A game between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks shouldn’t be able to drum up this much hype, especially in the beginning of March, nevertheless, these two teams balled out on Friday night. Even though both teams are struggling to escape the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Bulls and Hawks, for one night, put aside their NBA draft lottery considerations and put on a spectacle at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls were able to just squeak by the Hawks with a 168-161 victory. It was a contentious affair that required FOUR overtimes before a winner was crowned.
It was also a duel between two potential NBA superstars as Trae Young and Zach LaVine put on an absolute masterclass performance for those lucky enough to be in attendance. Young had a mouthwatering stat line, finishing with 49 points and 16 assists while LaVine, not to be outdone, had 47 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds.
Trae Young flirted with history on Friday night, his 49 point outing was, unfortunately, one point short of joining some illustrious company. Young would have joined the likes of Brandon Jennings, Allen Iverson, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA rookies to score 50 points in a single game.
This game wasn’t only about the future of the NBA on display at the United Center, Surprisingly, it featured quite a number of statistical feats and historic accomplishments.
Listed below, you’ll find some of the best stats of the game:
- Friday nights game was the 15th quadruple-overtime game in NBA history. Just to put that into perspective, the NBA as a league has existed for nearly 74 years! The last game that featured a quadruple-overtime was in December of 2015 when the Detroit Piston played the Chicago Bulls. There must be something in that Chicago water!
- It was only the third time in NBA history in which both teams scored at least 160 points in game. In our age of high volume 3-point attempts, you’d think it’d be a common occurrence, however, the last time this feat was achieved was nearly 36 years ago!
- While Trae Young did miss out on joining one illustrious group on Friday night, he was able to earn an entry in an even more exclusive club and become only its second member. Young is now the second player ever to score at least 49 points and contribute 16 assisting in a single regular season game. The first? Who else but James Harden.
- The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks were both able to surpass their franchises career single-game scoring records. The Hawks scored 155 in 1970 while the Bulls previous high was in 1984, where they scored 156 in, you guessed it, a quadruple-overtime game. There really is something in that Chicago water!
- Zach LaVine will always have to battle with the shadow of Michael Jordan throughout his time with the Chicago Bulls, and, unfortunately, he missed out an opportunity to match the standards of the greatest 23 in the history of the NBA. Failing to reach a triple-double, LaVine would have become only the second Bulls player, after Jordan, to achieve this feat.
- Finally, both teams broke franchise records for 3-point attempts in a regular season game. The Bulls eclipsed this mark after hoisting up 48 attempts, while the Hawks threw up an astounding 60 3-pointers.
At times, the NBA season can seem a foregone conclusion, nevertheless, the Bulls and Hawks put on one of the most entertaining games of the season. It was a great showcase for the teams involved and succinct moment of PR glitz for the league. It was a great night that’ll be remembered for years to come.