By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With the Chicago Bulls at 9-7 in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, and after a narrow home win over the struggling Washington Wizards, Nikola Vucevic was well shy of needing to celebrate.
“We just didn’t play up to NBA standards,” explained the 35-year-old Montenegrin center in a postgame media session following Saturday’s contest in United Center.
Six out of the nine wins so far have been achieved by a margin of four points or less, including two behind a game-winning buzzer-beater by Vucevic.
“I don’t think we really understand that it’s just not sustainable to play this way. We won, obviously. It’s hard to win in this league. We know we had a tough stretch, a lot of games. It’s good that we get to win, but we have to understand that it’s not going to keep happening for us this way, where we find ways at the end, where guys miss shots, we get steals, things like that, it’s not always going to work in our favor. Sometimes we are going to play well and win close games, but more often than not, if you continue to play this way, it’s going to be bad losses,” he pointed out.
“I think frustration comes because it’s things that we can really control,” added Vucevic.
The two-time NBA All-Star was visibly angry in a postgame on-court interview, when his initial attempt to share concerns found teammates in an entirely different, much happier mood.
Putting in a 28-point, 12-rebound double-double in his latest outing, Vucevic is now averaging 16.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per contest over 16 appearances in his 15th season in the league.