Watch: Nikola Vucevic's comedic rage nearly knocks out equipment staff with foul-out frustration
Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic nearly knocked out a member of their equipment staff after expressing his frustration for fouling in the first overtime of their gutsy 132-123 double OT home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
The incident occurred with 44.2 seconds remaining in the first OT. As he made his way to the bench, a fuming Vucevic was given a towel by the staff, after which he struck the bench chair with it, accidentally hitting the staff, who was behind him, in the face.
Watch the video below:
While Nikola Vucevic, who had a solid game, missed the second OT, the Bulls, led by All-Star DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond, managed to hold the forth.
DeRozan finished with a game-high 35 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists in 49 minutes. Drummond, meanwhile, pulled down 26 rebounds, on top of 17 points and three blocks.
At the time of his fouling out, Vucevic had 24 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.
The win improved the Bulls to a 28-31 record, ninth in the Eastern Conference.
For their part, the Cavaliers were paced by Evan Mobley’s 25 points and 13 rebounds. Darius Garland had 23 points while All-Star Donovan Mitchell had 19 for Cleveland (38-20).
Nikola Vucevic proud to have chalked up 500th career double-double recently
Veteran big man Nikola Vucevic recently hit a career milestone, chalking up his 500th career double-double. It is something he takes special pride in.
The Montenegro national team member achieved the feat in their 114-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 25 after tallying 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Following the game, the 6-foot-10 Vucevic spoke about the significance of the career achievement, highlighting how it was a testament to the kind of work ethic he has.
He said by way of Sports Illustrated:
“It’s a nice achievement for sure. It speaks about the work I put in and being consistent, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in, mainly because of the rebounding. As a big man, it’s a big part of our job.”
Vucevic is not about done piling up the double-doubles, as after achieving the milestone, he has added two more, the most recent a 24-point and 13-rebound effort in their 132-123 double-overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old big man started his NBA journey as the 16th overall pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011. After a season with the Sixers, he was traded to the Orlando Magic, where he became a two-time All-Star.
In 2021, Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He is now in his fourth season with the team, where he has career averages of 18.1 points, 11 rebounds and 3.3 assists.