In tonight’s final 2024 Emirates NBA Cup game in the group stage for the Chicago Bulls, Zach LaVine poured in 29 points on 11-of-22 from the field, including 4-of-11 from three-point land. The Bulls dropped a 138-129 decision to the Boston Celtics, who have now won seven straight and likely secured their spot in the final eight of the midseason tournament. The Atlanta Hawks will win the group with a 3-1 standing and plus 15 point differential. This includes wins over the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, with their lone loss coming versus Chicago. The Bulls will drop to 2-2 in group play and are now eliminated from NBA Cup contention. While it’s not the desired result for the team or LaVine, he’s cemented his legacy in the United Center before potentially being traded in the next few months.
Captain Kirk Passes The Torch
Fan favorite Kirk Hinrich, who spent seven seasons with the Bulls in the early 2000s, moves to second all-time in the franchise three-point make list. Hinrich shot 40% or better from three-point land twice during his time with Chicago, was a 37.5% three-point shooter in his career, and reached the playoffs five times with the team. His spot on the list is impressive, considering the volume of three-point attempts was down significantly from today’s game, and he wasn’t one of the primary scoring options for the Bulls. Nonetheless, with his third three-pointer today, LaVine is the new face of the Bulls from beyond the arc.
New @chicagobulls 3PM king 🚨
Zach LaVine passes Kirk Hinrich for most three-pointers in Bulls franchise history with this triple!
Congrats @ZachLaVine 👏 https://t.co/pIoGupyVPl pic.twitter.com/gPmbhGWyTB
— NBA (@NBA) November 30, 2024
LaVine has been with Chicago for eight seasons, shot over 40% in two of them, and is a career 38.4% sniper from deep. While his numbers seem similar to Hinrich’s, the volume sets him apart. LaVine has averaged nearly eight three-point attempts per contest in Chicago, while Hinrich only shot 3.5 attempts per game.
Leaving His Mark In Chicago
Whether it’s this year or at the end of his contract in a few seasons, when LaVine departs from the organization, his fingerprints will cover the record books. Now the lone holder of the three-point record and still counting, he’s also plastered in the top ten of nearly every offensive category, including third in points per game and top eight in field goals made. While the fanbase has been split down the middle for his entire tenure with the organization, he’s undoubtedly been the face of it for the last decade and will represent a significant stretch of Bulls history.
The first player in Bulls franchise history to hit 200 threes in a season: Zach LaVine pic.twitter.com/olUCw7gtQu
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 14, 2021
Only two players in NBA history have made 11 threes on 80% shooting in a single game:
Zach LaVine. Steph Curry.
Vote Zach ➡️ https://t.co/FIqGfhqP9E pic.twitter.com/XNPPNr7ZK9
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 7, 2023
Now eliminated from NBA Cup contention, the Bulls turn their focus to the regularly scheduled program, making the playoffs. They stand at 8-13, 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, and by allowing 138 points, they continue to be an embarrassment defensively. Topping many of the offensive categories in the league through 21 games and sitting in the pits of the ranks defensively, Billy Donovan and his staff need to solve the issues on defense, or every night will be a replay of tonight. It’s a reckless, fast-paced shootout that relies on the hot hand as the game ends. As evidenced by their third loss in four games, each of which they surrendered 133 or more points, it’s not often the Bulls that end up the victor.
Despite the disappointing loss and the elimination from the tournament, congratulations to Zach LaVine on the prestigious franchise record!
