTING LINEUP
For the first time this season the Bulls started a lineup that included Vucevic, LaVine, White, Daniel Theis and Patrick Williams.
&ldquo;We're a lot bigger,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;We can switch a lot of different things and playing those two guys in the frontcourt it just gives us some options &mdash; some high-low stuff and some double screens for the guards. And our rebounding was a lot better.&rdquo;
Borrego said that lineup is a tough matchup.
&ldquo;I mean they&rsquo;ve got a 7-footer at their three-spot," Borrego said.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Boston on Friday night. &ldquo;We have to win every game,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;We have to fight for our lives every game.&rdquo;
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Friday night.
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and Zach LaVine had 13 points after missing 11 games in Chicago's win.

Bulls complete sweep of Hornets in LaVine's return, end four-game skid

<div>We hear it all the time.</div>
<div>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a business.&rdquo;
But now, I can tell you first-hand. That realization hits a whole lot different when you find out you&rsquo;ve actually been traded.
After two years in D.C., just like that, it was over. I will never forget where I was when I found out the first chapter of my NBA career came to a close.
It was Thursday, March 25. We&rsquo;d been in New York for a few days because we were scheduled to play the Nets on Sunday followed by two games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday and Thursday.
On Thursday, I was locked in like every other gameday. Thursday (trade deadline day) began like most others. We had a good walkthrough, and afterward, I went back to my hotel room to try to get a little rest before the game that night.
Then, my phone rang.
&ldquo;I just wanted to say thank you&hellip;&rdquo;
As soon as I heard those words, I knew my time in D.C. was over. The voice on the other end of the phone was Tommy Sheppard, the Wizards&rsquo; general manager. He said a few other things with positive words of encouragement and told me I was headed to Chicago.
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I always knew there was a chance that I would be traded, mainly because I just hadn&rsquo;t been playing that much lately and in the NBA, players get traded all the time.
Even though it&rsquo;s nice to feel wanted, nothing prepared me for that moment.
Like I said, things happen fast, and by the time I got off the phone with Tommy, my mind immediately went to thinking about what it would be like to suit up with my new teammates. But at the same time, even though I was excited for a fresh start and a new beginning, I&rsquo;d be lying if I didn&rsquo;t say that I was going to miss the guys I was leaving behind.
Obviously, things didn&rsquo;t go quite as planned in D.C., but I learned so much during my time there that it would have been impossible to not have some emotions about being told that it was over. I had some great connections with my teammates, especially the younger guys like Bonga, Deni and Rui. I became best friends with Thomas pretty much since I started there, so it&rsquo;s definitely tough. That&rsquo;s the worst part about being traded. Having to leave the guys you formed these great bonds with.
But I&rsquo;ll tell you this&hellip; You definitely don&rsquo;t have too much time to think about that stuff. You don&rsquo;t really have that much time for anything, to be honest with you. In such a short span of time, you&rsquo;ve got people calling and texting you while you're still trying to process the idea of living in a new place, having a new coach and playing with new teammates. It&rsquo;s a fresh start, but there&rsquo;s some anxiety because you want to prove yourself. There are definitely a lot emotions and lots to do.
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Most people know that we have up to 48 hours to report to our new team, but a lot of times, everybody involved &mdash; the teams, agents, families and the player &mdash; want the transition to go as quickly and as smoothly as possible. As pro athletes, we have routines and habits and if we break them or go away from them for too long, it can break our rhythm. So as soon as I got off the phone with Tommy, I started thinking about getting to Chicago and when the next game was and stuff like that. I ended up getting a car service to the airport roughly 30 minutes after I learned about the trade.
Next thing I know, I&rsquo;m on a plane heading to Chicago. It was finally sinking in &mdash; I was a Bull.
Overall, despite all the moving pieces and craziness, I was excited. I definitely appreciate the fans and the opportunity I got in D.C., and without question, I&rsquo;m gonna miss my former teammates. But the thought of a fresh start and a new beginning energized me.
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Growing up, I always remember seeing Bulls jerseys and associating greatness with it because of Michael Jordan. I never once thought that I&rsquo;d have the opportunity to put on that red jersey and try to be part of building a winner in Chicago, but that&rsquo;s exactly what I&rsquo;m gonna try to do.
And when I think about what we can do on the court as a team, it&rsquo;s almost impossible to not be excited. For them to believe in me and bring me in let me know that they thought I could help the team win, and that&rsquo;s exactly what I plan on doing.
Offensively, with Zach and Vuc together, it's like pick your poison. Zach is going to have a lot of freedom to play his game more because opposing defenses are going to be hesitant to leave a guy like Vuc when they run a pick-and-roll. At the same time, either of those guys can take you one-on-one, but they also each consistently command double teams.
I&rsquo;m looking forward to being able to impact the game in ways other than scoring, though, because helping us find consistency on the defensive end of the court is definitely going to be my focus. I know I have to prove myself, and I&rsquo;m going to work hard every day to make the best possible impression.
As a team, we have a long way to go to accomplish our goals. For me, personally, I&rsquo;m excited for the fresh start, but I'm still trying to get used to my new situation.
I&rsquo;m still missing my old teammates but am getting acquainted with my new ones.
One phone call changed everything, and although the dust still hasn&rsquo;t completely settled, I&rsquo;m looking forward to helping my team &mdash; my new team &mdash; get to where we hope to go.
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Troy Brown Jr. writes about his experience getting dealt from the Washington Wizards to the Chicago Bulls prior to the trade deadline.

My first time getting traded: Learning what it's like to be dealt in the NBA

No matter what happens on Thursday, one offseason goal for the Knicks seems clear: People in touch with the team say New York hopes to maintain enough cap flexibility to pursue top free agents in 2022.
Source: <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-2021-nba-draft-notes-potential-targets-trades-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Begley/SNY</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Begley specifically mentioned that the 2022 free-agent class includes dynamic scorers Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine. The Knicks could have over $50 million in cap space to work with this offseason.
Our Alex Kennedy <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nbas-2022-freeagent-class-could-be-the-best-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently wrote about the 2022 free-agent class</a>.
"If all of the stars hit the market, it&rsquo;ll probably be the best free-agent class ever," one NBA agent told BasketballNews.com. "If that happens, the balance of power would likely shift immensely once again.&rdquo;
In addition to Beal and LaVine, the 2022 class could include Kevin Durant, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Julius Randle, Jrue Holiday, Russell Westbrook and John Wall, among others.
As for restricted free agents, the list could include Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter Jr., Deandre Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Collin Sexton and Mikal Bridges (although some of those players will surely be extended around the start of the 2021-22 season).

The Knicks could chase a 2022 free agent such as Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine.

Knicks hoping to keep cap flexibility intact for 2022 free agency

Overtime, a company that focuses on basketball and is planning on launching Overtime Elite, an alternative to college basketball for star high school players, has announced that it has raised $80 million in Series C funding.
Notable investors for this round of funding include some pretty big names, including Jeff Bezos, Drake and 25+ NBA players (including Devin Booker, Trae Young, Zach LaVine).
The company announced the following on Friday:
Overtime, the leading brand for the next generation of sports fans, announced today that it has raised $80 million in Series C funding led by return investor Sapphire Sport, Black Capital and a diverse syndicate of distinguished leaders in technology, sports, finance and music.
Notable investors in this round include Bezos Expeditions (the personal investment company of Jeff Bezos), Drake, Micromanagement Ventures (the family of the late David Stern), Alexis Ohanian, Jeff Kearl (via Pelion Capital), Morgan Stanley Counterpoint Global, Blackstone Strategic Partners, and more than 25 current and former NBA stars, including Trae Young, Devin Booker, Klay Thompson and Pau Gasol.
&ldquo;The breadth and diversity of this investment group, including leaders from business, entertainment, technology and sports, speaks to Overtime&rsquo;s remarkable growth and our future trajectory,&rdquo; said Dan Porter, Overtime&rsquo;s CEO and co-founder. &ldquo;We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg, as we develop new ways for Overtime to engage with and entertain the next generation of athletes and fans."
Other notable investors include Gaingels, PROOF, Concrete Rose Capital, Dentsu Ventures, Intersect Capital, LightShed Ventures, WNBA All-Star and commentator Chiney Ogwumike, Rogue Insight Capital, Bakari Sellers, 10X Capital, True Capital Management, and Ares Management&rsquo;s Nate Walton. In total, Overtime has now raised more than $140 million in funding.
This new funding will be used towards the expansion of Overtime, including building internal capabilities around NFTs, trading cards and the company&rsquo;s unique approach to content and community to develop sports betting tailored for the next generation of fans. In addition, Overtime will continue investing in its sports app, where fans can get stats, scores, hot insights, humor, culture, kicks and more, with the goal of having the number one sports app in North America.
Overtime will also make a significant investment into the development of OTE (<a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/overtime_launches_ote_a_pro_league_for_the_next_generation_of_basketball_stars/prweb17771416.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overtime Elite</a>), the company&rsquo;s transformative new basketball league. This will include guaranteeing salaries for all OTE athletes, hiring a dedicated staff of more than 80 league employees, and making other investments critical to launching a new league. OTE&rsquo;s inaugural season begins in September.
More than 25 current and former NBA players invested in this round, including Deandre Ayton, Lonzo Ball, Will Barton, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Pau Gasol, Aaron Gordon, Danny Green, Zach LaVine, Kyle Lowry, Kenyon Martin, JaVale McGee, Khris Middleton, Kelly Olynyk, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Domas Sabonis, Garrett Temple, Isaiah Thomas, Klay Thompson, Thaddeus Young, Trae Young, Gerald Wallace, Hassan Whiteside, Andrew Wiggins, and Nick &ldquo;Swaggy P&rdquo; Young.
&ldquo;When Overtime first launched, we were known for our raw and authentic sports highlights from across the globe,&rdquo; said Zack Weiner, Overtime&rsquo;s President and co-founder. &ldquo;Five years later, we&rsquo;re the leading brand for the next generation of sports fans, reaching them through our social channels, our long-form series, our e-commerce business, and now a sports league. Sports consumption is changing at a rapid pace and Overtime will continue to be at the forefront.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Overtime has built an unrivaled brand and global community from scratch in just five years. This fundraise reflects the incredible growth opportunities associated with such a market leading position, including the opportunity to bring Overtime Elite into the world,&rdquo; said Sapphire Sport Partner Michael Spirito, who led the round. &ldquo;We are thrilled to welcome this diverse and impactful group of institutional and individual investors to the Overtime family, further enabling the team to continue to build as only they know how.&rdquo;Since its founding in 2016, Overtime has become synonymous with sports for a new generation of athletes and fans, with programming that is viewed more than 14 billion times a year and an audience of almost 50 million social media followers. The company now has more than 125 employees."

Investors include Devin Booker, Trae Young, Klay Thompson, Zach LaVine, Pau Gasol, De'Aaron Fox, Kyle Lowry, Domas Sabonis.

Drake, Jeff Bezos and 25+ NBA players invest in Overtime

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Chicago star Zach LaVine left the Bulls' game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday because of a left knee injury.
LaVine walked gingerly toward the locker room with 8:28 left in the first quarter. He never went to the ground.
LaVine tore the ACL in his left knee while playing for Minnesota in February 2017.

Chicago's Zach LaVine left the Bulls' game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday because of a left knee injury.

Bulls star LaVine injures left knee, leaves Warriors game

After spending eight-and-a-half years with the Orlando Magic, Nikola Vucevic was dealt to the Chicago Bulls two weeks ago in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks. Not only was this the biggest deal to go down prior to the trade deadline, but it was also the most shocking.&nbsp;
Of all the rumors that were circulating in the weeks leading up to the deadline, there weren&rsquo;t many involving Vucevic. Most reports indicated that Orlando wanted to keep their three-time All-Star, and that their asking price had been high when teams called to gauge his availability. All signs seemed to point to the Magic keeping Vooch...until they didn&rsquo;t.
With this deal, Chicago has bolstered its roster for a playoff push, and they can build around their All-Star duo&nbsp; -- Vucevic and Zach LaVine -- going forward. They have a nice mix of veterans (Vucevic, LaVine, Thaddeus Young, Tomas Satoransky, Daniel Theis, Garrett Temple, Al-Farouq Aminu) and youth (Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Patrick Williams, Troy Brown Jr.).
For the Magic, they bring in two first-round picks and a 21-year-old as they rebuild. Orlando also dealt Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, so it&rsquo;s clear that the team wants to add talent through the draft and develop their young core of Carter Jr. (21), Cole Anthony (20), Jonathan Isaac (23), Markelle Fultz (22), R.J. Hampton (20), Mo Bamba (22) and Chuma Okeke (22).
Since joining the Bulls, Vucevic is averaging 22.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 51.7% from the field, 41% from three and 89.5% from the free throw line.
BasketballNews.com caught up with Vucevic for his first one-on-one interview since the blockbuster trade went down. He opened up about how he learned of the trade, why leaving Orlando was emotional for him and his family, forming a one-two punch with LaVine, his excitement about this Bulls squad, his first impression of Chicago and more.
How did you find out about the trade? Where were you?
Nikola Vucevic: &ldquo;I was actually with my son; I had taken him to this activity that he has because it was our day off. So, I went with him and then I got a call from the GM [John Hammond], and they just called me to let me know that the trade was happening. It wasn&rsquo;t out of nowhere, we&rsquo;d had discussions prior to it, so it was kind of mutual; it wasn&rsquo;t just out of nowhere. They pretty much just let me know that the trade was happening and said, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re going to Chicago.&rsquo; Honestly, even though I had an idea that it could happen, it was still a big shock to me. I&rsquo;d never been through it before. And I think the biggest thing for me is that I was in Orlando for so long and I had such a special bond with the franchise, the city, the fans, the people there. I pretty much grew up there. I went from a 21-year-old boy to a 30-year-old man who&rsquo;s married with two kids, so I don&rsquo;t know...it was definitely still a shock, and it took a little bit for me to adjust to it. After a few days, I was able to gather myself and it&rsquo;s been good. It&rsquo;s obviously part of the business that we&rsquo;re in and things like this happen and you just move on.&rdquo;
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Garrett Temple told me that the Bulls don&rsquo;t have many leaks, so their moves tend to be surprises. You mentioned that you were having discussions with the Magic about their trade talks. Did you know that Chicago was a possibility, or were you surprised when you heard that you were heading to the Bulls?
Vucevic: &ldquo;I was aware of the teams that were showing interest in me; I knew that there were a couple, but I didn&rsquo;t know where I&rsquo;d land or all of the details because that&rsquo;s something that the front office was handling. But I knew of the teams that were interested; I knew that part.&rdquo;
Let&rsquo;s talk about leaving Orlando. You were there for eight-and-a-half years, and you have many relationships with people there. But you and I have also talked about how off the court, your family loved it in Orlando. Your wife was comfortable there and your kids were happy. I think fans tend to focus on the basketball side of things when a trade happens, but you also have to relocate your family and leave a city you all loved.
Vucevic: &ldquo;Even with the basketball part, I became who I am with the Magic and I grew as a player there. I had a great relationship with the owners. We had two front offices [while I was there] and I had great relationships with both, along with the coaches, the players, everything. That&rsquo;s a big part, too. But I think, for me, what made it hardest was that, like I said, I had a very special bond with the city and the fans. I was there for so long. Both of my sons were born there and we had a very good life, very established. We had a lot of friends and everything, so you&rsquo;re leaving a big part of your life behind. That was the hardest part. You&rsquo;re going into this big change that&rsquo;s not only affecting me, but also my family. My wife has to move, my kids have to move -- although they&rsquo;re little, so they won&rsquo;t be as aware of it, but still; my son liked the daycare he was at and had a lot of friends there. My wife had a lot of friends there and had established a nice life. So, you think about all of that and it&rsquo;s not easy. If it had just been me, I think it would&rsquo;ve been easier because I could just relocate and it&rsquo;s whatever. But when you have to move your whole family, you&rsquo;re also thinking about how that affects them -- and actually, that was one thing that was really difficult, just making sure that my job doesn&rsquo;t affect them in a negative way. That&rsquo;s the first reaction that you have, which is normal, because it&rsquo;s a big move.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But then once I got to Chicago, all of the people were great to me and very welcoming -- people from the team, the players, the coaches, the front office, people in the city, everywhere. Even in the hotel that I stayed at the first couple of days, everybody was pretty excited. When you see that, it gets easier. And now, after two weeks, I&rsquo;ve found us a place to stay and I found a daycare for my son, so it just gets easier and easier. But I think it&rsquo;s normal once you go through a big change; it&rsquo;s always difficult -- especially when you were so attached to a place for so long. I had a lot of success there, and I had established so many great relationships with so many great people, which I&rsquo;ll have forever -- it&rsquo;s not like those will stop. It&rsquo;s just in that initial moment, it&rsquo;s very difficult because you have to leave all of that behind and go to a new place. It wasn&rsquo;t easy, but at the same time, I was also very excited to join the Chicago Bulls, which is an amazing organization with a lot of history. This is a team that I grew up watching a lot, being a big Michael Jordan fan, so you get excited about that. There&rsquo;s just this crazy mix of emotions that you deal with all at once.&rdquo;
What are your thoughts on this Bulls team and the group&rsquo;s potential going forward?
Vucevic: &ldquo;That&rsquo;s one thing I&rsquo;m very excited about: the team has great potential. It has very good structure, and we&rsquo;re built to be successful for years to come, which is very important in this league. Knowing Zach, he&rsquo;s one of the best players at his position in this league and he had a great year this year; he was an All-Star, and I think he will be one for many years to come. It&rsquo;s always great to play alongside a guy like that and it&rsquo;s going to make my life easier, and hopefully I can make his life easier as well on the court. But I believe in Zach and I, and once we really grow our chemistry and build that two-man game, I think we can be very, very good and help our team in many ways and make it difficult for other teams to defend us.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But we also have guys like Thad [Young] and Garrett [Temple] and guys who have been around the league for a long time. Especially Thad, this is Year 14 for him; I actually played my rookie year with him in Philly, so I&rsquo;ve known him for a while. You have [Tom&aacute;&scaron;] Satoransk&yacute;, who&rsquo;s only been in the NBA for five years, but he played overseas so he has a lot of experience as well. Then, we also have Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Denzel Valentine and Pat Williams, and all of those guys are really good players. Then, we also brought in Daniel Theis in a trade, who&rsquo;s also an experienced player. There are some very good pieces and I&rsquo;m excited. It&rsquo;s a new start, and hopefully with my experience and my knowledge, I can help them get to a higher level, which is my goal. But so far, the whole experience has been very positive. I think I&rsquo;ve been fitting in pretty quickly, and I think it&rsquo;s been getting better each day and each game. We&rsquo;re only going to continue to grow and get better, and I think we&rsquo;re going to have success hopefully this season but also for years to come.&rdquo;
In Orlando, you were the focal point of the offense, so Zach should be able to take some of the pressure off of you and vice versa. You guys can be a terrific one-two punch.
Vucevic: &ldquo;Yeah, I&rsquo;m very excited. I&rsquo;ve never played with anyone who&rsquo;s as good of a scorer as Zach is, so I think it&rsquo;s going to be great for me to have a guy like that on the ball a lot. In some of the games, it&rsquo;s shown already in some of our two-man game action, although we haven&rsquo;t played together a lot. It&rsquo;s going to be hard to defend. I mean, when you&rsquo;re trying to guard a two-man game that has two very good players, two very good scorers, it&rsquo;s hard to defend because it&rsquo;s hard to take away both; one or the other is always going to have a chance to get open or create for themselves, or for the other guy or for somebody else on the team. With me and Zach, it&rsquo;s going to be awesome to play with him. Another thing about him is that he&rsquo;s very unselfish; he&rsquo;s a willing passer, he&rsquo;s willing to make the right play, and that&rsquo;s always a huge plus for the team. Honestly, so far, it&rsquo;s been good. Against Indy, he hit me on seven or eight pocket passes where I just had to shoot it; I made some, but I even missed some very easy ones. But we had a very good connection in that game, and hopefully we can continue to build that because I think it&rsquo;s going to be very important for the team and the success that we have.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But also, Zach has been great with [welcoming me]. As soon as I got traded, he called me and said he was very excited that I was coming. He was super happy, and he said if there was anything I needed in the city, he could help me. Things like a car, a place to stay, a chef or whatever, he said he could help me out because he&rsquo;s been there for a bit. That&rsquo;s always great to see, when you have the best player on the team welcoming you and helping you with things like that. I really appreciated it. He understands that it isn&rsquo;t easy to move, so I appreciated that.&rdquo;
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Earlier this season, we spoke about how this condensed schedule has been difficult. There&rsquo;s less practice time and not many days off. Is it tougher to get acclimated to a new team during this condensed season? Chicago added a number of new players at the deadline, so has it been tough to get everyone on the same page?
Vucevic: &ldquo;For sure. It&rsquo;s more difficult because you just don&rsquo;t have as much practice time and you play every other day and you have a lot of back-to-backs, so it&rsquo;s a little different than what it would be in a regular season. But it&rsquo;s the same for everyone else, for all of the other teams that also made moves, so we just have to adjust on the go. And I think we&rsquo;ve been doing a pretty good job of that, with Coach [Billy] Donovan and the rest of the coaching staff. They&rsquo;ve been doing a good job in meetings and in shootarounds and when we&rsquo;ve had practice of running through stuff and helping us with the plays, the defense, the schemes and all that. I think we&rsquo;ve been able to catch on pretty quickly, which is good. And I think what also helps is that this is a group of guys that is really unselfish and that plays team basketball, and we have a lot of high-IQ players, so that makes it easier to kind of fit in and just play ball. So, for sure, it&rsquo;s not easy at any point. And I think this season, you obviously have all of the COVID protocols and everything is limited, so it is a little more tricky. But I think we&rsquo;ve been doing good so far.&rdquo;
You haven&rsquo;t been in Chicago for too long, but what&rsquo;s been your first impression of the city and the fan base?
Vucevic: &ldquo;I was familiar with the city just from being in the league so long. Whenever we came to Chicago, I&rsquo;d always take advantage of it and try to walk around and visit it. And I&rsquo;m a huge restaurant guy and I know that Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the country, so I&rsquo;m very excited for that. Hopefully when COVID calms down or goes away soon and we can get back to normal life, [we can eat at some]. Hopefully, the vaccination helps; I got my first shot and I&rsquo;m supposed to get my second shot in a couple days. After that, it&rsquo;ll be easier. I&rsquo;m very excited about the city. I&rsquo;ve only visited part of it, but everybody has told me that it&rsquo;s an amazing city. Obviously, it&rsquo;s one of the best cities in America and people love it. But yeah, we&rsquo;re actually very excited for that part and to get to know the city and learn good areas, good places to go. We heard there are many great things that you can do with kids, so we&rsquo;re excited for that.
&ldquo;And then, the fan base has been great. On social media, they&rsquo;ve been good and they&rsquo;ve been welcoming; actually, my followers went up a bit so that&rsquo;s not bad (laughs). But even around the city, one day I was just walking around and going to visit the spot that we&rsquo;re going to move into, and fans around the city were recognizing me and welcoming me. Like I said, even some of the people who work at the hotel I was staying at were excited and welcoming. Obviously, I know that Chicago has a great fan base; it&rsquo;s one of the biggest, for sure, out of all the NBA teams. They&rsquo;re very into sports; it&rsquo;s one of the biggest sports cities in the country. I&rsquo;m excited for that and it&rsquo;ll be special. The Bulls are one of the biggest franchises and especially for our generation -- we all grew up watching MJ and Pippen and all of them dominate the league -- so we were all big Bulls fans, so I&rsquo;m very excited about that. The only thing is that I&rsquo;ll have to make sure we get some good winter clothing, which we aren&rsquo;t really used to (laughs). That will probably be the biggest adjustment, but it&rsquo;s okay.&rdquo;
Right now, the Bulls have the 10th-best record in the East. Have you guys talked about making the playoffs this season and made that a goal?&nbsp;
Vucevic: &ldquo;Yeah, for sure, that is their goal. Coach Donovan even emphasized that in the first meetings when all of us first arrived. I think that&rsquo;s an achievable goal. It&rsquo;s not going to be easy because a lot of teams are going to be fighting for those last couple of spots. Unless we get the sixth seed, we&rsquo;ll have to play in the play-in. It&rsquo;ll be easier if we get seventh or eighth and then we have to play, but if you&rsquo;re ninth or 10th, you have to play two [play-in] games. But I think it&rsquo;ll be huge if we can get to the playoffs. It&rsquo;ll be a great achievement for a lot of these young guys to have that experience and also for the franchise to get back to the playoffs after a couple of years. I think by making these moves, the Bulls already sent a strong message to the rest of the league that they really want to win now, but making the playoffs would send a strong message, too. And when you make that step and have some success, it also attracts other people to want to play for a team like that.&rdquo;
Having two All-Stars in a big market like Chicago, I think other stars will want to come play with you and Zach, too.
Vucevic: &ldquo;Hopefully!&rdquo;
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Nikola Vucevic talks with Alex Kennedy about leaving Orlando after eight years, joining the Bulls, playing with Zach LaVine and more.

Nikola Vucevic Q&A: 'We’re built to be successful for years to come'

Zach LaVine scored 31 points, DeMar DeRozan had 29 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 111-107 on Saturday night.
Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu each added 11 points for the Bulls.
Kevin Durant led Brooklyn with 28 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 20. James Harden added 14 points and 14 assists, but shot 5 for 21 from the field.
The Bulls trailed by as many as 11 in the third quarter, but opened the fourth on a 13-4 run and took their biggest lead at 92-86 on DeRozan&rsquo;s short jumper with 7 minutes remaining.
Aldridge's layup brought the Nets within 101-100, but they never got closer.
Durant&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 39 seconds left cut it to 107-105, but Lonzo Ball answered with a 3 with 16 seconds remaining to end the threat.
Patty Mills, who scored 12 points, gave Brooklyn its biggest lead at 71-60 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
Chicago rallied and LaVine&rsquo;s 3-pointer trimmed it to 80-79 before Paul Millsap, who scored a season-high 13 points, hit a buzzer-beater to give the Nets an 82-79 lead after three quarters.
Brooklyn scored the first nine points of the game, all on 3s, and led 34-28 after the first quarter.
Chicago took its first lead at 47-46 on LaVine&rsquo;s three-point play with 3:57 left in the half before the Nets went back ahead, with Durant&rsquo;s basket making it 56-52 at the half.
Bruce Brown led the Nets with 12 rebounds, while Durant had 10.
TIP-INS:
Bulls: Javonte Green, who had appeared in each of Chicago&rsquo;s first 23 games, did not play Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19. That leaves DeRozan, LaVine and Ball as the only Bulls to play in every game this season.
Nets: Brooklyn has had four back-to-backs so far this season and gone 1-1 each time. &hellip; The Nets had won eight of their previous nine home games against the Bulls. &hellip; James Johnson did not play due to left shoulder soreness.
WORKING OVERTIME
Durant has played at least 37 minutes in each of his last seven games, including a season-high 45 vs. Phoenix on Nov. 21. &ldquo;Kevin&rsquo;s mentality is why he&rsquo;s one of the best players of all-time,&rdquo; coach Steve Nash said. &ldquo;He loves the game. To tell him we&rsquo;re going to limit his minutes is not going to go over very well. We try to sneak minutes from him here and there and keep him on the bench for an extra 30 or 40 seconds when we can.&rdquo;
TRIPLE THREAT
In their two games prior to Saturday, LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic all scored 25 or more points while shooting 50% or better from the field. It was the first time three teammates had reached those marks in consecutive games since Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway did it for Golden State in 1990.
FALLING ON HARD(EN) TIMES
Harden has shot 13 for 49 (26.5%) over his last three games.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Chicago hosts Denver on Monday.
Nets: Brooklyn visits Dallas on Tuesday.

Zach LaVine scored 31 points, DeMar DeRozan had 29 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets 111-107 on Saturday night.

LaVine, DeRozan lead Bulls to 111-107 win over Nets

Team USA will take on Team France, also known as Les Bleus, in the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics this Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET. The gold-medal game will be televised by NBC in the United States &ndash; the first men&rsquo;s basketball game to appear on the network&rsquo;s flagship station.
This will be a rematch of the first game each team played at the Saitama Super Arena, when France defeated the U.S. 83-76, outscoring Team USA 26-13 in the fourth quarter of the quarterfinal matchup.&nbsp;
These teams also played at the 2019 World Cup of Basketball in China, with France defeating Team USA by a final score of 89-79. The Bleus earned the victory by outplaying the Americans in the fourth quarter. Evan Fournier, now a member of the New York Knicks, scored 22 points while Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz scored 21 points to go along with 16 rebounds.
So France has a two-game winning streak over the U.S. and returns many of the same players from their team of two years ago, while the Americans are almost entirely different. Only Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum (who was a DNP-CD in that game) remain on the roster. Kevin Durant has been the Americans&rsquo; top player at the Olympics, averaging 19 points on 53% shooting from the field. He is trying for his third Olympic gold medal.
Here are 10 things to know going into the gold-medal game:
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10. Point guard will be a critical matchup, with Jrue Holiday of the United States going against Nando de Colo of France. U.S. head coach Gregg Popovich coached de Colo for three years in San Antonio. After leaving the Spurs, de Colo played one season with the Toronto Raptors before moving back to Europe where he spent five seasons as the floor general for CSKA Moscow and one with Fenerbahce in Turkey. Holiday is the best perimeter defender on the American team, but had trouble with Ricky Rubio of Spain in the quarterfinals. In France&rsquo;s semifinal victory over Slovenia, de Colo scored 25 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. He had 13 points in France&rsquo;s 83-76 victory over the United States in the Olympic opener for both teams &mdash; a game in which France scored 16 of the game&rsquo;s final 18 points. He is shooting 47.1% on three-pointers.
9. Center may be an even more important position because French coach Vincent Collet used a Twin-Towers tandem of Gobert and Vincent Poirier in the first meeting between the teams, and the Americans did not have the size to match up. If it happens again, Popovich will have to weigh whether to use Bam Adebayo and JaVale McGee alongside each other for the first time, and no coach likes to put out a lineup in the ultimate game that he has never used before. Using Draymond Green alongside Adebayo is also an option. Gobert is averaging 11.4 points and 9.6 rebounds in just over 25 minutes per game. Poirier, who plays for Real Madrid, did not play against Slovenia and is averaging only 12 minutes per game.
8. One of the newest members of the New York Knicks, Evan Fournier, is averaging 19.2 points per game (two-tenths more than Durant) and is shooting 54.1% on two-pointers and 41.7% from three. He is France&rsquo;s featured scorer. He has scored above 20 points in four of five games, with his average getting affected when he played only 14 minutes against Iran. Fournier shot just 1-for-4 from the field in that contest. His best game came in the opener against the United States, where he went 11-for-22 from the field in 34 minutes.
7. Popovich has shortened his rotation and is relying most on Durant, Holiday, Tatum, Adebayo, Devin Booker, Zach LaVine, Damian Lillard and Draymond Green. But Lillard comes with a caveat, because he has been subbed out for matchup purposes when his defense could be a hindrance. That happened against Spain when Cleveland&rsquo;s new point guard, Ricky Rubio, went off for 38 points. One of the intriguing questions going into the gold-medal game is whether Pop will value Lillard&rsquo;s offense as a necessary component to getting the victory. Collet&rsquo;s lineup choices will have an impact on that question.
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6. Green has only missed two shots in the Olympics, but he has only taken nine, despite playing an average of 18 minutes per game. Green is 3-for-3 on three-pointers and has made all four of his foul shots, but he also leads Team USA with 20 fouls and is the 10th-leading scorer at 4.2 points per game. He was placed on the roster because of his versatility on both ends of the court, and defense has been the one constant for the Americans in their victories.
5. The Americans have been called for 100 fouls, compared to 79 for their opponents. Under FIBA rules, a disqualification comes after the fifth foul &ndash; and technicals (called an &ldquo;unsportsmanlike foul&rdquo; in FIBA) count against a player&rsquo;s total. The refereeing has been par for the course as far as FIBA goes, with lots of physical contact allowed under the basket and in the open court. However, ticky-tack reach-in fouls are also whistled at random times. The referee assignments for the gold-medal game will be closely watched by the American federation, which keeps copious stats on different international referees&rsquo; tendencies. None of the officials will be from France or the United States. No NBA referees are working the Olympics.
4. Is LaVine Team USA&rsquo;s secret weapon? The Chicago Bulls&rsquo; All-Star &mdash; who will now be teaming up with DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso &mdash; will be the top three-point shooter (percentage-wise) in this game, hitting them at a 47.6% clip. But he is averaging only 19.6 minutes per game, despite being second on the team in assists (20) and being perfect from the foul line (5-for-5). He is getting squeezed in the rotation somewhat because so many of the American players are wings, and if he comes into the game against France and has a hot hand, it will be interesting to see whether Popovich rides him. LaVine is just ahead of Adebayo and just behind Booker in terms of minutes played per game.
3. Pressure is one of the biggest intangible factors in any basketball game, but much more so in a gold-medal game. Durant has played in three of them, and nobody on France has played in a single one in the Olympics. At the 2019 World Cup in China, Gobert was only 1-for-3 from the field and was outscored 28-3 by Luis Scola of Argentina in a semifinal game. Fournier shot only 6-for-17 in that loss, and de Colo came off the bench behind Frank Ntilikina and scored 11, while Nicolas Batum was just 1-for-6. Those stats do not exactly inspire &ldquo;confiance&rdquo; &ndash; the French word for confidence. Durant had 30 points in a 96-66 gold-medal victory over Serbia at the 2016 Olympics and another 30 points in America&rsquo;s 107-100 victory over Spain in the gold-medal game of the 2012 Olympics.
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2. Statistics other than points often paint a clearer picture of what certain teams are doing particularly well. The Americans have 50 steals to their opponents&rsquo; 27, 26 blocks compared to nine for their opponents and are forcing 17 turnovers per game compared to 10.9 by their opponents. They are also outrebounding their opponents by 1.6 per game despite being beaten in that category in their opener against France, 42-38. In five games, their opponents have combined for only 85 third-quarter points &ndash; an indication that they come out of halftime at each game with a strong defensive mindset, something we saw against Australia in the semifinal when they outscored the Boomers 32-10 in the third.
1. Despite Durant already having two of them, a gold medal is an extraordinarily difficult thing to earn. Most NBA players have none and will never have any, so this opportunity is extra special and will bring out the best in the best competitors. What should worry the Americans is having a close game late in the fourth quarter, because that is when the strangest of strange things happen. At the infamous 1972 gold-medal game between the Soviet Union and the United States, the final play was replayed twice despite a jury (yes, they have a jury at gold medal games) ruling in the Americans&rsquo; favor on one disputed play. It was overruled by the head of FIBA, who came down from the stands and ordered the final inbounds play to take place a third time. Team USA won the silver medal at those games, but those medals have remain locked in a vault in Geneva, Switzerland ever since, because every player on the American team refused to accept them.
So it&rsquo;s okay to expect the unexpected, despite Team USA being favored by 12.5 points.

Kevin Durant and Zach LaVine will lead Team USA into the gold-medal game against Team France. Here are things to watch for.

10 things to know ahead of USA-France Olympic gold-medal game

Zach LaVine scored 32 points in his return from the NBA's health and safety protocols, DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers 113-105 on Sunday night.
Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 15 rebounds as the Bulls (20-10) won their third straight.
Caris LeVert scored 27 points and Domantas Sabonis had 14 points and 16 rebounds after missing a game with a right calf injury as the Pacers dropped their third straight game.
Chicago had a comfortable lead throughout most of the game before Indiana pulled within 108-100 on a 3-pointer by LeVert with 3:19 to play. LaVine answered with a 20-footer and, after a miss by the Pacers, added another basket to essentially put the game away.
It was LaVine's first game since Dec. 11. However, he missed just two games because the Bulls had three games postponed during his absence. He also missed time last season because of COVID-19.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m tired of getting COVID," LaVine said. "I feel like I just had it. ... But that&rsquo;s the world we&rsquo;re living in right now. We&rsquo;ve got to play with it. Everybody in the league and the world is dealing with it right now, so I&rsquo;m not doing a poor-me mentality.&rdquo;
Rookie Ayo Dosunmu, who also returned from the health and safety protocols, came off the bench to score six points in 24 minutes.
Chicago was without starter Lonzo Ball and reserves Alfonzo McKinnie and Tony Bradley, who entered health and safety protocols on Sunday. Ball was the only player to appear in all 29 games before Sunday.
The Bulls were also without coach Billy Donovan, who entered the protocols on Friday. Assistant Chris Fleming filled in.
The Pacers were without leading scorer Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) and Jeremy Lamb (wrist).
Indiana won 109-77 in the first meeting between the teams, on Nov. 22 at the United Center.
Chicago got off to a hot shooting start in the opening periods and led 63-48 at the half. The Bulls were 26 for 41 from the field (63.4 percent), including 6 for 12 on 3-pointers.
&ldquo;I thought we had a poor first half and a very good second half," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "That&rsquo;s not gonna cut it against a team like Chicago with two stars. They got rolling and we just didn&rsquo;t do enough in the first half to keep them from getting going.
&ldquo;I like our third quarter and I thought we did a lot of good things in the second half, but we&rsquo;re gonna have to put 48 minutes together instead of 24.&rdquo;
Indiana turned up the defensive pressure at the start of the second half and pulled within 83-75 with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Coby White hit a pair of free throws and DeRozan added a 14-footer to build the lead back to 87-75, but the Pacers scored the final four points of the quarter to make it 87-79 entering the fourth.
Tyler Cook opened the scoring in the final quarter with a dunk and DeRozan added a pair of free throws on the next possession to stretch the lead to 91-79. A short time later, DeRozan hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers to make it 95-81 with nine minutes to go.
The Bulls found a way to win, just as they have throughout the virus outbreak.
&ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s been like, &lsquo;Next man up,&rsquo;" LaVine said. "Everybody&rsquo;s been staying ready, and when their name is called, there&rsquo;s no hesitation and they know what to do. We&rsquo;ve been good with guys out, and that&rsquo;s saying a lot.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Pacers: Have dropped four straight on the road, falling to 3-13 away from home this season. ... C Myles Turner had 19 points on 9-for-18 shooting, but was 0 for 4 from 3-point range.
Bulls: G/F Alex Caruso (left foot sprain) sat out after being injured early in the last game against Houston. Caruso is expected to be re-evaluated in about a week. ... F Derrick Jones Jr. missed his second straight game with a left hamstring strain.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Bulls: At the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Zach LaVine scored 32 points in his return, DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and the Bulls beat the Pacers 113-105 on Sunday night.

Bulls win 3rd straight game, defeat Pacers 113-105

It's easy to gravitate towards a tough shot-maker. How cool is it to see a player defended well, pushed to an uncomfortable spot and knock down a jumper or convert a contested finish anyway?
And for the defender(s) of said shot, how must that feel? To do everything right, only for points to go up on the scoreboard despite your solid efforts?
In other words: It's gotta be tough drawing DeMar DeRozan as a matchup right now.
DeRozan's off to a hot start, averaging 27.0 points with a 59.5% True Shooting percentage to boot. Honestly, he's got it going from everywhere. His shot distribution (along with field-goal percentages by distance) is as follows:
<ul>
<li>67.7% from 0-to-3 feet</li>
<li>50% from 3-to-10 feet</li>
<li>51.2% from 10-to-16 feet</li>
<li>40% from 16-22ish feet</li>
<li>38.9% from three</li>
</ul>
He's shooting 52.2% on twos while attempting 17.3 of those suckers. Roughtly 70% of those two-pointers have been self-created. The three-point dabbling is back, with DeRozan's 2.3 attempts being the highest we've seen from him since his final year in Toronto (3.6 attempts in 2017-18).
DeRozan has been hotter as of late. He's scored 30 or more points in three straight games, while shooting 65.5% (!!!) from two and 50% from three during that stretch. And when all else fails, DeRozan has been able to bump-and-pump his way to the free-throw line. His 7.3 free throw attempts rank fifth in the NBA, and second among perimeter players (Jimmy Butler leads the NBA in both categories at 9.0).
It's hard to emphasize how important DeRozan's rim pressure has been. The Bulls have moved from No. 10 to No. 5 in terms of their share of shots at the rim, per PBP Stats. The real shift, however, comes from the charity stripe.
The Bulls ranked dead last in the percentage of points that came via free throws (12.5) last season, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/scoring/?sort=PCT_PTS_FT&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per NBA.com's tracking data.</a>&nbsp;They've completely flipped the script this season, ranking third (17.0) in the league behind DeRozan's aggression.
The partnership between DeRozan and Chicago's other two stars &mdash; Zach LaVine (balling) and Nikola Vucevic (bawling, at his currently-shaky jumper) &mdash; has been mutually beneficial. DeRozan has been able to attack bent defenses due to the attention the other two demand, especially when they work together.
Take the possession below, where the Celtics attempt to "ICE" a LaVine-Vucevic pick-and-roll.&nbsp;
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In ICE, the on-ball defender (Josh Richardson) positions himself in a way to force the ball-handler (LaVine) towards the baseline. Robert Williams has to step up because of LaVine's pull-up shooting ability, which opens up the pocket pass to a rolling Vucevic.
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Because of the on-time, on-target pass, Marcus Smart rotates down to cut off the roll. Vucevic quickly finds DeRozan on the wing, which turns into a one-on-one battle with Williams as he rotates out. DeRozan beats Williams off the bounce, forces a rotation, then finds Vucevic for the open jumper.
Even when LaVine and Vucevic aren't directly involved in actions, their presence has made life easier for DeRozan. DeRozan-run isolations or post-ups with either star spacing one pass away have made it incredibly tough to send extra attention. Including passes, DeRozan is generating 1.11 points per isolation possession, and 1.27 points per post-up, per Synergy.
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But because of DeRozan's individual prowess as a scorer, LaVine and Vucevic aren't needed to save the day. It's why head coach Billy Donovan has seemed comfortable working DeRozan in with the second unit.
The split has been nearly perfect in terms of minute distribution. Per PBP Stats, the Bulls have logged 80 minutes with DeRozan on the floor without LaVine and Vucevic, and 79 minutes with the inverse (LaVine/Vucevic on, DeRozan off).
The Bulls have (inexplicably) crushed it in the solo DeRozan (DeSolo?) minutes, posting a 119.4 offensive rating and a plus-23.7 net rating overall despite his cast mostly being non-shooters.&nbsp;
It's also telling that DeRozan, in less than a month, has already taken over lead-dog duties in the clutch. He's taken as many clutch shots (9) as LaVine (6) and Vucevic (3) combined. DeRozan's 33.3 usage rate trumps his co-stars.
But when you can make shots like this, who needs spacing? And why&nbsp;wouldn't&nbsp;you defer to DeRozan?
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Not only has DeRozan been a near-seamless fit on his new squad offensively, he's not-so-arguably been the Bulls' best player this season. Before the season, he bristled at people who questioned how <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/why-bulls-demar-derozan-isnt-worried-about-fit-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he would fit in Chicago</a>. If this stretch is any indication of the campaign he'll have, his annoyance by the skepticism will be justified.
He's wylin' in Windy City right now.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the offensive fit of DeMar DeRozan with the Bulls.

DeMoralizing: How DeMar DeRozan has transformed Chicago's offense

Before the beginning of this offseason, 2022&rsquo;s free-agency period was supposed to be the next super-class of stars potentially moving elsewhere. However, three weeks later, those dreams have died rather quickly with teams either securing long-term extensions or future cap space dissipating.
Now, we&rsquo;re staring down the barrel of Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine as the headliners. And even then, all signs point to both players eventually signing lucrative extensions with their respective organizations. Projected 2022 restricted free agents &mdash; headlined by Deandre Ayton, Michael Porter Jr., Mikal Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. &mdash; figure to also sign long-term deals before next season even begins, further dampening an already weaker-than-expected crop of talent movement.
So, who&rsquo;s ready for a potential free agency period where T.J. Warren and Aaron Gordon are the biggest names that might hit the open market via unrestricted free agency? Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier recently signed multi-year extensions, so two of the other top names are already off the board a year in advance.
If you thought 2021's top-tier of free agents was a downtrodden year compared to years past, next summer looks to be an even more disappointing collection of franchise-changing talent.
Many players are taking the guaranteed long-term security in order to avoid a situation we just saw unfold with Dennis Schroder. After declining a four-year, $84 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, Schroder ended up signing a 1-year deal with the Boston Celtics late in free agency. It goes to show that sometimes betting on yourself to improve your annual value can be a dangerous game to play when there are no guarantees. And in the days of player empowerment, where a simple trade request can get you out the door of an organization at a moment's notice, you can still do that a few years into your new deal if it&rsquo;s not going well for either side.
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Another reason why there isn&rsquo;t expected to be much player movement via free agency next offseason is due to projected cap space available elsewhere. Currently, only three teams look to have enough to go star-hunting if they so desire: the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans. Those are not exactly the markets that big-fish free agents are desiring to chase nowadays.
With limited flexibility amongst NBA teams, the best bet for extensive player movement next offseason is via trade. Beal is the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-bradley-beal-washington-wizards-offseason-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious name to watch under this scenario</a> if he decides to pass on a Supermax extension from the Washington Wizards. If Beal wants to decline a future in Washington, but also not leave them empty-handed, a sign-and-trade is a strong possibility.
Zooming back out and looking ahead to the 2022 class of unrestricted free agents, here are the top names still projected to hit the open market as of today:
Ball-Handlers: Bradley Beal (player option), Zach LaVine, Victor Oladipo, Dennis Schroder, Ricky Rubio, Goran Dragic, Patrick Beverley
Wings: T.J. Warren, Aaron Gordon, Otto Porter Jr., Robert Covington, Kyle Anderson, Gary Harris, Joe Ingles
Bigs: Jusuf Nurkic, Jonas Valanciunas, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, Thaddeus Young, Tristan Thompson, Thomas Bryant, Montrezl Harrell
Outside of Beal and LaVine &mdash; as mentioned, unlikely both even hit the open market a year from now &mdash; there&rsquo;s no true &ldquo;star&rdquo; free agent. Unless an organization makes an aggressive push for a B-level player like Warren or Gordon, and maybe even Oladipo if he proves to be 100% healthy following a lingering quad issue that has altered his career trajectory, the talent crop is not exactly awe-inspiring.
Be ready for another quiet free agency period next offseason. In 2021, we at least had a few players who had the potential of altering potential ceiling outcomes for their new organizations. Looking ahead, that appears not to be the case for 2022 unless something drastic occurs.
All eyes now will be focused upon the future of Beal and LaVine. They hold all the cards for what could either be an explosive 2022 offseason, or one of the quietest in terms of summer movement we&rsquo;ve seen in a very long time.
It&rsquo;s safe to say we&rsquo;re not used to seeing this limited amount of talent entering into an open market, especially where organizations seem to prioritize continuity over splashes with very few projected max-contract slots open around the NBA.

Free agency is always a time where star-caliber players can change teams, but next offseason could see the opposite outcome.

After years of star movement, 2022 offseason shapes up to be an outlier

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; DeMar DeRozan hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the second straight game to give the Chicago Bulls a 120-119 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Kyle Kuzma&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds to play gave Washington a 119-117 lead, until DeRozan beat the Wizards in the same way he beat Indiana on Friday night.
DeRozan finished with 28 points and Zach LaVine had 35 points to help the Bulls to their seventh straight win, which is their longest streak since Dec. 18-29, 2014.
According to BasketballReference.com, DeRozan became the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days.
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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing, especially doing it on the road,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;m dreaming or if it&rsquo;s real right now.
&ldquo;You work your butt off and you understand that if you&rsquo;re in those positions, try to capitalize on them the best way you can because you&rsquo;re going to have games where you miss some.&rdquo;
The Wizards led nearly the whole game, outscoring Chicago 72-30 in points in the paint.
&ldquo;He just made a heck of a play. He was defended pretty well,&rdquo; Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just tough. It&rsquo;s tough to lose a game like that.&rdquo;
Kuzma scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds, while Bradley Beal had 27 points and a career-high 16 assists in his first start at point guard. Beal also passed the 14,000 point mark.
Midway through the second quarter, the Wizards were called for a technical foul for too many players. Alize Johnson, one of five players on 10-day contracts, was the sixth player on the court.
TIP-INS
Bulls: F Tyler Cook suffered a sprained left ankle early in the second quarter and did not return. &hellip; F Javonte Green was out with a right adductor strain. &hellip; Interim coach Chris Fleming said that he hopes G Lonzo Ball and F Alonzo McKinnie, who were in health and safety protocols, could return to action early next week. &hellip; Coach Billy Donovan addressed the team over Zoom on Saturday and told them how proud he was with Friday night&rsquo;s win. Donovan could return from health and safety protocols on Monday.
Wizards: Signed G Tremont Waters to a 10-day contract. &hellip; G Brad Wanamaker, who started on Thursday, entered the health and safety protocols. &hellip; Rotation players G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Rui Hachimura, F Montrezl Harrell, G Aaron Holiday and G Raul Neto are still in COVID-19 protocols
DEROZAN&rsquo;S BIG SHOT: DeRozan said he concentrated on the fundamentals before he shot the game-winner.
&ldquo;I wanted to make sure my feet were behind the line,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wanted to give it a chance to go in.
&ldquo;My shots all night were short. It&rsquo;s tough to play on back-to-backs. I kind of felt it throughout the game.&rdquo;
LaVine shook his head when asked to describe DeRozan.
&ldquo;The dude&rsquo;s incredible,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t say much more than that&hellip;Thank God we&rsquo;ve got DeMar DeRozan on our team.&rdquo;
BEAL IMPRESSED WITH DEROZAN: Throughout Beal&rsquo;s NBA career, he has marveled at DeRozan.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what he does,&rdquo; Beal said. &ldquo;He takes tough shots and he makes tough shots.&rdquo;
Beal believes the short-handed Wizards simply came up short against a marvelous opponent.
&ldquo;We did everything we possibly could to win, but DeRo just made a crazy shot at the end of the game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In a way, the shot is demoralizing and takes the energy out of you, but to know that we competed and played hard, we set ourselves up to win, and you feel great about that.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Orlando on Monday.
Wizards: Host Charlotte on Monday.
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DeMar DeRozan hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the second straight game to give the Bulls a 120-119 win over the Wizards on Saturday.

Zach