Getty Zach LaVine drives to the basket during the NBA's 70th All-Star Game on March 7.
Despite not bringing any hardware home to the Windy City, and his team coming up short in the All-Star exhibition, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine made the most of his time at the NBA’s All-Star weekend.
He was eliminated in the first round of the three-point shootout and finished the All-Star game with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 28 minutes of play for Team Durant.
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Deja Vu in the Three-Point Contest
Before LaVine got to put on a show next to the best among the league, he returned to the Mountain Dew Three-Point Shootout for the second year in a row, hoping to have learned from last year’s mistakes.
Prior to the competition’s start, Chicago’s All-Star got a runner up endorsement from five-time NBA All-Star and longtime marksman Reggie Miller:
I believe that’s my runner-up right there. If anyone has a shot to beat Steph, it’s the UCLA connection. Zach has a chance.
LaVine walked into the contest leading the pool with a 43 percent shooting average from deep on the year. But two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who won the shootout in 2015, was the in-house favorite to bring home the trophy.
The first-round started with Jaylen Brown, who put up just 17, ensuring that he’d be eliminated after all was said and done. His teammate Jayson Tatum followed him up with an improved 25.
As he promised ahead of the weekend, the Chicago guard placed his money ball rack in the left corner, where he’s made a scorching hot 59 percent of his 27 shot attempts this season. But similar to last year, the money ball was his downfall. LaVine made just three out of five, which was all but enough to ensure his elimination.
He finished with 22 points in the first round, with three more contestants still to shoot.
22 for @ZachLaVine 🤞
First-time All-Star and 14-year veteran Mike Conley came out blazing and finished with 28. Then his teammate Donovan Mitchell tied LaVine’s 22 points, leaving it up to Curry to determine who was in and who was out.
Zach LaVine told reporters (via NBC Sports) that at this point he already knew he’d come up short:
Counting on him (Curry) to get a lower score than you going into the last guy is not the guy you count on. I pretty much put my warmup on by that point.
As he predicted, Curry put on a show, scoring 31. He made all but six of the total 27 shot attempts.
Curry would go on to beat Tatum and Conley in the final round, behind a contest-winning right corner money ball, and a total score of 28. It’s his second time winning the contest, and likely won’t be his last.
Making a Name in the All-Star Game
In his debut appearance in the NBA’s All-Star game, Zach LaVine finished as one of the seven guys on Team Durant that scored in double figures. He made his way to 13 points behind a couple of threes and some captivating lob catches.
Zach’s first All-Star game ✔
13 points | 5-10 FG | 3 assists | 3 steals
The two-time Slam Dunk Champion caught lobs from both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, reminding the league of just how far he’s come since tearing his ACL back in 2017. Few people have fared better in returns from the injury.
Now the 25-year old is thinking ahead to the future, which he hopes holds more appearances in the star-studded exhibition. LaVine had nothing but good things to say to the media (via NBC Sports) about the overall experience once all was said and done on Sunday night:
It was a lot of fun. Go out there and play. I think the players we did a good job of making our own energy. The recognition is the main thing that you want. The game is the fun part.
Now that the game’s over, however, LaVine is just focused on what’s ahead for himself and the Bulls:
You reach this (the All-Star game), you’re of a certain stature. You want to uphold it. You have a target on your back, essentially. I’ve always played that way. I’ve always thought I was, especially over the last couple of years I thought I played at an All-Star level. Now you’ve just got to continue to go out there and show it.
He went on to share hopes of not being the only Chicago representative in the showcase next year:
I think it just shows that if you’re in the right, winning mindset and guys on the team are playing the right way, you can definitely have fun with multiple teammates in the All-Star game. I think that’s something you can take away, back to your teammates, ‘Let’s get a couple of guys in here next time.’
Maybe next year the Chicago Bulls can ship off LaVine and an upcoming youth, like Coby White or Patrick Williams, who knows? Given the ever-changing landscape of the NBA, it’s possible that guy’s not on the team today.
The Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine will get some much-deserved rest before returning to the hardwood for the second half of the 2020-2021 campaign. They take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at 8:00 pm EST.
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