The Bulls have managed to survive this far with that incredibly entertaining win over the Raptors. They are now scheduled to face the Miami Heat who lost their first play-in game to the Atlanta Hawks. The Friday game will pit Zach LaVine and Jimmy Butler’s squads against each other for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Advertisement
Heat isn’t an easy team to beat. This squad certainly has great playoffs experience. Especially the trip of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry can be real difficult to contain.
Chicago will need all its stars to perform at their best or risk losing a spot in the playoffs bracket. Fortunately for them, the injury report is promising and can prove really difficult for Miami in their last play-in game.
Zach LaVine will be available on Friday
The Bulls’ injury report has only mentioned Lonzo Ball. This means no other player is going to miss the upcoming game and that LaVine is not only available but will be a key figure in Chicago’s last stand for an entry into the playoffs.
Zach is Bulls’ top scorer and his performance in the game against Raptors proved he can be the difference-maker whenever his team needs him. Heading into Friday’s matchup, the Bulls will need him to be a lot more efficient from beyond the 3-pt line.
During the last game, although LaVine dropped 39 points, he made only 2 of his 9 three-point attempts. LaVine’s 28.6% efficiency from the arc could have proved disastrous for the team but his overall scoring became the saving grace.
Miami won’t be as easily swayed though. LaVine and the Bulls will need to shoot much better from the arc and ensure no open looks are wasted. The Miami Heat have a better defensive rating than the Raptors and won’t be as easy to score against.
LaVine’s stats this season
Zach is the top scorer in Chicago and is averaging 24.8 points per game. Moreover, LaVine is also their best three-point shooter and has made 2.6 threes per game. He also has the second most assists per game in his team and is averaging 4.2 assists per game.
Although not that efficient from the three-point line the entire season, LaVine has been exceptional from the free-throw line with an 84.8% efficiency. His field goal efficiency at 55.8% is also highly commendable.
