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CHICAGO -- Nikola Mirotic is no longer the Chicago Bulls' secret weapon. After becoming the go-to scorer on an injury-depleted squad over the past month, the rookie has become an irreplaceable force on a team in desperate need of some offensive punch. He proved that again in a 103-86 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday with 25 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. What made Mirotic's performance even more impressive is that he continued hitting big shots in the fourth quarter. He came into the game averaging 10 points a game in the fourth quarter in March, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and racked up 10 more in the final 12 minutes against the Pacers. "He's spectacular," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "Not just in the second half, but he was giving us a lot of problems. Coach [Tom Thibodeau] does a good job of using him in different ways, putting him in situations that are unique for power forwards to guard. He's a threat at the 3-point line, great off the bounce and great with his cutting game, so he's a heck of a weapon off the bench." The biggest difference in Mirotic's game since the All-Star break has been a rise in confidence. After an up-and-down couple months, Mirotic came back from the Rising Stars Game over All-Star Weekend with a renewed sense of basketball self worth. He believed in himself and his game again, a fact the Bulls have leaned on without Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose on the floor because of injuries. "I'm not shooting really well right now," Mirotic said after his 1-for-7 effort from beyond the 3-point arc on Wednesday. "But the most important [thing] I think is I'm making important shots, especially in the last quarter, and I'm trying. I'm trying just to help my team and I know that I'm going through a really beautiful moment right now, and I want to keep improving." That's exactly the mindset Thibodeau wants him to have. One of the interesting parts of Wednesday's postgame press conference came while Thibodeau praised Mirotic. In the midst of his answer, Thibodeau was quick to praise struggling rookie Doug McDermott as well. The former Creighton star and first-round pick continues to struggle to find minutes and knock down shots in his first professional season. "Niko's been terrific," Thibodeau said. "He's been terrific all year. "And I know he hasn't played a lot this year, but I feel the same way about Doug. Both guys have been terrific. Doug's going to need more time to develop, but they're both great young players. They have the most important part down cold and that's the way they approach each and every day. Great attitude, great work habits, and those guys always get better. "And Niko's gotten more and more comfortable; he has a very unique skill set. He's never satisfied, he always wants to do better. So I'm very pleased with both of those guys." At this point, Mirotic has become the type of shooting threat the Bulls were hoping McDermott would become. The difference so far is that Mirotic's offensive game has been even more developed than the Bulls could have expected. He can hit from all over the floor and defenses have to account for that. Meanwhile, McDermott was 0-for-3 in six minutes on Wednesday and can't seem to find a groove. Despite his struggles, his teammates haven't given up hope that he will turn the corner soon. "I think we've all been there," veteran Mike Dunleavy said of McDermott. "That's the toughest thing as a rookie, just the inconsistency -- your minutes and your involvement. A little bit of everything. But he's hung in there pretty well this season, he's a confident guy so that's part of it. His own thing is his own thing and you keep encouraging him and showing him stuff. He's going to have a really good career." As McDermott tries to find his way, Mirotic is the one who is thriving at the moment. The Bulls were always confident he would be able to produce down the line, but his ability to knock down shots had emotional leader Joakim Noah once again exclaiming that "the sky's the limit for him." "The biggest challenge was the minutes," Dunleavy said of Mirotic. "With four bigs, and three of those guys being Jo, Taj and Pau, you're like, over a course of a game -- as good as he is -- how does he even get in there? And now we've had some injuries and he's been able to shine. He's a big-time player, he's a really unique animal and we're fortunate to have him."
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