Bulls’ Matas Buzelis shines in win over magic, but Billy Donovan urges focus on consistency
Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls opened 2026 with momentum, taking down the Orlando Magic 121-114 on the season’s second night. The win came with an added highlight, as Matas Buzelis delivered a thunderous slam that instantly put him in the conversation for dunk of the year.
With 7:34 left in the second quarter, Buzelis took control of the moment, attacking the rim and hammering home a dunk over Magic guard Jalen Suggs that sent the arena into a frenzy. He backed up the highlight by leading Chicago across the board, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
MATAS BUZELIS JUST ENDED JALEN SUGGS
pic.twitter.com/pvOktHQnNr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 3, 2026
After the game, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan balanced praise with perspective, noting the excitement of Buzelis’ dunk but emphasizing that the young forward needs to focus on consistently making plays that help the team win.
Billy Donovan on Matas Buzelis
“The dunks were phenomenal, they were unbelievable. But it was only worth two points. To me, the seven assists and the rebounding were so much more valuable to our team. I get fans love it, I loved watching it for a second, it was awesome,” remarked the Bulls head coach.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan puts Matas Buzelis’ dunk of the year nomination into context
“It’s the other things that I think he’s doing that’s impacting winning” pic.twitter.com/BgXN9lLFzE
— Zachary Draves (@DravesZachary) January 3, 2026
“But at the end of the day, those don’t happen every single night. That’s just his athletic ability and talent. But it’s the other things he’s doing, I think, that are impacting winning. That’s why all I really want to see him do is How do you really impact a team and impact winning?”
Donovan also sees signs of Buzelis maturing into a more complete player. Earlier this season, Buzelis mentioned aiming for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and he is backing it up by averaging 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
“I really appreciate the way he’s leaned into that stuff to try to get better. Like I’ve said before, he’s a great guy to work with. He’s a great guy to be around. He’s not afraid of the moment. He leans in, trying to get better, and he wants to be really good. As a coach, you have to admire that,” Donovan added.
The post Bulls’ Matas Buzelis shines in win over magic, but Billy Donovan urges focus on consistency appeared first on ChiCitySports.
Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/bulls-matas-buzelis-billy-donovan
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