Matas Buzelis Has Breakout Game for the Chicago Bulls

The eleventh overall pick in this past summer's NBA Draft had a very promising game Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Dec 2, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) shoots a three point basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Dariq Whitehead (0) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

In a season of fluctuating minutes and an inconsistent role, Matas Buzelis seemed to find his footing in the Chicago Bulls' 128-102 victory over an injury-laden Brooklyn Nets team.

The Bulls are no stranger to injuries thus far with Coby White and Patrick Williams missing this outing with ankle and foot ailments. Until they return, their absences opened the door for increased playing time for a number of young Bulls, including Buzelis. On Monday night, Buzelis recorded a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from three. He also added five rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 22 minutes of action. He displayed his versatility offensively making in-rhythm threes off the catch and getting out in transition for his signature dunks. The rookie forward was solid on the defensive end and used his length to block two shots and grab rebounds to wrap up possessions.

This was an amazing bounceback game for Buzelis after a rough five minutes of time against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics in NBA Cup play. Known for his confident mentality, his response to a poor outing was no surprise to Coach Billy Donovan:

There's going to be these ups and downs (with Buzelis), so I give him a lot of credit (after) the five or six-minute rotation against Boston," Donovan said. "One of his greatest strengths - he gets disappointed - he wants to do better and it doesn't paralyze him... He's got a really good mentality."

Buzelis is averaging 5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game on 40.4% from the field and 36.2% from three in just 11.6 minutes per game. His numbers are sure to increase over the course of the season with injuries and an increased comfort level to the NBA game. Over his past six games Buzelis is averaging 10.2 points in 19.7 minutes, already seeing an uptick in his role. If the Bulls fall out of the playoff picture and Buzelis continues to make strides on both ends of the floor, do not be surprised to see the rookie earn a bigger role as the season progresses.

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