Chicago Bulls upset win over Nuggets has star player thrilled

The Chicago Bulls don’t look like a fluke right now. Early on in their hot streak, the team seemed to be taking advantage of a favorable schedule. A win over the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers, in LeBron James’ return no less, seemed to suggest they were a little more legitimate. Now, a win over the Denver Nuggets has the team truly rolling

Nikola Vucevic talks Chicago Bulls form following Zach LaVine trade

Before the game, Nuggets coach Mike Malone called the Chicago Bulls the “best-running team in the league.” They proved him right with a stunning 10-point upset over Nikola Jokic and company. It was just the latest in a thrilling run of basketball following the Zach LaVine trade.

LaVine’s trade seemed to indicate that the Bulls weren’t interested in this year, but the remaining players have stepped up and dragged this team into the play-in race. They’re red-hot and very likely to be part of the play-in tournament, and it all began after that trade.

Via the Chicago Sun Tribune, Nikola Vucevic said, “I just think we kind of embraced the challenge and took pride in showing that people kind of wrote us off when Zach got traded. I think we’ve really come together as a group.”

Vucevic praised the team’s chemistry, and he said it has opened up opportunities for players to really shine. He named Josh Giddey, Coby White, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter, a piece of the return for LaVine, as pristine examples.

“It’s just the way it is in this league. You can’t dwell over what happens,” the center noted. “Teams make decisions, front offices, and that’s their decision. We as players, we focus on what we can do to become the best versions of ourselves.”

White has been a lot of the heavy lifting. He’s on a hot streak that so few Bulls have ever experienced, and he’s won two Player of the Week awards in the Eastern Conference as a result, but he’s not taking the credit. “Confidence is high,” White said. “Like I always say, it isn’t just me — it takes a village. Family, teammates [and] the organization continue to push me.”

White and the Chicago Bulls are now 32-40 on the year and a game and a half up on the Miami Heat for the 9th seed. They’re seven games up on the 11th-seeded Toronto Raptors, so they’re not likely to fall out of the play-in.