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Lavine and DeRozan enjoy 'beautiful' experience as Bulls beat Pistons in Paris
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Liam Phillips
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Zach LaVine on his way to a game-high 30 points during the Bulls' win in Paris
Zach LaVine on his way to a game-high 30 points during the Bulls' win in Paris

Chicago Bulls All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine both described Thursday's 126-108 win against the Detroit Pistons in France as a "beautiful" experience.

Playing at the Accor Arena in Paris, the Bulls were too strong as LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic all put together stylish performances in front of a crowd packed with celebrities, including former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique and future top NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama.

LaVine scored a game-high 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting, DeRozan posted 26 points (nine-of-18) with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Vucevic snatched a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 16 points and six assists from the center position.

It was a disappointing homecoming for Detroit's Killian Hayes, who was drafted out of France, as he shot two-of-13 from the field, but nobody had more than his eight assists.

While it may be a long flight home for the Pistons, the Bulls were left with a great taste in their mouth as they enter the second half of the season.

"It was amazing," DeRozan said. "One of those games I'll look back years down the line and think about how great it was. It was a beautiful atmosphere and a privilege to be here and be part of this whole thing."

LaVine echoed those sentiments, highlighting the team bonding during this kind of trip.

"It was great for us, going into the second half of the season, spending time together, bonding," he said. "Everybody seeing each other's family, who they brought and care about. It was a great experience overall.

"The atmosphere was great, and the Bulls' brand recognition… it was great to see. You see how much the game is growing, and how much people are locked in to see the players. 

"It's beautiful – I'm definitely coming back to Paris again, maybe for a wine trip."

With the win, the Bulls are now 21-24 and sit 3.5 games behind the Miami Heat in the race for the Eastern Conference's six seed.

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