WATCH: Alex Caruso drills clutch 3 vs Damian Lillard and Bucks
Alex Caruso was the hero for the Chicago Bulls after his buzzer-beater 3-pointer against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at the United Center forced overtime before the Bulls won 120-113.
The victory helped them snap their five-game losing streak, but the losses that have piled up still need more work fixing. The Bulls won in the absence of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine (ankle and foot injuries respectively), so it should come as a major confidence boost.
The Bucks rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a 3-point lead in the final seconds against Damian Lillard and the Bucks. However, Caruso banked a three to force overtime before the rejuvenated Chicago unit closed out the game with a seven-point win.
Here's the video of Caruso's clutch three to force overtime:
The Bulls were led by Nikola Vucevic, who scored 29 points and had 10 rebounds and six assists. Coby White chipped in with 23 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Caruso, who started the game, had 11 points and 5 assists.
While there will be relief in the Bulls' camp after the win, they know that they are not out of the woods yet.
Alex Caruso is a potential LA Lakers target ahead of the deadline
While Zach LaVine to the LA Lakers is the narrative doing the rounds, recent reports suggest that the Purple and Gold are looking to add LA native DeMar DeRozan and former Laker Alex Caruso to their ranks.
On Hoops Tonight with Jason Timpf, The Athletic's Jovan Buha said that DeRozan and Alex Caruso would be of more interest to the Lakers than a potential deal for LaVine.
While DeRozan was on their radar before he inked a deal with the Bulls, the Lakers eventually pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook. Caruso was moved as well, and the Lakers persisted with Talen Horton-Tucker in 2021.
From a contract standpoint, Caruso is making $9.5 million this season and has a partial guarantee for next year, which becomes fully guaranteed at $9.9 million on June 30. As for his fit with LA, he spent the first four years of his career and has played with LeBron James and Anthony Davis before.
DeRozan is in the final season of his three-year, $81.9 million contract. The six-time All-Star is averaging 21.3 points and could help the Lakers at both ends of the floor.
His mid-range sniping would bolster their offense, and Caruso with his 3-point skills would be a massive upgrade on LA's existing options.