Zach LaVine once again aligned himself with Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan following a scintillating start against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Friday. The 26-year-old high flyer, after all, already has 39 points to his name after just two quarters.
Per Bulls' radio coordinator Jeff Mangurten, LaVine has become the only second Bulls player in history to record more than 30 points right before halftime. The feat was last accomplished by His Airness himself, all the way back in 1997.
LaVine entered Friday's road game as the seventh best scorer in the league, norming 27.1 points per game. He eclipsed that mark in just 19 minutes of play versus ATL, dropping 39 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the field, along with eight rebounds and four assists.
He did most of his damage from beyond the arc, missing just one of his eight attempts in the first half. If he keeps this up, he's on track to break his career-best 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets back in 2019.
LaVine even had a cheeky moment after draining a stepbacl three, clearly saying “You can't guard me” to Hawks:
The Bulls have been surging as of late, thanks in large part to LaVine's brilliant performances. They currently hold a 22-28 slate, which is good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference Standings.
They've won their last three games and have gone 4-6 in their last 10 contests. Chicago has certainly been gearing up a playoff spot, re-tooling over the deadline with the addition of Nikola Vucevic and Daniel Theis. LaVine, however, is still the alpha dog of this team. The Bulls will go as far as LaVine takes them.