Zach LaVine has put together a fantastic season for the Chicago Bulls that resulted in his first All-Star selection, and he’s taking things to another level on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks. It’s halftime, and LaVine already has 39 points!
LaVine was an extremely efficient 13-of-19 from the field, 7-of-9 on three-pointers, and 6-of-6 at the charity stripe. A few of the threes were crazy shots. When he reached 39 points, he had scored 25 straight points for the Bulls.
🚨 Zach Lavine scores 39 FIRST-HALF POINTS.. including 25 STRAIGHT for the @chicagobulls in the 2Q! 🚨
Catch the 2nd half: https://t.co/TSNteoSTTr pic.twitter.com/GWnPKasCYQ
— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2021
ZACH LAVINE WON'T STOP 😱 pic.twitter.com/gJ7twvW4JY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 10, 2021
The 39 points are the most points scored by an NBA player in any half this season (topping Nikola Jokic and Terry Rozier, who each scored 36 points). Jamal Crawford is the last player to score 39 in a half, when he did so in the second half of a game in April 2019.
The last player to score 39 points in any half was Jamal Crawford on April 9, 2019 (2nd half).
The last player to score more in a half was Devin Booker, who had 51 in the 2nd half against Boston on March 24, 2017 (70-point game).
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) April 10, 2021
And it’s the highest scoring total in the first half since Klay Thompson scored 40 in December 2016.
It's the most points in the first half of any game since Klay Thompson scored 40 in the first half against the Pacers on December 15, 2016.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) April 10, 2021
Most points in 1st half since 1996
1. 42 Kobe Bryant (3/28/03)
2. 40 Klay Thompson (12/5/16)
3. 39 Zach LaVine (tonight)— Kevin Anderson (@Kevin_NBCS) April 10, 2021
It’s also a Bulls franchise record for points scored in the first half, and just one shy of the record for points in a half. Jimmy Butler — not Michael Jordan — has the record, with 40 points scored in the second half of a game in January 2016.
Zach LaVine scored a franchise record 39 points in the first half. He finished one point short of the franchise record of 40 points in a half, set by Jimmy Butler on January 3, 2016.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) April 10, 2021
Now we wait to see how many points LaVine finishes with overall in the game. His incredible efforts led the Bulls to a 66-53 halftime lead over the Hawks.
