A strong endorsement: Durant compliments Buzelis after Bulls lose to Suns
The Bulls returned home after the All-Star break Saturday. The final 25 games, as they say, are meaningful to some.
For the second game in a row, the Bulls were very competitive but lost to the Phoenix Suns 121-117 at the United Center. They went to overtime before losing in New York on Thursday.
So now the Bulls’ losing streak stands at six in a row and they fell to 13 games below .500, yet they're still somehow in position to make the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the East.
That could change soon. The two teams right behind them, Brooklyn and Philadelphia, played each other Saturday (the Nets won), and the Bulls' next game is on the road against the 76ers.
There's no real need for the Bulls to make the play-in. They don't want to give up on being competitive, either. But the biggest issue the rest of the way is figuring out which players are actually part of the team's rebuilding future.
So far, the list of building blocks includes rookie Matas Buzelis, whoever is chosen with their 2025 first-round draft pick and probably injured forward Patrick Williams, since his contract makes him difficult to move.
Josh Giddey stepped it up this week. He scored 27 points against the Knicks, then followed up with 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds against the Suns. He's becoming a consistent 3-point shooter (42.4% since Jan. 1) and making plays on defense (3 steals Saturday).
Buzelis started fast against Phoenix, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, and finished with 15. At the end of the game, with the Bulls trailing by 2 and needing a defensive stop, Buzelis found himself matched up against Kevin Durant, who held the ball near midcourt.
Could Buzelis stop an NBA legend with the game on the line?
He never got the chance. Bulls coach Billy Donovan decided to send a double-team, forcing Durant to give up the ball. It swung around to Bradley Beal, who got an open look and buried a 3-pointer with 13.4 seconds left to seal the win.
After the game, Durant shared thoughts on a fellow mobile forward, Buzelis.
“I like Matas. Am I saying his name right?” Durant said. “I liked him when he was on the G-League Ignite. He's long, athletic, can shoot it. He's definitely going to have some bumps and bruises as he gets through his first few years in the league, trying to figure stuff out.
“But the more experience, the more reps he gets on the floor as a starter, the better he'll become. I can hear him (Donovan) on the sideline, just, 'Attack, attack, attack, shoot the ball, be aggressive.'”
Second-year forward Julian Phillips was actually getting the crunch-time minutes against the Suns, but Buzelis went back in when Phillips fouled out with 1:45 left. Donovan said it was simply because he thought Phillips was playing well.
“We were in a lot of different defensive schemes, just because of their personnel,” Donovan said. “I've got confidence in Matas. Maybe another game he does close.”
The Bulls definitely need some closers, now that Zach LaVine was sent to Sacramento. Coby White is the obvious next man up, but he's still trying to figure out how to deal with extra defensive attention. White turned his right ankle early in the third quarter but returned to produce 20 points and 8 assists.
Maybe Giddey, with his improving offensive skills, deserves a chance to get the ball in crunch time. The drive and dish has always been his specialty. Buzelis should definitely get some on-the-job training late in games.
“Just like the rest of Chicago, I'm just going to sit back and watch, see what happens (with Buzelis) from here,” Durant continued. “I've got high expectations just like you guys do. But you also know that you can't bank your whole franchise on just one player.
“I think everybody needs to come with their game and show they can become a full team. I think he's a huge piece to that.”
Yeah, it might take until the 2026 draft for the Bulls to have something close to a full team. In the meantime, there's still plenty to learn.