“We’ve talked about it enough,” said Zach LaVine, whose 36 points held off a 40-point barrage from Portland’s Damian Lillard. “We know how to play that way and showed it before. So now we’ve just got to do it consistently and come in the next game with the same mentality and keep it up. We’ve got to stay with what we’re doing, the same mindset.

“Offensively, we’re good enough to get back in any game,” said LaVine about a 17-point third quarter Bulls deficit. “We started playing for each other and scrambling on the defensive end. Our energy got brought up. We’ve got three guys who can get 40 any night. Whenever you play against someone like (Lillard) the competitor comes out in you. You have to have that mindset every game. I think that’s what’s been holding us back.”