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.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Continues excellent play
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Buzelis finished Saturday's 132-111 loss to the Warriors with 16 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 29 minutes.
After scoring in single digits in 23 straight games, Buzelis has reached the double-digit plateau in six straight games. During that stretch, the rookie has averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.7 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field. Buzelis has drawn back-to-back starts and played at least 29 minutes in three consecutive contests.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Efficient in limited run
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Buzelis accumulated six points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and three rebounds over 12 minutes during Saturday's 109-97 loss to the 76ers.
Buzelis received fewer than 20 minutes of playing time for the 16th consecutive contest. With the Bulls likely to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline, the 20-year-old could be in line for more playing time in the latter half of the season. Over his last five outings, Buzelis has averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per contest.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Ties career high with three blocks
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Buzelis posted eight points (4-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt), five rebounds and three blocks across 17 minutes during Wednesday's 110-94 loss to the Hawks.
Although Buzelis hasn't scored double-digit points since Dec. 5, the rookie forward is making a strong defensive impact, recording multiple blocks in 10 separate outings this season. Still, Buzelis' overall efficiency is concerning since he's shooting just 38.1 percent from the field in 2024-25.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Returns to parent club
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The Bulls recalled Buzelis from the G League's Windy City Bulls on Saturday.
Buzelis recorded 21 points (8-24 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 3-5 FT), nine rebounds, five blocks, four assists and one steal in 34 minutes during Friday's 98-95 loss to the Texas Legends. Buzelis should continue to operate as one of Chicago's primary bench options in their forward rotation.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Good to go Saturday
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Buzelis (illness) is available for Saturday's game against the Bucks, Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com reports.
Buzelis will return Saturday from a one-game absence due to an illness. The rookie first-round pick has seen his minutes off the bench increase over his last 15 games, during which he has averaged 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds over 17.5 minutes per contest.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Won't play Thursday
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Buzelis (illness) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Atlanta, Chuck Swirsky of the Bulls Radio Network reports.
Buzelis will miss his second game of the season due to the illness, and his next chance to suit up will come Saturday against Milwaukee. With the rookie joining Lonzo Ball (illness), Ayo Dosunmu (Achilles) and Josh Giddey (ankle) on the sideline, Talen Horton-Tucker, Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry are candidates for increased roles.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Will play Friday
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Buzelis (nose) is available for Friday's game against the Pacers, Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com reports.
Buzelis suffered a nose contusion, and while he didn't suffer a fracture, there's a chance he'll wear a mask Friday. Buzelis has been earning more minutes of late, and he's averaging 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks across 17.6 minutes per game across his last five outings. He posted a career-high 20 points Dec. 2 in a win over the Nets.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Dominant in G League loss
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Buzelis produced 24 points (11-21 FG, 2-8 3Pt), 10 rebounds and two assists across 34 minutes during Saturday's 119-115 G league loss to the Motor City Cruise.
Buzelis briefly joined Windy City for its matchup against the Cruise, during which the rookie led the squad in points, rebounds and three-pointers made. The 20-year-old has produced a limited impact with the parent club this season, in which he has averaged 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds across 8.5 minutes per game over 12 regular-season appearances.
