Bloody-faced Matas Buzelis provides optimistic update after collision vs Spurs

On Thursday night, rookie Matas Buzelis was forced to exit the Chicago Bulls' matchup with the San Antonio Spurs early. Following a nasty injury, the young forward provided an optimistic update on social media.

With a little over two minutes to go in the game, Buzelis was boxing out Jeremy Sochan as Chicago attempted to secure a rebound. They managed to do so, but it came at a cost. Buzelis ended up taking a blow to the face that resulted in a nosebleed.

Seeing that there was little time left in the matchup, the Bulls just decided to pull Matas Buzelis early. However, he let the world know he was going to be okay. Still bloody in the face, Buzelis posted a photo on his Instagram story of him holding a thumbs up.

Via @matasbuzelis on Instagram

The Bulls went on to take down the Spurs by a final score of 139-124. As for Buzelis, he has a strong outing before his premature exit. In 18 minutes of action, he finished with 11 points and seven rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting from the field.

Based on his post after the game, it doesn't seem like Buzelis with have to miss any time with injury following the blow to the face.

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Matas Buzelis throws down highlight dunk before face injury vs Spurs

Aside from his face injury in the final minutes, Matas Buzelis did have some other noteworthy plays against the San Antonio Spurs Thursday. Early in the first half, the former lottery pick showed a glimpse of his athletic ability.

Early on in the second quarter, Chris Duarte attempted an open 3-pointer that he couldn't get to fall. Buzelis then came soaring in from the perimeter and threw down a massive putback slam.

One of the reasons why the Bulls drafted Matas Buzelis 11th overall was because of his versatility and athleticism on the offensive end. Plays like this are just a glimpse of the young forward's capabilities.

With the Bulls still having some veteran talent on the roster, Buzelis had to earn his way into the rotation at the start of the year. This resulted in a bit of a slow start, but he's managed to pick things up as of late.

Buzelis' outing against the Spurs was one of his best of the young season. He had his highest scoring outing the game prior, notching 20 points in a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets. Now that he's getting extended playing time, the G-League Ignite alumni can show what kind of impact he can have at the NBA level.