Nikola Vucevic put up a great birthday performance vs. Boston Celtics

It was Vooch’s birthday, yet he was the one who gave the Bulls a present.

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Nikola Vucevic had a birthday to remember on Monday night. The Chicago center celebrated his 32nd birthday by putting on a show against the Boston Celtics. 

Vucevic finished with 18 points, 23 rebounds, and five assists in the 120-102 victory, becoming the first Bulls player to have a 15/20/5 game since Joakim Noah in 2014. He's also the seventh player in team history to accomplish the lofty feat.

Staying true to his word

In training camp, the 6-foot-10 center spoke of putting more focus on playing inside the paint. Although he possesses a soft touch from the outside, Vucevic has always been more comfortable operating in the post. It also creates opportunities for his teammates, as Boston found out the hard way.

"There are good opportunities if they switch on me or I have a smaller big where I get to the paint and get some easy ones or if I catch it and they collapse, kick it out. It creates lot of good open looks for us," said Vucevic.

Vucevic is aware that the Bulls' having an anchor inside will keep their offensive from becoming stagnant — an issue that plagued them at times last season.

"It's not just about establishing me inside. It's about not getting stagnant. Last year a lot of times we would just separate and whoever had the mismatch go. And I think that's where I think our offense got stagnant a lot," Vucevic added.

Better efficiency

Vucevic has a decent touch from beyond the arc, shooting 34% for his career. And while having a big man who can extend defenses is a valuable asset, the Montenegrin native is mindful of taking good shots and not forcing anything. Through four games this season, out of his 14 attempts, 10 have come inside the arc.

"It's all about getting into the paint and creating shots from there. I'm not a big analytics guy, but the numbers do show when you get to the paint and create shots from there, it's a much higher percentage. It's just common sense. The defense collapses and you make one or two extra passes and they're in rotation and you're going to get wide-open shots," the big man said.

The last Bulls player to put up the stats Vooch put up tonight: Joakim Noah in 2014.

18 points | 23 rebounds | 5 assists | W pic.twitter.com/8Pyr6rI67y

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 25, 2022