Heading into Wednesday night, the Chicago Bulls had won their last two games, both over the Charlotte Hornets. Zach LaVine, who returned from an absence that had held him out since November 28, came off the bench in both games. But on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, he was reinserted into the starting lineup, and it paid off.
The Bulls took the Rockets to overtime, and Houston was up by five points with just under three minutes to go. Then, LaVine drove to the lane for an and-one layup. Then, the Bulls got a stop, and he followed it up with a huge three. Just like that, Chicago was up by one.
A Coby White triple sealed the deal, securing Chicago’s third win in a row. After the game, LaVine spoke about his overtime heroics that led to the Bulls’ 124-119 victory.
“We were a little stuck,” LaVine said via ESPN. “I think it was a turning point where either you’re going to make something or the game is going to go south. I tried to just create something.”
LaVine finished the night with 25 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals while shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from behind the three-point line.
His return to the starting lineup was a roaring success, as the Bulls pulled themselves even further ahead of the Brooklyn Nets in the ninth seed. They also inched slightly closer to the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, though they’re still four games out of hosting a Play-In game come April.
