December 1st hits, and I’m immediately cold all the time. Even if it happens to be 44 degrees outside like yesterday, I’m still wearing around three layers when I’m inside. I don’t know if this is a psychological thing or what, but I’m annoyed. Can you buy heated clothing? I can walk around with a generator.
Time to shiver and do some bullets!
Did you miss last night’s game? No worries! If you watched practically any other Bulls game this season, you already know exactly what happened.
The Bulls had a chance to steal another win from a top team in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they crumbled under the pressure in epic fashion late in the game. Zach LaVine didn’t score a single point in the second half after an impressive 20-point performance in the first. He was on the court but barely made a sound, and the rest of the Bulls’ starters couldn’t make up for his scoring absence, shooting a dismal 3-13 in the last 8 minutes.
I shared this in the postgame last night, but I don’t think it can be stressed enough. As 670 The Score’s Cody Westerlund made sure to point out after the game, this is the 5th time this season the Bulls have lost a game when they’ve had a lead of 8 points or more in the final quarter. How embarrassing.
Coby White went scoreless for his first time in the NBA last night, but he did haul down 8 rebounds and dish out 5 assists. The goal appears to be for him to take on a more true-point guard role, which he’s done over the last two games with a combined 13 assists. Seeing he was able to still help this team out without having to score was positive. However, I hope this doesn’t mean Jim Boylen is deterring him from trying to score the basketball. The kids a natural.
The Bulls hit another low last night, announcing their attendance as 14,775 (and it was probably less than that). According to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, that’s the Bulls’ lowest attended game since December 16th, 2004.
Johnson also shared several frustrating quotes, especially this one from Zach LaVine: “I just wish I would’ve took an extra dribble to see the double-team on me. I could’ve hit Daniel. I could’ve kicked it back out. I thought I was making the right play by trying to get in the air and get to the free-throw line. It just didn’t happen.”
Daniel Gafford was wide-open for the dunk attempt with the final seconds ticking off the clock, yet LaVine once again played hero ball with the game on the line. Much like calling off the screen in the Golden State Warriors game, LaVine wasn’t thinking about the best way to score the basket, but instead being the one who scored it. These consistent failures in the final moments, in my opinion, are almost just as much on the player’s execution as it is Boylen. A head coach needs to not only reiterate the options on the floor but encourage his players to make the smart decision. The Bulls continuing to whiff on these opportunities means Boylen is either not getting through to his team (likely), or he’s not setting them up for success (also likely).
Props to Stacey Kind for realizing the Bulls stupid mistake in real-time.
Let’s check the Bulls playoff predictor! Beep Boop Beep Bop. Five Thirty Eight gives the Bulls a 3 percent chance at making the playoffs. Woohoo!
Gafford and Valentine combined for 27 points off the bench.
Moments after the Bulls lost … Derrick Rose did this.
I’m just going to leave this here …
NEWSLETTER
