The Chicago Bulls retired Derrick Rose's No. 1 jersey on Saturday night, so it is only fitting that young forward Matas Buzelis pay tribute by unleashing his own special brand of wizardry at the rim.
The 2024 lottery pick displayed his wide-ranging offensive arsenal versus the Boston Celtics, dribbling behind his back to get past Payton Pritchard and plowing through multiple other defenders before thunderously dunking over Derrick White. Buzelis continues to boast one of the most tantalizing combinations of power and athleticism in the league. He still has plenty to improve on in his game, as head coach Billy Donovan recently alluded to, but the organization loves his upside.
MATAS BUZELIS THROWS IT DOWN OVER DERRICK WHITE 🤯pic.twitter.com/TYyXktfpU5
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 25, 2026
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If the 21-year-old figures out how to consistently utilize his physical gifts to his advantage, the Bulls could finally become genuinely relevant once again. As it stands, they are already holding their own in a fairly wide-open Eastern Conference. Chicago (22-22) was riding a three-game winning streak going into its matchup against the Celtics (28-16) and sits just two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for sixth place in the standings.
Josh Giddey just returned from a hamstring injury and Buzelis is enjoying a productive January thus far, so the best could still be to come. Bulls fans have suffered through NBA Play-In purgatory for the last three years, and although that may be the squad's fate yet again this season, a young core is starting to emerge.
And Matas Buzelis is a key part of it. He is averaging 14.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point land. The hometown favorite will try to give the United Center crowd a couple more thrills before night's end.