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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michael Mulford

Player grades: LaVine scores 28 as Bulls ease past Pacers

The Chicago Bulls got their second-straight victory on Wednesday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 124-109.

Chicago came out the gates firing, scoring 38 first-quarter points and went into halftime with a 19-point lead and never looked back.

Zach LaVine had his best game by far on Wednesday, leading the way for the Bulls with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on 6-of-8 shooting from downtown and hitting 10-of-12 free throws.

DeMar DeRozan added 17 points and 6 assists while Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Check out the player grades from Chicago’s 15-point victory below.

DeMar DeRozan: B

DeMar DeRozan finished with 17 points and 6 assists on 6-of-14 shooting from the floor on Wednesday. DeRozan didn’t attack the cup as much as usual, getting just five free attempts but Zach LaVine’s aggressiveness made up for it.

Zach LaVine: A

Zach LaVine looked like Zach LaVine on Wednesday night, finishing with a season-high 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point land. LaVine was ultra aggressive attacking the basket in this one, hitting 10-of-12 from the free throw line. An aggressive, efficient LaVine is an elite, elite scorer.

Nikola Vucevic: B

Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on 5-of-10 shooting on Wednesday night. Vooch has been a monster on the boards to start the season, currently ranking No. 2 in the league in rebounds.

Ayo Dosunmu: B

Ayo Dosunmu was steady on both ends of the floor in Wednesday’s victory against the Pacers, finishing with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. In Lonzo’s absence, Ayo has been solid and so far this season, the Bulls haven’t missed much from the point guard position.

Patrick Williams: B

Patrick Williams played just 15 minutes on Wednesday but were the best 15 minutes that he’s played all season, finishing with 10 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor and 2-of-2 from downtown. All eyes are on Williams to start the season as his development is crucial to Chicago’s growth this season.

Alec Caruso: B+

Another game, another filled stat sheet for Alex Caruso. Caruso played 23 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, finishing with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on a +18 plus/minus. Caruso does it all and it shows night in and night out.

Goran Dragic: B+

The old veteran continues to play well off the bench for Billy Donovan. Dragic finished with 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists on a perfect 3-of-3 from downtown on Wednesday. You know what you’re going to get from Dragic and it’s a steady veteran presence every night.

Javonte Green: B

Javonte Green finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 17 minutes in Wednesday’s win. Green gives 100% every single possession, which shows in every game and gives Donovan a sure bet off his bench.

Andre Drummond: B+

Andre Drummond has been one of the most underrated signings in the league so far this season. Drum finished with 8 points and 13 rebounds in 17 minutes on Wednesday. The rebounding machine that is Drummond can’t be stopped.

 

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