MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Not that Billy Donovan was still searching for meaning in these final eight games of the 2025-26 campaign, but just in case he didn’t have to look very far on Saturday.
First and foremost, the Bulls coach still holds winning games and competing as priority 1A and 1B, and then there’s what happened earlier in the day up in Milwaukee. Hours before the Bulls fell to the Grizzlies 125-124 when Collin Sexton’s attempted game-winner came after the final horn sounded, Milwaukee was run out of their own building by San Antonio.
That meant the Bulls could have jumped them in the standings and lost a draft lottery spot to their division rivals, but it was not meant to be.
Trailing by just a point with four seconds left, Tre Jones got his hands on the inbound pass, dribbled up the court, and when he saw resistance, made the dish to Sexton. The veteran guard got the shot off, but just not in time.
“When Collin got it he had to kind of knife his way through, so he had to hold it a little bit, so I think in hindsight, if Tre was looking back on it he’s thinking he should have shot it, but I thought both of them were trying to make the right play,” Donovan said.
A tough lesson learned in a season of tough lessons.
But beyond the team concept to catch Donovan’s eye, there are still individual performances, both good and bad. Matas Buzelis definitely provided the good, finishing with 29 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, giving him his eighth game of the season with at least 20-plus points and three blocks. Only Spurs standout Victor Wembanyama has done it more (22 games).
Not that Buzelis’ performance came as a surprise. He was not happy with seeing the Bulls (29-45) officially eliminated on Friday, and vowed he wasn’t just going to lie down with a few weeks left.
“Just keep fighting man,” Buzelis said of his mindset. “You don’t want to go out quitting. You have to finish, you have to finish what you started. We’ll come back stronger than ever (next year). I’m g
