Like against the New York Knicks on Thursday, the Chicago Bulls played close against a talented Phoenix Suns, but they could not pull out a win in a 121-117 finish in front of 21,116 fans at the United Center on Saturday.
The Bulls have now lost six games in a row. The Suns snapped a four-game losing streak. Suns power forward Kevin Durant was a major factor in the game. He finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Kevin Durant has praise for Chicago Bulls rookie
Following the game, Durant gave his analysis on Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis. He thinks Buzelis has the potential to be a star for Chicago.
“I like Matas,” Durant said via K.C. Johnson of CHSN. “I liked him when he was with G League Ignite. He’s long, athletic, can shoot it. He’s definitely going to have some bumps and bruises as he gets through his first few years in the league trying to figure things out.
“But the more experience, the more reps he gets as a starter the better he’ll become. (Bulls head coach) Billy’s (Donovan) giving him more opportunities. Just play. I hear (Donovan) on the sidelines, ‘Attack. Shoot the ball. Be aggressive’ …
“His teammates encourage him. Playing will make you better player…Just like the rest of Chicago, I’m going to sit back and watch and see what happens from here. I got high expectations just like you guys do.”
Kevin Durant on Matas Buzelis: "I like Matas. I liked him when he was with G League Ignite. He's long, athletic, can shoot it. He's definitely going to have some bumps and bruises as he gets through his first few years in the league trying to figure things out. (cont.)
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 23, 2025
Matas Buzelis on playing against Durant
Buzelis, the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft, finished with 15 points, three rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal on Saturday. Per Johnson, Buzelis had high praise for Durant, calling the 36-year-old one of the best NBA players of all time.
“Great experience,” Buzelis said. “Great player. It was just really fun taking on the challenge of playing against one of the best players ever. It was fun.”
Matas Buzelis on Kevin Durant: "Great experience. Great player. It was just really fun taking on the challenge of playing against one of the best players ever. It was fun."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 23, 2025
The Bulls are 22-25 following their loss to the Suns. They will play the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night in a game that has importance for the 10th place in the Eastern Conference, as Chicago holds a one-game lead on Philadelphia.
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