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“He’s Got to Live With It”: $215 Million Worth Bulls Star Locks Horn With Head Coach Over Late Game Decision in Loss vs Magic

Published 11/19/2022, 6:50 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Chicago Bulls faced off against the Orlando Magic on November 18, 2022. In the last few minutes of the game, Zach LaVine was benched by Bulls head coach Billy Donovan. Post-game, LaVine expressed his displeasure with Donovan’s last-minute decision. In a short interview, the Bulls’ guard’s displeasure was evident as he stated that he disagreed with the coach’s decision.

The Chicago Bulls suffered yet another loss on Friday night. The Orlando Magic beat the Bulls by just one point, winning by 108-107. This marked the Bulls’ 10th loss out of the 16 games played so far. However, it was Bulls star Zach LaVine’s frustration that became the primary topic after the game. During the remaining three minutes and 43 seconds, Donovan pulled LaVine out of the game and benched him. Evidently, the decision did not sit well with LaVine who later gave his thoughts on it.

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During a post-game interview, LaVine said, “That’s Billy’s decision. He gotta lay with it. Do I agree with it? No. I think I can go out there and still be me even if I miss some shots. But that’s his decision. He has to stand on it.”

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A reporter then asked LaVine if he had any intentions of talking it out with Donovan. However, LaVine replied that he wasn’t sure about it yet and would think about it later.

Chicago Bulls head coach justifies his decision

The Chicago Bulls were beaten by just one point on Friday night. Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan scored an impressive 41 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Additionally, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic scored 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night. Whereas, Zach LaVine only managed to score 4 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Billy Donovan later explained why he made the last-minute decision to bench LaVine. Donovan stated LaVine had a “tough night shooting.”

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Furthermore, he explained, “I came back to Zach and it was one of those games for him. He just didn’t have a great game. Great players, it happens. He cares deeply about the team. He just wasn’t playing well.”

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Zach LaVine is considered to be one of the Bulls’ best players. In July 2022, it was reported that LaVine had signed a five-year contract extension with the Bulls worth a reported $215 million.

While Zach LaVine was clearly frustrated with Billy Donovan’s decision, what did you think of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Siyari Debbarma

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Siyari Debbarma is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering from Abascus Institute of Engineering and Management. She previously interned at the Y-East Organization as a content writer.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani