By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis revealed he has been battling flu-like symptoms following a loss to the Washington Wizards at the United Center. Despite the setback, the 22-year-old Lithuanian scored 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. However, a defeat dropped his side to 1–2 to start the 2026–27 Regular Season.
Buzelis admitted his conditioning was not optimal during the opening week, where he averaged 12.0 points over his first two outings. He also sat out the fourth quarter of the second game.
“To be honest, I haven’t been feeling like myself,” he mentioned, noting he was dealing with a little sickness. “This is no excuse.”
Buzelis felt a breakthrough during Saturday’s contest.
“I felt like today it’s gone away. I felt like way more like myself, and I’m still trying to adjust to how our team plays. I know I can figure it out. It’s just all part of the process. All the coaches believe in me to do that, and I put the work in, and it’ll happen, I know,” he explained.
Beyond his health, the Chicago native is adjusting to a demanding role under new head coach Tiago Splitter. Looking to crash the glass aggressively, Buzelis acknowledged this responsibility takes a lot of energy.
“You have to jump, and then you have to run back because the guys are running. When teams realize that another team is crashing, they’re going to get out in transition, and you’ve got to run back. To be honest, the hardest part is being in shape and keeping consistently going,” he said.
The Bulls resume action against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Monday.
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