CHICAGO — Before he began his postgame interview, Zach LaVine needed one more assist.
Standing shirtless at his locker, LaVine turned to a reporter and requested help with putting on a shirt. LaVine could barely lift his left arm.
A shoulder stinger that had contributed to an uncharacteristic, 2-for-9 shooting night lingered long after the final buzzer sounded on the Chicago Bulls’ 102-99 comeback win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
“It’s sore,” LaVine said. “But, I’m OK. We just X-rayed. Everything’s OK.”
Wednesday night, LaVine was the face of his team’s defiance. A first-half collision, he said, caused his shoulder to lock. LaVine received treatment at halftime and wore a bulky wrap during at least one break. He favored his left side when he returned, raising and flexing his shoulder before a pair of foul shots with 2:52 remaining. He missed the second, short.
“I tried to do everything else pretty much with one arm,” LaVine said. “If there’s something to find out, we’ll find out later. … I was just trying to focus on helping us win.
“We got that done, so we’ll figure it out (Thursday).”
After crafting two comeback victories from 20-point deficits in their past two games, the Bulls could be forming an early identity. They’re committed to pushing the tempo, launching 3s and playing through mistakes. In games like their first two victories, when they totaled 46 made 3-pointers, scorching shooting will be the winning formula.
Against the Magic, the Bulls showed they’re capable of winning something other than a shootout. It was the type of grind-it-out game Bulls coach Billy Donovan has said his team must be comfortable playing when the offense runs out of octane. Not only did the Bulls hold the potent Magic, led by star Paolo Banchero, to less than 100 points, but also overcame a sluggish start, dominated the middle quarters and sealed the win in the fourth.
Most impressive was how the Bulls won without critical reserves Lonzo Ball, who sustained a sprained right wrist in Monday’s win at Memphis, and Jalen Smith, a late scratch with left knee soreness. When you combine matchup problems against Orlando because of their size and length, the Magic’s early 20-point advantage and LaVine’s nagging injury, the Bulls had every excuse to get blown out.
Instead, Chicago’s record now stands at a somewhat surprising 3-2, with quality wins over Milwaukee, Memphis and Orlando.
“We know who we are,” Bulls forward Patrick Williams said. “We’ve got a bunch of competitors in this locker room, a lot of guys that don’t want to lose and love to win. I think that shows through the way that we play. We’ve got to get back to the drawing board on why we’re getting in these deficits in the first place. Against the best teams, you can’t come back from 20 down.”
Through their first five games, however, the Bulls are proving to be a stubborn bunch that refuses to go away quietly. It’s not what most expected from a relatively young team integrating new players and implementing a new playing style. But the Bulls are getting contributions from everywhere, as Donovan has often gone 11 deep into his rotation.
Williams, for example, buried back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the third quarter Wednesday to spark a 19-2 Bulls run. He then splashed a third 3-ball with 54 seconds remaining to put the Bulls ahead by four.
In two of the team’s first four games, Williams — fresh off a five-year, $90 million extension — was replaced in the closing lineup by Ayo Dosunmu. Before Wednesday, Williams averaged 6.8 points on nine shots. He had made only five of his first 17 3-pointers.
“I’m shooting the ball a little more comfortable,” Williams said. “Rhythm, timing, pace, those are the kinds of things that are last to come back after my (foot) injury. I’m starting to feel that come back a little bit. It was good (Wednesday) for it to come back in big moments.”
With Banchero as his primary matchup, Williams had his best performance yet: 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, a game-high plus-15. Banchero scored 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, but Williams gave the Bulls their best chance. With his size and versatility, Williams showcased the two-way tools that led the Bulls to selecting him fourth in the 2020 NBA Draft.
“I thought Patrick did a phenomenal job,” Donovan said.
Josh Giddey posted his second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. But his 4-for-4 night from beyond the 3-point drew all the attention. On his last make, Giddey confidently walked into a transition 3. And after he nailed it, he didn’t hesitate to let the crowd know he was feeling good.
LET’S GO GIDDEY 🔥🔥@CHSN__ | @JoshGiddey pic.twitter.com/BfR7h25vt9
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 31, 2024
“He’s got to take them when they’re open,” Donovan said of Giddey. “He’s a very smart player. I think he takes the right ones for himself. He needs to continue to do that.
“He’s worked hard. Early in his career everybody knew that was an area that he had to get better. As guys stay in the league for a period of time, they can get a feel for a guy’s game and how to guard him. So he’s seen a lot of unders on screening action. He’s seen people backing up on him. I just appreciate and respect the time that he’s put into shooting; he’s shooting the ball confidently, and that’s the best thing.”
Giddey is 10-for-17 on 3s through five games. He still has a lot to prove before defenders alter their coverages, but he’s off to a great start and making himself a shooting threat they must consider.
CLUTCH STOP ON THE FINAL POSSESSION.@CHSN__ | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/x3jTJVDboi
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 31, 2024
And then there’s Dosunmu and Coby White, who walked out of the locker room side by side after supplying 32 points, six rebounds and seven assists against only two turnovers. Both scored when the Bulls needed them most.
Dosunmu then supplied the game-saving stop, contesting Magic guard Jalen Suggs’ potential game-tying, 13-footer just enough to force a miss.
“Guys are doing their job, and we’re paying attention and uplifting (each another),” LaVine said. “But guys are also making plays and figuring out how to get it done. If it’s not one person’s night, the next dude steps up and everybody’s contributing. We have high spirits in here, and our guys are figuring it out.”
(Photo of Zach LaVine: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
