The Bulls lost 97-100 to the Wizards, and there was a controversial scene in the final moments of the game, with JR Smith, the most famous nerve knife player in NBA history, mentioned many times after the game.
Facing the Wizards who were absent from Beal and Porzingis, LaVine single-core led the team to wrestle with the Wizards until the last minute.
DeRozan was suspended, LaVine was both a father and a mother, and he hurried back on the court after just 48 seconds off in the fourth quarter. Throughout the fourth quarter, the Bulls scored only 17 points, including LaVine with 9 points and 1 assist.
In the final 6 minutes of the game, all of the Bulls' points were related to LaVine, including the three-pointer that LaVine equalized in the final 30 seconds.
After LaVine hit a key three-pointer, the Wizards Kuzma also hit back, hitting a key three-point shot to give the Wizards a three-point lead.
With 5.7 seconds left in the final attack, LaVine received the ball and dribbled to a mid-range shot, the ball failed to hit, the game was over, and the Bulls lost by three points.
The choice put LaVine on the cusp, and many compared LaVine's shot to the 4.7 seconds of Cavaliers legend JR Smith in the Finals that year.
In the final 4.7 seconds of the first game of the '18 Finals, the Cavaliers tied with the Warriors, and JR grabbed a key frontcourt rebound and did not shoot and pass, but ran out of time. The Cavaliers were forced to play overtime with the Warriors and eventually lost to their opponents in overtime, missing their only chance to win and eventually being swept in the Finals.
LaVine chose to make a suicide two-point shot with 5.7 seconds left in the game, and after losing the game in this way, Bulls fans may understand the frustration of Cavaliers fans.
LaVine had previously complained about DeRozan's too many shots in key moments, and now that the ball was in his hands, he didn't expect this to be the result.
In the final attack, Caruso and Vucevic were both completely empty, and Vucevic said tactfully to the media after the game: "I feel that in the last attack, I am in an empty position. ”
After the game, LaVine gave his own explanation for the goal.
He said: "I was fouled and I wanted to play a two plus one, De Long Wright admitted he had fouled me and the referee said he missed it. ”
LaVine felt that he had been fouled, so he wanted to jump out of the way to make a 2+1, but the referee did not sound the whistle, and the game ended inexplicably.
From LaVine's body language at the moment of his shot, it can be seen that the first time he looks at the referee and points to the floor, this gesture means that he is expressing to the referee that he is committing an early foul, not a shooting foul.
The Wizards still have two fouls to make free throws, and early fouls can consume the Bulls' time, and the Wizards should have an early foul arrangement during a timeout.
But what I didn't expect was that the referee didn't sound the whistle directly, and the game ended when both sides were confused.
The inaction of the referee ruined the scorching game, and if the referee blew the whistle, maybe a miracle would happen later, after all, LaVine's recent form is too good.
In today's game, LaVine shot 15-of-28 from the field and 4-of-11 from three-point range, scoring a game-high 38 points.
In the past four games, LaVine has averaged 35.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4 assists per game, shooting 55.4% from the field. He averaged 6.3 three-pointers per game and shot 51 percent from three-point range.
Since January, he has cut 35+ three times, more than in October, November and December combined.
Against the 76ers last week, he scored 41 points on 11-of-13 shooting from beyond the three-point line, becoming only the second player in NBA history since Curry to make at least 11 three-pointers and shoot more than 80 percent from the field in a single game, leading the team to an 11-game winning streak for the 76ers.
LaVine's excellent form saved the precarious bull, leaving the bull supermarket that almost opened for a temporary closure.
In December, the Bulls lost badly to the in-form Timberwolves, giving them a season-high 150 points.
At halftime of that game, there was a serious brawl in the Bulls locker room, and after the game, there was an even more serious brag in the locker room.
The Bulls were only 11-18 at the time, there were many problems on the team, various departments of the team believed that LaVine was out of touch with the entire team, and LaVine's relationship with DeRozan and coach Donovan was very delicate.
Bulls reporters once broke the news that the Bulls were once close to selling the whole team to rebuild completely, and the Knicks, Lakers, Lone Rangers and Heat all joined LaVine's battle.
Fortunately, LaVine's form has picked up recently, and the Bulls' record has improved, and the key game victory to end the Nets' 12-game winning streak and ending the 76ers' 11-game home winning streak has also greatly boosted morale.
Although the Bulls currently have a 19-23 record, ranking tenth in the East, they are only four wins away from the top six, and the season is still long, and if the second half of the season can solve the team's problems, the Bulls may still become a dark horse in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Currently, the Bulls have a 9-3 record against five strong teams in the East (Celtics, Nets, Bucks, 76ers and Heat), including two wins against the Celtics, 1-1 against the 76ers, and all against the Nets and Bucks.
If they make it to the playoffs, they still have something to look forward to.
However, the Bulls' intra-team problems were not resolved.
LaVine did not show the posture of a leader in the first year of his $215 million maximum salary contract, and communication with teammates and some performances on the field were not satisfactory.
The biggest problem with the Bulls is still tandem and defense, LaVine is not a great passer, averaging 4.2 assists per game with 2.5 turnovers, and the Bulls have the most assists is DeRozan, who averages 4.9 per game.
If Lonzo Ball returns healthy, the Bulls' problems will be solved, but Ball's return is far away. Now that Ball has been out for a full year with a knee injury, the last time the Bulls updated Ball was last week, when Donovan revealed that Ball is currently unable to run and has no possibility of returning anytime soon.
Losing to the Wizards without Beal and Porzingis isn't a good sign, and the Bulls could still risk breaking up if the losing streak continues.