NEWSLETTER
With about 6 minutes to go in Wednesday night’s game against Indiana Pacers, I found myself actually enjoying Chicago Bulls basketball.
Unlike usual, the Bulls didn’t blow the 3rd quarter and did build a lead in the 4th – the team was sharing the ball well for the second-straight game. Oh, and then they kicked me in the walnuts.
Chicago was up 100-93 with 3:39 remaining and a heaping pile of momentum, so Jim Boylen obviously decided to call a timeout. Immediately after, the Bulls came out flatter than a 20-year-old soda and failed to score for the remainder of regulation. Zach LaVine played like he had to mount a comeback, and the Bulls started hiking up 3’s – the exact opposite of how they gained their lead in the first place (Bulls outscored the Pacers 76-66 in the paint).
Before we knew it, Victor Oladipo would hit an insanely deep 3 with 9 seconds remaining to tie the game.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1222706419729936384?s=20
Full disclosure, that shot is pretty awesome for a guy who hasn’t played in over a year, but I’m still pissed!
Of course, with the Bulls’ final possession, we all knew the ball was going to Zach LaVine. Wisely, he drove to the basket with a plan to draw the foul. He held up his part of the job by getting fouled, but the refs decided to avoid the whole calling it part.
Check out this atrocity:
How do you miss that call? pic.twitter.com/UgDcReJHS7
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 30, 2020
My goodness. Did he need to lose a limb for the refs to call that? I mean, I’m shocked he even still has an arm he was hacked so hard.
Anyway, the game went to overtime and the Bulls offense was still nowhere to be found.
Bulls put up a 35.3 offensive rating the last four minutes + OT against the Pacers. They were outscored 22-6 during that time span.
— Stephen Noh (@StephNoh) January 30, 2020
The Bulls offered us a textbook example of the “they shouldn’t even have been in that position” complex. Yes, the Bulls offensive disappearing act is what ultimately cost them this game, but that doesn’t make the blatant no-call hurt any less.
And while the Bulls hurt themselves, the team still played one of their better games of the season. They limited their 3-point shooting and attacked the basket, shooting a ridiculous 75.1 percent from 2-point range. Chandler Hutchison also had a career-high performance with 21-points, shooting 10-14 from the field. The team had several encouraging moments, but, of course, none of that matters if they continue to walk off the court as the loser.
We have "Sell the team!" chants at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks trail 124-106 with 48 seconds to go, and the Grizzlies have embarrassed them in the last 2 minutes of the game.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) January 30, 2020
Talk to you tomorrow. If you need me, I’ll be crying into my pillow.
People I'll go to bed mad at tonight:
1. All of the refs in tonight's game
2. Jim Boylen for calling a timeout up 100-93 with 3:39 remaining (the Bulls didn't score again in regulation).The Bulls know just how to metaphorically punch me in the face.
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 30, 2020
