Zach LaVine has forced his way into the early MVP discussion with his performances so far. Although the Chicago Bulls have an extremely talented group with Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan in their starting lineup, LaVine is clearly the team's most valuable player.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points per game, the eighth-highest in the league, on nearly 50/40/90 shooting splits. LaVine has also grabbed 5.8 boards, and dished out 4.5 assists per game while leading the team in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) at 24.24.
The Chicago Bulls take on their Eastern Conference rivals, the Boston Celtics tonight at the TD Garden. Zach LaVine faced a minor injury during the game against Toronto, but played through the pain. He has been evidently managing pain, so the Chicago faithful would like to know the status of their talisman for this game.
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What is Zach LaVine's status for tonight's game against the Boston Celtics?
Zach LaVine is officially listed as available for the game against the Boston Celtics. He suffered a ligament tear in his left thumb, and in his words, it is a 'Grade 1 to 2 sprain'.
LaVine played through the injury in the last two games as well, against the Utah Jazz and the New York Knicks. He apparently doesn't want to disrupt the Chicago Bulls' incredible 5-1 start to the season, so he doesn't intend to miss any games.
The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, feature a clean injury report, with no players listed. Meanwhile, the only players on the Bulls' injury report are Coby White and Patrick Williams.
Zach LaVine has had his fair share of injury troubles. He played just 58 games last season. During a two-year span between 2016 and 2018, he played just 71 games. However, the shooting guard finally has a winnable team around him, and he intends to fight through minor injuries.
Zach LaVine recently passed Michael Jordan for fourth place on the Chicago Bulls' all-time three-pointers made list. He has 558 three-point makes compared to Jordan's 555; LaVine is now 108 threes behind Scottie Pippen. He is averaging 2.5 3PM a game, so he could surpass Pippen this season itself.
The Chicago Bulls' next four games are against tougher opponents, where their mettle will be tested. They face the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers (twice) and the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston Celtics Nation! You can check out the latest Boston Celtics Schedule and dive into the Celtics Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.