The Chicago Bulls squandered a bright chance to get closer to the .500 mark against a shorthanded Indiana Pacers team, and Zach LaVine was plenty aware of the letdown.
The Bulls (2-5) have been criticized by their own head coach Jim Boylen for their lack of urgency, something LaVine has admittedly yet to learn after a 108-95 loss to the starter-less Pacers.
“S***, I gotta learn it too,” said LaVine, when asked about understanding the need to play with urgency, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “It’s tough. Like I said to you [reporters] before, we’ve gotta win games that we’re supposed to win. They have three of their starters out. They came in and played harder than us and kicked our ass. It’s simple. We’re just not there yet. We have really good spurts and then we get lost, and I don’t know what the hell goes on. We’ve got to clean it up.’’
The Pacers were playing without the dynamic frontcourt duo of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, along with the injured Victor Oladipo, who has yet to make his return from a torn quad.
The Bulls fell behind early and were unable to catch up the rest of the way. Wendell Carter Jr. had a career-night of sorts, mustering a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, shooting 9-of-10 from the field in the absence of the best shot-blocker in the game.
Other supporting pieces didn't fare that well, with LaVine's 21 points coming on 40% shooting and Otto Porter shooting a ghastly 1-of-10 from the field after supposedly snapping out of a poor start to the season.
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