Bulls guard Zach LaVine could have kicked the door in and announced, ‘‘I’m back!’’
Instead, he has chosen to tap on it and wait patiently for it to open.
LaVine continued to do just that Wednesday in his third game back — his first as a starter — since being sidelined for more than a month with a sore right foot. He showed more signs of getting back to ‘‘normal Zach.’’ At the same time, he didn’t force the issue until it needed to be forced.
LaVine finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds as the Bulls (18-21) beat the Rockets 124-119 in overtime at the United Center. Six of those points came in the extra session.
‘‘Aggressive, decisive,’’ teammate Coby White said of LaVine’s performance. ‘‘When he’s aggressive first, that’s how we want him to be.
‘‘Big-time players make big-time plays.’’
It was LaVine’s best — and most aggressive — game since sitting for weeks in street clothes. He attacked the paint and stretched the floor, making four three-pointers.
What he stayed away from was forcing up bad shots just to get his numbers or try to search out his rhythm.
‘‘It speaks more to who Zach is as a person and a teammate that he’s coming in there and trying to figure out how he can help the team and the group,’’ coach Billy Donovan said. ‘‘I think for him, wanting to fit in, wanting to help the group, he’s trying to figure that out. [He’s not] just coming in and saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to be aggressive.’ He’s trying to figure out, ‘How can I be aggressive and still help the team?’ I think he’ll figure that out.’’
So does LaVine. He admitted sitting and watching from the sidelines opened his eyes to several things, but it also put the season in perspective for him.
‘‘We’re competing,’’ LaVine said. ‘‘Obviously trying to overcome some bumps and hurdles, trying to get my rhythm back, but we’re competing and sharing the ball.
‘‘My offense will come. Just keep building it up the next couple of games, and I’ll be where I want to be.’’
His showing against the Rockets was a big step in that direction.
‘‘Just got to read the game,’’ LaVine said. ‘‘I think a lot of stuff at the beginning of the year was just taken out of context. When the game isn’t going well, guys like me, DeMar [DeRozan] and Vooch [Nikola Vucevic] are able to create offense. Now the offense looks good, and we don’t want to over-pass and still make smart decisions. I’ll find my rhythm.’’
The nice thing is that LaVine has a safety net in White until he does.
White and his 30 points were again welcome and timely. He made six three-pointers, with each one feeling like a back-breaker for the Rockets.
With the Bulls trailing by one in the second quarter, White made a step-back three-pointer. A few minutes later, with the Bulls ahead by two, he made another three. Then there was a clutch three in overtime.
The Rockets trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter but forced overtime with some clutch play down the stretch. Jalen Green made it a three-point game with a layup and, after White missed, Fred VanVleet made a free throw off a technical foul for flopping. Alperen Sengun then tied the score with a layup after a miss by Vucevic.
That left the Bulls 23.2 seconds to right the wrong of the final few minutes. It also meant it was DeRozan time. But DeRozan missed, and the game went into overtime.
That’s when LaVine & Co. took over, finishing off the Rockets in impressive fashion.
‘‘The vibe is great,’’ White said. ‘‘It’s been great. We’re in this together, win or lose.’’
