FINAL FROM ATLANTA: Bulls 168, Atlanta 161 4OT. (Third-highest scoring game in NBA history. Both the Bulls and Hawks set respective franchise marks for most points scored in a single game.)
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 47 points (career high). Atlanta: Young: 49 points (career high).
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Markkanen: 17. Atlanta: Dedmon: 12.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: LaVine: 9. Atlanta: Young: 16.
CCI RECAP: What a ballgame. I cherished every second. How can you not fall in love with the NBA after a game like this one? Both teams entered the contest with a combined record of 38-86 and flat out left it on the floor. They competed. They battled. They dove for loose balls. They took charges. They overcame deficits in the fourth quarter and the extra periods and played through adversity.
Lauri Markkanen made three free throws to give the Bulls the lead in the fourth OT and the Bulls went home happy. Markkanen recorded his 12th double-double in his last 14 games (31-17). Markkanen played 54 minutes. Zach LaVine had a career night scoring 47 points and grabbed nine rebounds and dished out nine assists. LaVine played 56 minutes. Markkanen and LaVine combined to take 23 free throws. Otto Porter Jr. tied his career high with seven three-point field goals and was impressive with 31 points and 10 boards. Porter played 55 minutes. Robin Lopez became the third Bulls player to register a double-double of 11-11. Props to Ryan Arcidiacono and Shaquille Harrison for their contributions off the bench.
Atlanta’s Trae Young was incredible. He posted a career-high 49 points. He had 16 assists. He played 56 minutes. Young became the first rookie to score 120 points in a three-game span since Allen Iverson in 1997.
Vince Carter at the age of 42 played 45 minutes. This is NOT a typo. He became the oldest player in NBA history to play 45 minutes in a game. As play-by-play announcer for every game Carter played for the Toronto Raptors, I saw plenty of Vinsanity, but last night ranks among the many remarkable accomplishments of his Hall of Fame worthy career.
I’m writing CCI on our flight back to Chicago and my adrenaline is so off the charts that I really don’t need a plane to get me back to Chicago. LOL.
The Bulls have won five out of their last six games and get the same Hawks on Sunday at the United Center.
For those who stayed up with us on 670 The Score and the Bulls Network, thank you!
CCI 24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES
Milwaukee 131, Los Angeles Lakers 120: Eric Bledsoe who signed a 4 year-70 million dollar extension prior to the game delivered in LA scoring a season-high 31 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and had 5 assists. According to ESPN, Pau Gasol could be joining the Bucks after he and the Spurs reached an agreement on a buyout. The Bucks clinched a playoff spot with five weeks left in the regular season. The Bucks keep winning. Who bags NBA Coach of the Year? Mike Budenholzer, Michael Malone, Nick Nurse?
Toronto 119, Portland 117: Kawhi Leonard with the go-ahead hoop with 1.5 seconds left snapped the Blazers five-game win streak. Leonard scored 38 points. C.J. McCollum with a career-high seven-three pointers for the Blazers. Congrats to Terry Stotts for winning Western Conference Coach of the Month for February. He has done a fabulous job.
Boston 107, Washington 96: Seven Celtics scored in double figures. Boston won for the first time since the All-Star break.
New Orleans 130, Phoenix 116: I got nothing.
Los Angeles Clippers 116, Sacramento 109: Huge game for both teams as we ramp up for playoff seedings. LA’s Landry Shamet scored 8 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Clippers moved in to the seventh spot in the Western Conference. The Kings have lost four of its last five games.
Charlotte 123 Brooklyn 112: A Frank Kaminsky sighting! One of CCI’s favorites! He got some floor time and produced scoring 15 points.
Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out at cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter: @ctsbulls. Always a pleasure!