Lonzo Ball turns back the clock in Bulls win

In a game where the Bulls led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter, their lead was down to a single point when Ball made two free throws with 2:15 left. One minute later, he sank a dagger three to give the Bulls a six-point cushion that was just enough to get a win.

Ball still wasn't shooting great as he works his way back from a wrist strain, shooting 2-of-9 in the game. He made the shots when they were most important and did everything else well to lift the Bulls. Ball finished with eight points, six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in 23 minutes. That's more than his usual restriction of 20 minutes, but the Bulls couldn't afford to take him out.

Those assists were often spectacular, showing what fans have missed in the years Ball was out with a knee injury. In the first quarter, Ball threw a pass from behind half-court to a streaking Matas Buzelis for a dunk.

In the second quarter, Ball stole the ball from Davion Mitchell and turned it into a Talen Horton-Tucker dunk.

Ball is reportedly on the trade block, with the Bulls hoping for "second-round draft capital." That's what the Brooklyn Nets got by trading Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors, though Ball's $21.4M salary makes a trade more difficult.

For now, he's helping the Bulls stay in the playoff hunt. The win kept them in a tie for eighth place in the East. The organization reportedly wants to trade veterans and tank (and keep its top-10-protected first-round pick next year), but Ball is showing that even coming back from injury, he's still a winning player.

The Bulls front office may not be interested in winning, but teams that are should take notice of Ball's crunch-time performance. If he stays healthy, he could be the best backup point guard in the NBA.