Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic had a savage reply for a fan who called him out for not grabbing enough rebounds during the game against Brooklyn Nets Saturday night.
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Brooklyn Nets faced yet another defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls this season. The game came down to the wire unlike last time and had fans at the edge of their seat throughout. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine outperformed MVP frontrunner Kevin Durant and James Harden offensively.
They went back and forth all night as the Bulls duo combined for 60 points while Harden struggled from the field. It was a historic night for Kevin Durant as he passed Ray Allen to occupy the 24th spot on the all-time scoring list albeit in a loss. Chicago Bulls improved their record to 16-8 with Brooklyn Nets still the #1 in the eastern conference.
Although regular-season success does not necessarily decide the postseason outcome, it certainly gives the Bulls an advantage over the Nets if they were to meet in playoffs.
Nikola Vucevic isn’t producing at an All-Star level yet
The 2x All-Star was traded to the Chicago Bulls by Orlando Magic last season. He has proven himself to be an integral part of the Bulls’ title run this year. However, his numbers are quite underwhelming for a starting center so far.
Last night against Brooklyn Nets he had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists on 38.5% shooting. He was called out on Twitter for only grabbing 5 boards in the 34 minutes he spent on court. Vucevic fired back saying “I had 5 rebounds”, which isn’t a very good comeback for a 6’10 center. It is far lower compared to what he is averaging this season.
He is averaging 15 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists so far on 42.8% FG. It’s a considerable drop when compared to last season even though he is playing more minutes. Presence in the paint may not be as important when playing a team like Brooklyn Nets. However, teams like Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns with prominent big men leading them, Vucevic’s role becomes important.
The Chicago Bulls are currently at the 2nd spot in the east and have a relatively easy schedule coming up. They can definitely make a bid for #1 seed in their conference dethroning Brooklyn Nets.
