CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Zach LaVine shared the line with a full understanding of the Bulls' current dreadful residence in the standings and the long road that still lies ahead for them to return to any contention of significance, but he also said it with meaning.
"We're starting to trend toward that next level of a team for where you want to go to places – playoffs, championship," LaVine said. "You need to trend toward that way."
Such were the feelings percolating after arguably Chicago's best win of the season came in the form of a 126-116 victory against Boston at the United Center on Saturday night. The meaning went beyond the Bulls (16-44) forcefully avenging a franchise-worst 56-point loss to the Celtics in the same location on Dec. 8, a setback that sparked a near-boycott of practice the following day and undesirable national notoriety.
In setting a season-high for points against the league's No. 5 defense, the Bulls shot 53.4 percent and saw LaVine (42 points) and Lauri Markkanen (35) set career-high scoring marks while shooting a combined 29-of-49. They also secured their first three-game winning streak of a rocky season, which served as another sign of what they've been looking for.
Progress.
"We're playing for each other," coach Jim Boylen said. "We're trying to raise each other up. We're honoring the things we've worked on."
The most crucial recent development has been the continued strong play and improved efficiency of LaVine and Markkanen. Since Jan. 27, LaVine is averaging 24.7 points and 5.2 assists while shooting 52.3 percent. In that same time frame, Markkanen is averaging 24.1 points and 13.4 rebounds while shooting 45.7 percent.
LaVine's goal is for he and Markkanen to be reliable on a nightly basis – that no matter what looks that defenses give them, they can adjust and find a way to produce a one-two scoring punch that serves as the Bulls' foundation.
"We're starting (to get) to that mold to figure each other's games out – his spots, what I like in my spots, the two-man game ... where each and every game that we're guys that you can count on day in and day out," LaVine said. "Even if we're having a bad game, where you can still count on those guys to get you a basket."
LaVine's big scoring totals are nothing new, as he opened the season on a roll with Markkanen sidelined by a sprained elbow for the first 23 games. Accompanying that surge was a burden that LaVine felt he had to carry for an offensively challenged team. Prior to Markkanen's return, LaVine averaged 25.0 points on 19.7 field-goal attempts while shooting 43.8 percent with a 32.4 usage percentage.
The difference now is that after a feeling-out process upon Markkanen's return and Boylen initially slowing the offense to a crawl after taking over for the fired Fred Hoiberg on Dec. 3, LaVine and Markkanen are finding their form simultaneously.
With Markkanen, LaVine is averaging 22.1 points on 16.4 field-goal attempts while shooting 49.0 percent and holding a 28.4 usage percentage.
"It's been a lot easier," LaVine said of Markkanen's presence and their improved rhythm. "You get more open looks, and I feel like you play better as a team.
"He can shoot. He's 7-foot, so he can roll. You can throw it up high for him, he's extremely athletic. He's been getting the rebound and pushing in transition, and it's been really hard for teams to guard – me getting out and running in transition and giving him that space. His game is going to continue to grow, and I'm going to continue to try to grow my game with him."
Saturday marked the first time in their careers that LaVine and Markkanen each hit the 30-point threshold in the same game. Their big nights also made some franchise history, as they became the first Bulls teammates since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in November 1996 to each score 35 points or more in the same game.
"That's a great group of guys to be with," LaVine said when the fact was shared with him. "I think you strive for that type of greatness every day that we step in this building, so like I told them, we'll have more of those games."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
