Most fans expected Matas Buzelis to struggle with his shot early in the season, yet he just buried five three-pointers in a single night. He finished with a team-high 19 points, proving he can score from deep when the defense tries to close him out.
Buzelis made five of seven three-point attempts in the win.
Defensive Habits Stay Sharp
While the shooting drew the loudest cheers, his defense has been a quiet constant all preseason. In all four preseason games, he logged at least one block. The stat line from Wednesday included one steal and one block alongside his scoring burst.
During the previous regular season’s 77 games, Buzelis posted averages of 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks. CBS Sports reported those totals, which show he was already a solid contributor before this new shooting surge. He led six Bulls players in double figures on Wednesday, proving the offense flows through him as much as anyone else.
Previous Deep-Shooting Spurts
Some might call this a fluke, but the history books say otherwise. According to NBC Sports, Buzelis hit at least five triples in six games last season. One standout moment came on December 21, where he went 7-of-8 from deep in a win over the Hawks. The ability to heat up quickly is not new for him, even if the consistency has been a work in progress.
The preseason win over Milwaukee was 125-104, a blowout that allowed the young guys to play heavy minutes. Buzelis played 24 minutes and shot 6-of-9 from the field overall. His 2-of-2 from the free-throw line added to the clean stat sheet. He also dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds in that span.
If he can keep this shooting touch alive while maintaining his defensive blocks, the Bulls have a real weapon for the long haul.