A farewell after five years, and then a new meeting after just a few days - Nikola Vučević and the Chicago Bulls found themselves on the NBA floor again, but this time on different sides.
"Double-double for Vučević, Bulls defeat" was probably the most common headline in this region when it comes to the Montenegrin basketball player's period in Chicago.
Now something like that sounds much nicer - Our center led Boston to victory against his former team (124:105) with 19 points and 11 rebounds..
Vučević's third match in the iconic green jersey was also his best so far, as the Montenegrin recorded three assists and two blocks in 29 minutes on the court, and shot 4/5 from three-point range.
"The opportunity to achieve big victories is something I've been missing in my career. The players and coaches have already won the title and know what they're doing," said Vučević.
The match against Chicago came after the first full training session with the new teammates.
"It helped a lot that I finally had time to go through certain things. A little more detail, more repetition, that always helps," added Vučević.
Boston coach Joe Mazula noticed the difference after just a few days.
"His positioning in the pick-and-roll defense was really good, especially in reading situations, while his decisions on offense were right. He seemed much more relaxed on the court. Simply put, he cares about the details, he cares about doing everything right and he wants to win. That's why I trust his preparation process," Mazula pointed out.
Boston's most efficient player in the win over Chicago was Peyton Pritchard with 26 points, while Jaylen Brown added 24. On the other side, Rob Dillingham scored 16, and Anfernee Simmons, who was traded with Vučević, scored seven.
When it comes to other matches played that same night, in one of the derbies, the Los Angeles Clippers were better than Houston as guests, 105:102.
Kawhi Leonard led the team from LA with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Benedict Maturin and Chris Dunn each scored 16 points. For the Rockets, Kevin Durant scored 21 and Reed Shepard scored 17 points.
Nikola Jokić continues to push the boundaries - the Denver center reached the 184th triple-double of his career with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, and his Nuggets were better than Memphis 122:116.
Bonus video:
