Buzelis logged 27 points (11-18 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 34 minutes during Wednesday's 126-113 victory over the Kings.
Buzelis finished with the third-highest scoring total of his career in Chicago's fourth straight win. He was dialed in from beyond the arc, easily marking his best shooting performance of the young season. The second-year lottery pick showed why he could be poised for a breakout year.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Puts up 21 points in win
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Buzelis notched 21 points (7-12 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, one assist and three blocks across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 115-111 victory over Detroit.
Buzelis was in hot demand during fantasy drafts, and he certainly lived up to the hype on Opening Night. His starting role was never in doubt heading into the season, with Patrick Williams comfortably behind him, and as was the case in the preseason, a lot of the offense ran through the second-year forward. Buzelis appears poised for a potential breakout season as a source of points, three-pointers, rebounds and blocks.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Scores team-high 19 points
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Buzelis tallied 19 points (8-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-3 FT), two blocks, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes during Thursday's preseason win over the Timberwolves.
Buzelis put together another strong performance, continuing to flash his tremendous upside. After a slow start to his rookie season, Buzelis finished the 2024-25 season with a bang. It appears as though the coaching staff liked what it saw, with Buzelis primed to play a major role this season.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Stays hot against Denver
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Buzelis produced 20 points (7-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, one assist and five blocks across 30 minutes during Wednesday's 124-117 preseason loss to Denver.
Buzelis was everywhere in this game, and he even blocked Nikola Jokic several times. The second-year forward entered training camp with a ton of buzz, and he's certainly lived up to it in the preseason with averages of 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers in 23.0 minutes across four appearances.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Scores 19 points in loss
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Buzelis put up 19 points (6-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds and one turnover in 25 minutes of Sunday's 127-121 preseason loss to the Bucks.
Through three preseason games, it's pretty clear that a ton of offense is going to go through Buzelis this season. The second-year forward is averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 2.0 three-pointers in 20.6 minutes per contest in that span, showcasing the same upside that made him a top waiver-wire pickup in the second half of the 2024-25 season.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Scores 11 points in win
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Buzelis logged 11 points (3-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, one steal and one block across 19 minutes during Thursday's 119-112 preseason win over the Cavaliers.
Once again, Buzelis made a solid impact on both ends of the court in this game. Pegged as a potential breakout player by many in the fantasy community, Buzelis has certainly looked the part so far. Through two exhibitions, Buzelis is averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 2.0 three-pointers in 18.6 minutes per contest while shooting 55.6 percent from the field.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Nears double-double in win
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Buzelis racked up 19 points (7-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one block across 18 minutes during Tuesday's 118-117 preseason win over the Cavaliers.
Buzelis made his presence felt during Tuesday's preseason game on the road. He made an impact with his scoring and on the glass while playing limited minutes in Cleveland, and he could be showing signs of an improved all-around game ahead of his second NBA season.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Team option picked up
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The Bulls exercised their 2026-27 rookie scale team option for Buzelis on Friday, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
This is Buzelis' third-year option, and he'll be under contract for next season at $5.7 million. To be clear, this was basically a formality for the franchise. Buzelis has been pegged as a possible breakout candidate and is the current favorite to start at power forward over Patrick Williams.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Idle in SL finale
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Buzelis (rest) did not appear in Friday's 105-92 Summer League win over the Jazz.
Buzelis remained sidelined Friday, as the Bulls have taken a careful and deliberate approach to managing his minutes this summer. The forward's last Summer League outing came Monday, when he impressed with 26 points in a 114-105 win over the Pacers.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Out of action vs. Milwaukee
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Buzelis (rest) didn't play in Wednesday's 102-96 Summer League win over the Bucks.
The Bulls have held Buzelis out for rest reasons earlier in the Summer League, and it appears the team is continuing to manage his reps during exhibition play. Given that the 2024 first-rounder is ticketed for a starting role in Chicago's frontcourt for the 2025-26 campaign, the club will likely remain cautious with Buzelis this summer.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Offensive explosion in SL win
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Buzelis finished with 28 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 10-13 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block over 32 minutes in Monday's 114-105 Summer League win over the Pacers.
Buzelis looked confident Monday, finding success both attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line. The 20-year-old may be poised for a breakout year after finishing his 2024-25 rookie season on a high note, averaging 13.6 points and 5.0 rebounds on 48.7 percent shooting in 26.9 minutes across his final 22 regular-season games.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Won't play vs. Sacramento
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Buzelis (rest) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Kings, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reports.
Buzelis struggled in the shooting department during Friday's game against the Raptors, going 4-for-14 from the floor. However, he still finished with 17 points, hitting all seven of his free-throw attempts. He won't be back on the floor until Monday's matchup against the Pacers due to rest purposes.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Scores 17 points in SL opener
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Buzelis generated 17 points (4-14 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks over 25 minutes of Friday's 116-72 loss to Toronto in Summer League.
Although Buzelis struggled with his shot Friday, he was effective at getting to the free-throw line, where he went perfect on seven attempts. He made an impact on the defensive end as well, pacing the Bulls in blocked shots. Entering his second NBA season, Buzelis seems to be competing for a position in the starting five.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Caps off solid rookie campaign
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Buzelis chipped in nine points (4-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 0-1 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 109-90 Play-In Game loss to the Heat.
Buzelis started off the 2024-25 season fighting for consistent playing time, but ended his rookie campaign as one of Chicago's key starters. Across Buzelis' 31 regular-season starts, he averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.8 minutes. The rookie forward also displayed solid efficiency over that span, posting 47.3/34.9/80.6 shooting splits.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Muted performance in win
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Buzelis finished with 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 0-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block over 24 minutes during Sunday's 131-117 win over the Hornets.
This was a quiet game by Buzelis' recent standards. With the Bulls giving the rookie more responsibility, he's been able to take advantage. Over his last seven games, he's been a sixth-round value in nine-category formats with 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Active at both ends Monday
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Buzelis had 14 points (5-12 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, four blocks and one steal in 31 minutes during Monday's 145-117 loss to the Thunder.
Buzelis has adjusted well to life as a starter in the NBA, and he's been playing exceptionally well in recent weeks. He's been putting up solid numbers on offense and has scored in double digits in each of his last five outings, a stretch in which he's averaging 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per contest. The four blocks were also a season-high mark for the rookie, who seems to be getting more comfortable on the defensive side of the ball, too.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Explodes for 28 points in loss
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Buzelis supplied 28 points (10-17 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and one block in 38 minutes during Saturday's 120-119 loss to the Mavericks.
Buzelis continues to find his footing, especially on the offensive end, scoring at least 28 points for the second time in the past four games. The 38 minutes marked a career high and is a good sign that the coaching staff is growing in confidence in him. Across seven games over the past two weeks, he has averaged 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 three-pointers in 26.6 minutes per contest.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Productive night in win
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Buzelis closed with 17 points (7-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt), nine rebounds, two assists and one block across 30 minutes during Monday's 111-97 victory over Utah.
Buzelis finished with the club's third-highest mark in points Monday and recorded at least 15 points for the eighth time over 66 regular-season appearances. Additionally, the rookie forward tied his season high in rebounds. Buzelis has been a mainstay in the starting five of late and scored double-digit points in seven of his last 10 outings.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Struggles in limited run Thursday
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Buzelis posted six points (2-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and one assist over 15 minutes during Thursday's 116-110 victory over Brooklyn.
The rookie first-round pick has been less involved over his last two outings as a result of Patrick Williams returning from a nine-game absence due to a quadriceps injury. Buzelis has accumulated only 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists while shooting 6-for-16 from the field across 39 total minutes in that two-game span. In the 20-year-old forward's previous five matchups, he had averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 blocks across 29.4 minutes per contest. Williams and Julian Phillips could continue to take more minutes away from the rookie, though Buzelis will likely still carry a significant role regardless.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Hits for 17 against Cavs
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Buzelis recorded 17 points (7-17 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one block over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 139-117 loss to the Cavaliers.
The 11th overall pick in the 2024 Draft has adapted well to his new starting role. Over 11 games since shifting into the starting five, Buzelis is averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 boards, 2.4 assists, 1.2 threes and 0.8 blocks in 27.2 minutes a contest. The 20-year-old has plenty of room for growth in his production and skills -- he's shooting just 44.3 percent from the floor and 23.6 percent from three-point range during that stretch.
