LaVine’s 50 golden, turns many heads
Career-high includes league-best 39 in first half of loss to Hawks
Zach LaVine’s approach to basketball is audacious by nature, rooted in acrobatics at the rim and contested shots behind the 3-point line.
Yet he often makes difficult plays look easy — and he did that for much of the Bulls’ 120-108 loss to the Hawks on Friday night at State Farm Arena.
LaVine scored a career-high 50 points — including 39 in the first half — and added eight rebounds and five assists. He led the way as the Bulls entered halftime with a 66-53 lead after playing near-perfect basketball.
“I had every number in the 40s up to this point, so it’s been eluding me,” LaVine said of scoring 50 points. “The couple games where I sat out with 40, it was like, ‘OK, I would’ve had it this game.’ “
The loss didn’t stop the basketball world from memorializing LaVine’s performance. Some of the best individual performances came in a loss — including Michael Jordan’s 63 points against the Celtics in 1986 — and LaVine had a special night. There was no denying that.
His 39 points were the most scored by any player in a half this season and third-most in the last 25 years, trailing only Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s 42 points and Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson’s 40.
No Bulls player had scored 30 points in the first half since Jordan on Feb. 24, 1997, against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Similar to those players, LaVine enters zones where he simply can’t miss.
That certainly was the case Friday as he created points at every level. He started early, draining a step-back 3 on the first shot of the game. More shots from deep followed, coupled with relentless attacks from midrange and in the paint.
There were moments when it appeared he could do no wrong. He pulled up with three defenders draped at his side and hit a fadeaway that left NBC Sports Chicago analyst Stacey King singing “Like Mike,” a reference to Jordan, King’s old teammate, who scored 50 or more points on 38 occasions.
LaVine went on a second-quarter tear during which he scored 25 straight as his teammates and coach watched in awe.
“It was special,” Nikola Vucevic said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of something like that. It looked so easy. He wasn’t forcing, he wasn’t trying. It just came so natural to him. It was efficient, it was beautiful to see. I wish that we could’ve done better with the game and made this night even more special for him.”
But all the pageantry surrounding LaVine’s performance dissipated in the third quarter. And the Bulls’ lead — and LaVine’s opportunities to score — evaporated as quickly as they emerged.
The Hawks entered the second half intent to limit LaVine, face-guarding him and blitzing at half-court. While there were moments when he became stubborn and forced the issue, they effectively removed the ball from LaVine’s hands for the entire third quarter.
LaVine did the right thing and moved the ball to find open teammates, but the Bulls failed to convert even against 4-on-3 scenarios. They were outscored 33-18 in the third quarter as the Hawks’ Trae Young and Clint Capela attacked the paint with impunity.
“When they started trapping him, we just didn’t make enough plays,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We had plenty of plays to make. They were leaving the floor wide open. I thought we adjusted to start the fourth pretty well. We got Coby (White) on some downhill drives. Zach was getting off the ball, which was good, but we just couldn’t make enough plays.”
The Bulls had three starters combine to score eight points, including Tomas Satoransky, who handled the ball well but went scoreless. Thad Young and Patrick Williams scored four each. Vucevic performed well again with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen and Coby White, who showed promise in reserve roles in Thursday’s 122-113 win against the Toronto Raptors, had slow nights as well. Markkanen took four shots and scored five points. White was scoreless in the first three quarters but finished with 11.
And as the Bulls struggled, Young and the Hawks soared. Because of the excitement surrounding LaVine, Young scored a quiet 28 points in the first half and finished with 42 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, wreaking havoc in the lane with a series of floaters and lobs to Capela, who posted 22 points.
That combo, which kept the Hawks in the game during LaVine’s run, eventually closed the window on the Bulls. Young and Capela combined on an alleyoop to make the score 104-101 in the fourth quarter and never looked back. Danilo Gallinari, who scored 20 points, iced the game with a big 3-pointer off a Young behind-the-back pass.
“Trae got it going, got to the free-throw line and was making his floaters, and those other guys stepped up as well,” LaVine said. “We can’t have a whole half where we don’t defend and make shots, and that’s the upsetting part about it. It’s a very good opportunity that we had and let slip through our hands.”