Zach LaVine reveals his father called him out for his horrible display vs. Orlando Magic

LaVine credits his dad for his bounce-back performance in a win against the Celtics

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

As much as it was about ending the four-game losing streak, yesterday's game against the Boston Celtics was also about Zach LaVine.

Coming off a late-game dispute with Billy Donovan in a loss to the Orlando Magic, the 2x All-Star had to respond the right way. Instead of dwelling on what was one of the worst games of his NBA career, LaVine did what superstars do.

“He moved on,” DeMar DeRozan said, praising his teammate's bounce-back performance.

LaVine's father held him accountable

LaVine had a great all-around outing in a 121-107 win against the team with the best record in the NBA. The 27-year-old finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, as the Bulls snapped Boston's nine-game winning streak.

The star shooting guard had nine points in the final 6 minutes of the game --the stretch he was so adamant about participating in against the Magic. 

After shooting 1-for-14 in a loss to Orlando, LaVine approached yesterday's game with the mindset of every shot going in. That, according to Zach himself, is a byproduct of his father holding him accountable for his bad performance on Friday.

“I go home and evaluate my game like I do with good games, bad games,” LaVine said. “I talk to my wife. I talk to my father a lot. That’s someone I always talk to. He gave it to me straight, ‘You played like s***. Go play better next game. It’s as simple as that. It’s one game. You’ve played 500 games in your career. You’re going to have another bad night. Just hopefully it’s not as bad as that one. Go play better next game.’”

LaVine on his father's impact

Zach's father has been his biggest critic from day one. He is also the reason LaVine became the player he is today.

"My dad was my biggest influence," the Bulls' shooting guard said per NBA.com. "He's the reason why a lot of this stuff happened for me. He put the time in and he had a plan from the get go, when I was four, five years old. I know it sounds crazy, but he had a plan to try to make me a pro."

LaVine has been on a quest for consistency ever since he returned from a knee injury -- he's averaging 20.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 41.4 percent from the field. And while yesterday's performance was in no way jaw-dropping, it was a step in the right direction after a horrible display against the Magic.

If he and the Bulls can build on it, there's still a chance to salvage their season despite early struggles.