Bulls guard Zach LaVine is all too familiar with opposing defenses doing all they can to make his teammates have to carry the offensive load, from using box-and-ones to double-teams to blitzing him on pick-and-rolls.
With the Bulls playing without center Nikola Vucevic on Friday, the Warriors turned back the clock and used a game plan that has messed with LaVine in the past.
LaVine not only was seeing normal defensive coverage, but he was red-hot from the field, shooting 4-for-5 for 10 points.
Because LaVine’s and DeRozan’s minutes often are staggered after the start of the first and third quarters, the Warriors opted to go box-and-one on LaVine, forcing him to become a playmaker.
‘‘They trapped Zach a lot, and I thought Zach in a lot of ways made that pocket pass, got off of it, and we just didn’t really make shots or make plays from those spots,’’ coach Billy Donovan said of what went wrong.
‘‘I think, as a player, you sit there and say: ‘You know what? I’ve got to try and make things happen; I’ve got to do something,’ ’’ Donovan said.
There’s no reason the Bulls can’t get a win — or two — in L.A.