On the second night of 2026, the Chicago Bulls began the new year on the right foot. Not only did they defeat the Orlando Magic 121-114, but they secured a nomination for dunk of the year courtesy of Matas Buzelis. 

At the 7:34 minute mark of the second quarter, Buzelis grabbed the ball and emphatically slammed it in the face of Magic guard Jalen Suggs, which got the crowd ecstatic from the rafters to the floor seats. Altogether, Buzelis led the way with 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. 

Afterward, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan took it in stride, acknowledging the excitement of the dunk while at the same time saying that Buzelis needs to “impact winning” in the future. 

“The dunks were phenomenal, they were unbelievable,” Donovan said. “But it was only worth two points. To me, the seven assists and the rebounding were so much more valuable to our team. I get fans love it, I loved watching it for a second, it was awesome. But at the end of the day, those don't happen every single night. That's just his athletic ability and talent. But it's the other things he's doing, I think, that are impacting winning. That's why all I really want to see him do is How do you really impact a team and impact winning?”

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Furthermore, Donovan sees growth in Buzelis' maturation as of late to be that of a complete player. 

“I think he's learning those things,” he said. “I really appreciate the way he's leaned into that stuff to try to get better. Like I've said before, he's a great guy to work with. He's a great guy to be around. He's not afraid of the moment. He leans in, trying to get better, and he wants to be really good. As a coach, you have to admire that.”

Earlier in the year, Buzelis talked about going for the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year. He's currently averaging 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.