CLEVELAND — Nikola Vucevic sure didn’t look fresh.
His shoulders were covered with cupping marks, his size 17s were soaking in an ice bucket and he had a towel draped over him.
But these looks were deceiving.
For a second consecutive game, Vucevic looked like the early-season version — the one who hit game-winners, could fall out of bed and score 20 and played a pivotal role in victories.
In the Bulls’ 136-125 victory over the Cavaliers, he scored 24 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and iced the game with 11 points in the fourth quarter.
So how did he go from the guy who appeared to already have his bags packed for the offseason during the seven-game skid a few weeks back to the crafty veteran putting up All-Star numbers? Let’s say it was a breather with some reflection.
“There were times I was definitely frustrated, mainly at me,” Vucevic said after the Bulls’ second consecutive win against the Cavs that improved their record to 12-15. “I didn’t feel like I was playing up to the level I know I can, so I tend to be pretty harsh on myself, sometimes a little bit too much.”
It was a point coach Billy Donovan wasn’t about to dispute.
“He holds himself to a really, really high standard, and when that standard is not met, I think he can get extremely frustrated,” Donovan said. “I do think our team was out of sorts [during the losing streak]. We just didn’t have a lot of guards, and Vooch is always going to be the recipient off of good guard play.
“He gets really aggravated with himself. There’s been a little more chemistry for our team since we got some guys back.”
They were all back, allowing Donovan to go with an 11-man rotation he felt familiar with and one that seemed to wear down the Cavs.
Former Bull Alex Caruso was brought up to Donovan before the game as a player who understood key moments. These Bulls are still a work in progress in that department.
The third quarter was the latest reminder.
Up by 14 and in control most of the night, the Bulls watched the lead evaporate quickly. It began with a Jarrett Allen layup, then a Darius Garland floater with the foul, followed by another minute of trading baskets. With just under five minutes left in the quarter, Garland made a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two, nabbed the ball, then hit a go-ahead three.
In five minutes, the lead was gone, and the Bulls were on the ropes. This stretch was exactly what Donovan was talking about a few hours earlier when discussing what championship DNA adds to a roster.
“You cannot underestimate IQ and experience, and because of what Alex Caruso went through in Los Angeles and then the IQ piece, he can understand what plays are really important,” Donovan said. “Like, ‘This is an important play’ or ‘This is what’s about to happen.’ He can get ahead of it. When we have some of our younger guys out there, their antennas are up all over the place. For some of our guys, they just have to experience it. They have to go through it, go through some tough lessons, so to speak.”
So maybe this game offered up some growth.
The Bulls did allow a ridiculous 44-point third quarter, but rather than shrink, they actually were the sturdier team down the stretch. Without All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, Garland was forced to do most of the heavy lifting.
And while he finished with 35, the Bulls had seven players in double figures.
“Those [four days off two weeks ago] after Cup play were huge,” Vucevic said. “We were able to regroup, and it also helped me refresh a little bit, recalibrate and just play my game.”