As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the play-in portion of the schedule, forward Nikola Vucevic is within reach of a personal milestone.
As long as he can get to the United Center without incident Sunday, he will play in his 82nd game of the season when the Bulls host the Detroit Pistons in the final game of the regular season.
Vucevic is a 12-year NBA veteran, and this will mark the first time in his career that he will play in every regular-season game.
The 6-10 center has played in as many as 80 games in a season, but he has never been able to stay in uniform for all 82. The achievement means quite a lot to him.
“I really want to get there, do all 82,’’ Vucevic said on Saturday. “It’s very hard to do. Not a lot of people can do it, so it’s something I want to do for myself. It speaks to my continuity, staying healthy. I’m not a big fan of sitting out. Usually I want to play if I can. A little achievement for myself, and something I can be proud of.’’
Vucevic is a very important contributor to the Bulls, even if he doesn't score as much as Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan. LaVine is averaging a team-leading 24.9 points per game while DeRozan is right behind at 24.7 points per game.
Nikola Vucevic is 3rd on the Bulls in scoring with 17.8 points per game, and he is leading the team with 11.1 rebounds per night.
The Bulls are the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, and will have to win 2 play-in games to earn a spot in the playoffs.
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