With the Chicago Bulls securely in the No. 10 seed and final Eastern Conference play-in spot, coach Billy Donovan decided to rest starters DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Patrick Beverley for their game against the Dallas Mavericks. Though the game was still competitive, the Bulls emerged victorious 115-112. However, with the win, the Mavericks were eliminated from play-in contention. While other teams opted to rest starters as well, the Bulls starters are expected to play against the Detroit Pistons, where they will face a familiar foe in LaVine's case. In the Bulls' previous games against the Pistons this season, LaVine scored an average of 38 points while shooting 65% from the field and 54.2% from the three-point line. Chicago will then head to a one-game, loser-goes-home game against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

Resting starters seems like a wise decision, as the playoffs can be incredibly demanding, with players required to play every second night. Nonetheless, the strategy is not without controversy, as fans have raised concerns that season ticket holders are not getting their money's worth when starters are held out of games. Ultimately, coaches must navigate balancing rest and recovery with keeping their players sharp and maintaining momentum heading into the postseason.