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The Chicago Bulls came into the NBA playoffs with little-to-no momentum. Several key players are dealing with injuries and their inability to beat the best teams was well known. Yet, they are tied 1-1 with the reigning-champion Milwaukee Bucks as the series heads to Chicago. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are looking to make this Bulls' season truly meaningful as they start what should be a multi-year stint together.
LaVine's contributions to the Bulls have been hampered by a knee issue. He missed games in the regular season because of it and is still feeling sore. He said earlier in the season that he is not afraid to play through injury. In his first playoff series, that sentiment isn't changing one bit.
Zach LaVine said spacing between playoff games has helped him manage knee soreness. No B2Bs, more time for treatment. But still times where discomfort/swelling pops up:
"I've been feeling good, and if I don't feel good, either way I'm gonna go out there and play my heart out." pic.twitter.com/bbZThSqlRn
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) April 22, 2022
This “never-say-die” mentality from LaVine has allowed him to develop into one of the league's brightest stars. He came back from an ACL tear and became the Bulls' marquee player, which eventually led to them snapping their NBA playoffs drought and attracting DeRozan.
Across his first two playoff games, LaVine is averaging 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 40.6 percent from deep. He knows that tonight, which is the first matchup of the series in Chicago, will be hugely important. Capitalizing on a big win at home could make the series really interesting.
Although Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are one of the league's very best teams, they will be without Khris Middleton for at least the rest of this series against the Bulls. Zach LaVine's time to step up and make a statement is now.
