Zach LaVine described himself as “so damn tired” after the Bulls defeated the Hawks in an epic, 329-point NBA battle that went to a fourth overtime period and saw Trae Young match an incredible Michael Jordan feat.
The Bulls won 168-161 in Atlanta in the third-highest scoring game in NBA history (the Pistons’ 186-184 victory against the Nuggets in December 1983 holds the record of 370 combined points).
“I’ve never been a part of a game that long,” LaVine told ESPN after finishing with a career-high total of 47 points, to which he added nine rebounds and nine assists.”I air-balled one because I was so damn tired.”
Players on both sides were racking up the stats, with Lauri Markkanen — who made three free throws with two minutes left to give the Bulls a lead they did not relinquish— adding 31 points and 17 rebounds, while Otto Porter Jr had 31 points and 10 rebounds.
The highest-scoring player ended up on the losing side, though, with rookie Young’s inspirational display of 49 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds not enough for the Hawks.
He was the first rookie since LeBron James in 2004 to score at least 40 points with 10 assists, the first since Jordan in 1985 to have a 45-point, 10-assist game, and the first since 1968 to get 49 or more points with double-figure assists.
“Being in conversation with a guy like LeBron is humbling and an honor first of all, but at the same time I’m trying to make my own mark, continue to make plays, and continue to do things for my team,” Young said.
“That was a fun game to play in, probably one of the most fun games I’ve played in my career as a basketball player.
The memorable game also saw Vince Carter play 45 minutes at the age of 42, with only the 20-year-old Young playing longer for the Hawks.