Zach LaVine goes atomic on Hawks with 39 first-half points (Video)
Zach Lavine #ZachLavine
Zach LaVine absolutely torched the Atlanta Hawks in the first half.
Zach LaVine has spent his 2019-20 NBA campaign showing everyone that he truly is a star player. While the Chicago Bulls are barely clinging to the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference in 10th place with their 22-28 record, LaVine has put together an All-Star season, establishing himself as a top-10 scorer in the league.
Heading into Friday’s contest with the Atlanta Hawks, LaVine was averaging 27.1 points per game on 50.7 percent shooting from the field and 41.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. And on the road in Atlanta, he decided to spend his first half boosting his averages.
In just 20 first-half minutes, LaVine put together an unforgettable first half, entering the locker room with 39 points at the break. Shooting a scorching 13-for-19 from the field, 7-for-9 from 3-point range and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, the 26-year-old guard put on a dazzling shooting display as the Bulls built up a 66-53 halftime lead.
Aside from the obvious that LaVine scored 39 of his team’s 66 first-half points, at one stretch in the second quarter, he scored 25 straight for Chicago. His 39 points were also the most points scored in any half by any NBA player so far this season, and he became the first Bull to score 30-plus points in the first half since Michael Jordan back in 1997.
This was just an incredibly display of shot-making, and one we’re unlikely to see again this season — even with LaVine clearly playing at an All-Star level.
The Bulls struggled a bit out of the gate after trading for Nikola Vucevic, but as winners of three straight games, it appears LaVine and the Bulls are ready to make a serious push for a playoff spot in the East. If he keeps scoring at such a historic rate like this, it’ll be hard for anyone to stop them.