Matas Bouzelis makes a statement in the Rising Stars game without saying a word
While on a weekend break from Chicago Bulls, Matas Buzelis demonstrated his ability to become a legitimate NBA All-Star. It came in the form of the NBA Rising Stars Game.
On Friday, Bouzelis triumphantly left as Tim Vince beat Tim Melo 25-24, per Greg Beacham of the Chicago Tribune. The head coaches were former NBA players Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony. During the match, Bouzelis finished with six points in the semifinals and four in the final.
It culminated in Bouzelis’ third straight appearance in the Rising Stars game. In the end, MVP honors went to VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers, who scored 17 points in the semifinals and hit two free throws in the finals.
Bussel left the dunk contest after accepting an invitation to play in the Rising Stars game. Last season, Bouzelis he competed in the dunkwhere he lost in the first round.
Currently, Bouzelis is in his second full season with the Bulls. He is averaging 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. It is in the same breath still adapting to a completely new dynamic after seven trades which sent many of the key players.
Among them were Kobe White, Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic, who were instrumental in nurturing Buzelis during his rookie season.
Also, the Bulls are in the midst of a six-game losing streak and are 24-31. In addition, they have lost 9 of their last 10 games.
The NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for Sunday in Los Angeles. After that, the Bulls will play their first game after the All-Star break against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, February 19th.
2026-02-14 16:09:00
