Bulls Take Issue with LaMelo Ball's Antics, But They Only Have Themselves to Blame

LaMelo Ball poked the Bull on Saturday night.

As Matas Buzelis came off a Nikola Vucevic screen with under 20 seconds to go, Miles Bridges swiped at the ball and forced the turnover. Ball proceeded to corral it and find a wide-open court ahead of him with his team up 110-97.

I bet you can guess what happened next.

Ball dunked it with 13.9 seconds left on the clock. Tre Jones went on to inbound it to Nikola Vucevic, who pass-faked the basketball toward Ball's chest in frustration before giving it back to Jones. The guard sped up the floor and scored the easy layup, only for Miles Bridges to then dribble out the clock.

When the final buzzer sounded, Vucevic went right up to Ball to exchange some words. This led to a mix of Bulls and Hornets near the scorer's table. Vucevic was encouraged by teammates to head in the other direction, while Zach Collins also had to be pushed back as he chirped with Hornets players.

This now marks the second time in five games that Nikola Vucevic and teammates have taken issue with a late-game bucket. Giannis Antetokounmpo did the same thing in a Bucks' victory over the Bulls, slamming it through the rim up 110-103 with 1.9 seconds to go. This led to an even more heated exchange at halfcourt where several players had to be separated.

Chicago Bulls and the "Unwritten Rule"

Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) shakes hands with Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) after a game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

I defended the Chicago Bulls' reaction following Giannis Antetokounmpo's decision. There is undoubtedly an "unwritten rule" in basketball that when the score is insurmountable, you dribble out the final seconds. It's become pretty standard protocol and a sign of respect.

With that said, I am not sure I necessarily view this as the same situation. While the score may have sat at 110-97, there were still 20 seconds left on the clock. Buzelis was also seemingly trying to get his team a bucket. I don't blame Bridges for defending him, and I can't really blame LaMelo Ball for deciding to score with that much time on the clock. Heck, once they inbounded the ball after the Tre Jones layup with 8 seconds to go, they did choose to dribble it out.

Also, even if I do typically lean toward respecting this "unwritten rule," I do not think it's worth showing the level of frustration the Bulls have in either scenario. If you don't want to see the other team showboat a little, don't fall apart in the second half and hand a win to a team below you in the Eastern Conference standings. Simple as that.

Chicago was outscored 62-41 in the second half. They lost the second-chance points battle 16-2. They lost the fastbreak battle 18-6. Sure, they were down some bodies, but they were also winners in seven of their last nine games and up as much as 15 points. This was a game they were supposed to win. Any frustration they have should be redirected toward themselves.

Perhaps I would also feel differently if there recent resume wasn't what it was. Yes, the last couple of weeks have come with some impressive wins, but it has only continued to show how unstable this organization is. The Bulls have a record of 2-7 against the Bottom 5 teams in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, they are 8-5 against the teams that sit above them in the conference. When you fail to take care of business like that, you do not necessarily have the right to make the rules.