Even in the final months of the regular season, Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is getting to experience “firsts.”
His latest new experience Saturday was also a challenging one: facing off against the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant, one of the best forwards in NBA history. Buzelis attacked the matchup with his signature intensity — and earned praise from Durant as a result.
“I like Matas,” Durant said after the game. “I liked him when he was with the G League Ignite. He’s long, athletic and can shoot it.
“He is definitely going to have some bumps and bruises as he gets through these first few years in the league trying to figure stuff out. The more experience, the more reps he gets on the floor as a starter, the better he’ll become.”
Durant said he could hear Bulls coach Billy Donovan — his former coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder — shouting at Buzelis throughout the game, encouraging the rookie to attack and be aggressive. Donovan has begun to play Buzelis in longer rotations since the trade deadline, including a total of 36 minutes in Monday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
To a veteran like Durant, this encouragement and increased playing time is the key to Buzelis taking the next step in his development.
“His team is encouraging him to do that, so playing underneath that is just going to make you a better player,” Durant said. “Like the rest of Chicago, I’m going to sit back and watch and see what happens from here. I’ve got high expectations, just like you guys do.”
NCAA Tournament watch: Illinois women
The Illinois women’s basketball team has fallen out of the AP Top 25 again entering Sunday’s regular-season finale against Michigan, but the Illini are in good shape to earn an NCAA Tournament berth — currently a No. 8 seed in ESPN’s projected bracket.
The Illini (21-7, 11-6 Big Ten) have slipped in and out of the Top 25 all season, reentering last week’s poll at No. 25, but a trip to Los Angeles delivered back-to-back losses to then-No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 USC. Sunday’s game in Champaign is Illinois’ first this season against the Wolverines (19-8, 10-6), who also are unranked, though four of their six conference losses have come against ranked opponents.
While the Big Ten hasn’t fully delivered on powerhouse expectations in its first season after expanding to 18 teams, this will be one of the toughest iterations of the conference tournament as UCLA (now No. 2), USC, No. 12 Ohio State and No. 19 Maryland prepare to make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois enters the final week of regular-season play in fifth place in the conference, a half-game behind Maryland and a half-game in front of Michigan and Michigan State. So Sunday’s game could be crucial to seeding in the Big Ten Tournament, set for March 5-9 in Indianapolis.
Number of the week: 3
Consecutive 20-point games for Bulls guard Josh Giddey, who tallied 25 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in Monday’s beatdown of the 76ers. Giddey is the fifth player in franchise history to score 20 or more points while also posting a double-double in three or more consecutive games. The other four are Michael Jordan, Clem Haskins, Jerry Sloan and Guy Rodgers.
Monday’s game continued a high-scoring streak for Giddey, who has been stuffing the stat sheet since the trade deadline. He’s averaging a team-high 19.1 points and five assists over the last seven games with 8.3 rebounds per game.
Week ahead: Bulls
- Wednesday: vs Clippers, 7 p.m. (CHSN)
- Friday: vs. Raptors, 7 p.m. (CHSN)
- Sunday: at Pacers, 4 p.m. (CHSN)
- Tuesday: vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m. (CHSN)
Week ahead: Unrivaled
- Friday: Mist (Courtney Vandersloot) vs. Phantom, 7:15 p.m. (TNT)
- Saturday: Mist vs. Rose (Angel Reese), 6 p.m. (TruTV)
- Monday: Rose vs. Laces, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
What we’re reading
- Nick Martinelli’s ‘unorthodox’ game and confidence is a bright spot in an up-and-down Northwestern season
- With uncertainty around the No. 3 pick, did the Sky give up too much for Ariel Atkins?
- Coby White is now the centerpiece of the Bulls offense. Is he ready for the spotlight?
- Former Illini star Terrence Shannon Jr. uses upside-down banner mishap to sell T-shirts for charity
- Lonzo Ball says re-signing in Chicago reflects loyalty from the Bulls: ‘It just feels like family’
Quotable
“I could definitely make a run for it.” — Matas Buzelis on the NBA’s Rookie of the Year race
