The NBA Paris 2023 Game that was aired live on Afrosport TV was a contrast for two French stars as the Chicago Bulls’ Zach Lavine overpowered Killian Hayes’ Detroit Pistons.
The Bulls were comfortable winners as they saw off the Pistons 126-108 without trailing all night at the fully packed Accor Arena that had future No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama and a host of other celebrities in attendance.
LaVine scored his eighth 30-point or more game this season as he ended the tie with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and eight of nine free throw attempts made.
The injured DeMar DeRozan returned for the Bulls, supplying them with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic continued his impressive season with his 26th double-double, ending the game grabbing 15 rebounds and 16 points.
Nigerian-descent Ayo Dosunmu scored 13 points for the Bulls team, which had seven players with double figures.
Hayes was unable to muster his usual magic for the three-time champions, as he only managed 4 points and dished out 8 assists in 31 minutes.
Veteran Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons in scoring with 25 points and three 3-pointers.
Saddiq Bey finished the night with 16 points and 9 boards, while Rookie of the Year candidate Jaden Ivey dropped 16 points and 4 assists.
Hamidou Diallo, of Guinean descent, helped the Pistons with 17 points off the bench, while the league’s youngest player this season, Jalen Duren, also added 11 points as a substitute.
🏀 FINAL SCORE THREAD 🏀
Zach LaVine dropped 30 PTS in Paris to lead the @chicagobulls to the international W! #NBAParis 🇫🇷
DeMar DeRozan: 26 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST
Bojan Bogdanovic: 25 PTS, 5 REB, 3 ASTFor more, download the NBA app:
📲 https://t.co/WFdLNEjikq pic.twitter.com/zveGx2jVb8— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2023
The Pistons are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, having lost four of their last five games and a total of 36 defeats, the most of any team this season.
The Bulls presently occupy the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference and will look to build on their two-win streak as they continue their push for an automatic playoff spot.
