Former Bruin Teammates Shine in Head-to-Head Showdown

Former UCLA stars Zach LaVine and Norman Powell led their respective teams in the Chicago Bulls' meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Jan 20, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after a basket during the 2nd quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

It's always a treat for the UCLA faithful to see former Bruins face off at the next level, almost like a proud parent seeing that their children have made it.

On Monday, former Bruin stars Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Norman Powell shared the court in the Chicago Bulls-Los Angeles Clippers Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup.

LaVine and Powell, who were teammates for the former's lone collegiate season, each led their respective teams in scoring on Monday.

LaVine finished with a game-high 35 points, 25 of which came from beyond the arc as he made five triples. He shot 52.4% from the field in the Bulls' 112-99 victory.

Meanwhile, Powell, who has been having the best season of his career, recorded 27 points in 38 minutes. He made three 3-pointers.

Ball and LaVine had dealt with their fair share of injuries throughout their careers. But on Monday, all three Bruins got to take the floor together. Ball had missed the last two seasons due to injury.

"It's a brotherhood," Powell said after the game. "We're all rooting for one another, we're all tapped in with what each other's doing. If somebody's out with an injury, somebody's reaching out, making sure they're straight, and if we run into them, we're checking on each other, families and things like that. That's brotherhood.

"I didn't play with Zo [Ball] at UCLA, but he was a Bruin. So, we've been talking to him during this time and rooting for him to come back and be able to play the game that he loves, it's amazing to see. I know he went through a lot, so I'm just happy to see him back on the floor. Hopefully [with] more time, he'll get back to the player he was. It's tough coming back with an injury like that. But it was good to see both of them, sharing that brotherhood and being able to share this moment on the court with them, it's always good. Especially Zach; he was my freshman coming in, hosted him on his recruiting trip. So, super successful, super close, they're my brothers."

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