Zach LaVine recorded his fourth game with at least 40 points on 70% shooting on Friday night, breaking a tie with Scottie Pippen for the second-most in Chicago Bulls history behind only Michael Jordan.
In the Bulls’ 126-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the guard amassed 41 points, two rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block in 39 minutes of action. Plus, he shot 73.7% from the field and knocked down a season-high 11 3-pointers.
Based on a few NBA betting sites, Zach LaVine and the Bulls have the ninth-lowest odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are not expecting Chicago to make the playoffs this season, even if Lonzo Ball returns soon.
Zach LaVine’s fourth career game with at least 40 points on 70% shooting breaks a tie with Scottie Pippen for second-most in Bulls history, trailing only Michael Jordan (12). pic.twitter.com/esWQMwf1uc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 7, 2023
“We started a little slow and then coming into the end of the second quarter, I got hot and just kept it going,” Zach LaVine said after the win. “I really think the MVP of the game was Vuce… I got hot, and that’s what happens.”
Nikola Vucevic closed out his night with a triple-double, logging 19 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. Philly played without top MVP candidate Joel Embiid, so Vucevic took full advantage of this opportunity.
All-Star guard Zach LaVine trails Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games on 70% shooting in Bulls history
Through 35 starts this season, LaVine is averaging 23 points, 4.3 boards, 4.3 assists, and 1.o steal per game. To add to these statistics, the nine-year veteran is shooting 46.5% from the field and 40.1% outside the arc.
According to the professional basketball database, Stephen Curry is the only other player in NBA history to make 11 3s in a single game on at least 80% shooting beyond the arc.
On October 25, 2021, in Chicago’s 111-108 win against the Toronto Raptors, LaVine finished with 22 points and shot 3-of-7 (43.8%) from 3-point range, passing Jordan for the fourth-most 3s in franchise history.
Only 2 players in NBA history have recorded a game with 11 made threes on 80%+ 3PT shooting.
Stephen Curry
Zach LaVine pic.twitter.com/eHENLTxS9w— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 7, 2023
Friday’s game was the third time Zach LaVine made 10 or more 3s in a single game. “He got hot, we couldn’t find him, we started trapping him and everybody else got easy opportunities because he was making shots,” 76ers guard James Harden said. “Just one of those games.”
Furthermore, in the Bulls’ 116-115 win versus the Charlotte Hornets on November 23, 2019, the guard recorded 49 points and made a career-high 13 3s on 76.5% shooting from downtown. If a performance impresses Jordan, now that’s saying something.
