Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen made his third game back count when he knocked down the game-winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night to help the team snap a seven-game losing streak.
Marrkanen, who has missed the majority of the season due to an elbow injury, drove the lane before dropping in a shot over Paul George to give the Bulls the go-ahead bucket with just 4.9 seconds left en route to a 114-12 victory.
What's even more impressive about Markkanen's feat is that Thunder center Steven Adams came over to help out, but the former Arizona star still managed to connect on the game-winning basket.
Lauri Markkanen spins past Paul George for the Bulls win #BullsNation
🎥: @NBA
pic.twitter.com/cxTqL5FvzN— USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) December 8, 2018
Markannen finished with 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, which included going 4-of-8 from 3-point range while grabbing seven rebounds and three steals.
Zach Lavine led all scorers with 25 points, with Thunder star Russell Westbrook not far behind in what was another incredible performance by posting 24 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists.
But there's no doubt that Lauri Markannen was the story of the evening, especially considering that he's only been back in action for a short amount of time.
He went for 21 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's loss to the Indiana Pacers, and in his first game back, scored 10 points against the Houston Rockets.
This was the type of performance that Bulls fans will want to see from the young star moving forward, and Lauri Markannen should help Chicago get back on the right track after a disappointing 6-20 start on the season.
Next up for the Bulls is a home matchup against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
Follow Us
Subscribe