Nikola Vucevic was left dumbfounded after Zach LaVine’s play during Clutch Time in the Chicago Bulls’ 100-97 loss to the Washington Wizards.
It all happened in the final quarter, with the Bulls trailing 100-97 with 5.7 seconds left on the clock. The Bulls had Alex Caruso dishing out the inbound pass and threw it to LaVine, who barrelled right into the lane and launched a jumper for a brace, only for it to clatter away with Deni Avdija taking the rebound.
And all the while, Vucevic, who was wide open for a three, stared with an astonished look on his face, while Caruso had his arms stretched wide in confusion.
Vuc's reaction to the final Bulls possession 😬 https://t.co/d0PyqzwzG0
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 12, 2023
Vuc’s reaction to the final Bulls possession
The guard explained his decision behind going for the two-pointer. Per NBC Sports Chicago:
“We were just trying to get a 3 off. And then when I went in to go pullup, I think it was Delon Wright fouled me. My instinct was to go up and try to get a 3-point play,” LaVine said. “I was going for a pullup when he fouled me. I shot it. They didn’t call it. And that’s how it is.”
LaVine added that Wright admitted afterward that he had indeed fouled him, and that lead official Rodney Mott had told him he indeed missed the call.
The outcome of the game would have been different had LaVine swished that in and received a call, but the result went in the Wizards’ favor.
Nikola Vucevic Blames The Bulls’ Dismal Third Quarter
While Vucevic didn’t say much about the shot, he rued the fact that it came down to that last shot that carried too much importance, especially after they were dented by the Wizards’ massive 41-point third quarter.
Chicago beat Washington 29-25 in the first quarter and 30-21 in the second, only for the latter to make a resounding comeback while the Bulls could muster only 21 points in response.
“Obviously, the game came down to a last shot. But it shouldn’t have. We had a big lead at the half and the third quarter was really poor by us on both ends of the floor,” Nikola Vucevic said of the Bulls’ 59-46 halftime lead. “You can’t count on a last shot every time to try and win.”
The loss for the Bulls came on the back of DeMar DeRozan missing his first game this season, and while LaVine had 35 points to his name, it wasn’t enough to get the Bulls across.
With this, the Bulls have lost two games in a row after a series of wins, and are placed tenth in the East with a 19-23 record. They play the Oklahoma City Thunder next, followed by a clash against the Golden State Warriors.
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