But Giddey — demoted from the starting lineup during last year’s playoffs, when he played for Oklahoma City — isn’t about to miss this chance. Soaring since the trade deadline, a two-plus-month period during which he has averaged nearly a triple-double, he has become an indispensable part of everything this hot Bulls team is doing. Best believe he’ll be out there. “Playing here in a must-win game? There’s no way I’m going to sit it out,” he said Tuesday after practice at the Advocate Center. “We’ll do what we can to reduce the pain as much as possible, but come 7 o’clock, there’s no asterisks on the score sheet. So I’ll be ready to go.” Encouraging words, no doubt. So were these, from enticing rookie Matas Buzelis, only 20: “I don’t get nervous.” And this: “I don’t lack confidence.” Both are way better than the alternatives, you know. “Whenever you get to play for something and compete for something, it definitely fits my nature,” Buzelis said. “I mean, I’m not going to say it doesn’t.” -via Chicago Sun-Times / April 16, 2025
