Let’s Go, Cavs! (And Other Bulls Bullets)

Look, I’m still not going there on vacation, but if the Cleveland Cavaliers can somehow beat the Washington Wizards tonight, I’ll consider passing through on a road trip.

•   The Chicago Bulls continued to pull their weight on Thursday night with a dominant – and expected – victory over the Toronto Tampa Bay Raptors. The team shot an easy 54.2 percent from the field and 47.2 percent from downtown. Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine did what they had to do, but they also let guys like Coby White and Lauri Markkanen run the show. The two role players combined for 37 points and 12 rebounds. White also finished the game with 10 assists (his third double-digit assist night on the season), while Markkanen shot 6-9 (nice) from behind the arc. It’s good to see these two dudes eat.

•   Overall, the Bulls had six players finish in double figures, including new rotation member Javonte Green. The athletic wing went 4-6 with a Bulls career-high 10 points. I’ll be very curious to see how the front office approaches Green’s unrestricted free agency this offseason. I don’t expect him to be a highly sought-after player, which means it could be easy enough for the front office to keep him on a $1.8 million qualifying offer. At the same time, they may want to try something new with that roster spot. I do think Green’s defensive intensity could fill the Garrett Temple-type role on that end of the floor next season, but he isn’t going to provide the same kind of all-around production/veteran savvy that Temple does. Anyway, he is a cheap bench option worth keeping in mind.

•   Guess what! The Bulls have won 30 games for the first time since the younger and athletic Bulls (led by Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo) won 41 games in 2016-17.

•   The most important thing about last night’s win was it helped the Bulls evade postseason elimination for at least one more night (Basketball-Reference still gives the team only a 1.3 percent chance of stealing the 10 seed). The Bulls will now need the Wizards to crumble against the Cavaliers, who have lost 11 of 12.

•   So … GO CAVS!!!!

•   The Markkanen performance against the Raptors was his best since mid-March when he dropped 22 on the Oklahoma City Thunder. While he didn’t flash a very versatile offensive skill set, he did look lethal behind the arc and rebound well. Still, it was hard to watch that kind of performance and feel any genuine excitement. I know there is a possibility the Bulls match whatever contract offer is thrown his way this offseason, but I think we can all agree that would only be for the sake of keeping the asset for some kind of trade. After moving to the bench and producing very little, the writing is just on the wall. We talked about that a week or so ago, and Billy Donovan’s comments last night only reaffirmed that belief.

“I haven’t had any conversations with Arturas or Marc on that. I would just say this, I really really love Lauri as a player. He’s a great guy, and he has been an incredibly teammates, and he has sacrificed a lot … He’s been impacted by it [trade deadline], and there is no way of getting around that. I just appreciate the way he has come in every day, and he’s tried to be a team guy and tried to take, as best he can, advantage of the minutes that he’s gotten.” 

•   Donovan was (duh) complimentary of Markkanen, but he also doesn’t sound like he is talking about a player that is a long-term fit. If the front office and coaching staff were serious about finding a place for Markkanen, he would not be averaging 21 minutes per game since April 2nd.

•   On the flip side, Coby White is definitely still part of the picture. And what a beautiful picture it is.

•   Seriously, White has flipped a switch since rejoining the starting lineup, and he sounds just as confident as ever. ICYMI: We talked more about his resurgence earlier this week.

•   This made me chuckle.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1393065501660647426?s=20

•   As the country adjusts, so will the NBA. Interested to see how the CDC’s new recommendation will impact arena seating for the playoffs.

written by

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

more bulls news

What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

Best Defense of the Season, Playing Big, Javonte Green’s Instant Impact, and Other Bulls Bullets

Lose to the 14-win Wizards one game and hold the Pacers' elite offense to their worst performance of the season the next. Your 2023-24 Chicago Bulls, everyone! As I said in last night's Enhanced Box Score, I'm now even more...

WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

Latest News

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

In their season opener on Friday, Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks take on Nolan Jones and the Colorado Rockies, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field.Keep reading to find out how to watch the Arizona-Colorado...

Guardians vs. Athletics: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Logan Allen will take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians when they square off against starter Ross Stripling and the Oakland Athletics in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Find out how to watch the...

How to Watch Mariners vs. Red Sox: Live Stream or on TV

In their season opener on Friday, Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners play Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at T-Mobile Park.Keep reading to see how to watch the Seattle-Boston matchup...

How to Watch Padres vs. Giants: Live Stream or on TV

Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (2-1) host Jorge Soler and the San Francisco Giants (0-1) on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch...

Dodgers vs. Cardinals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The St. Louis Cardinals (0-1), led by Paul Goldschmidt, visit Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) at 10:10 PM ET on Friday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Los Angeles play St. Louis...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Astros vs. Yankees: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Houston Astros (0-1), with Cristian Javier on the mound, will host the New York Yankees (1-0), who will send out Carlos Rodon, at 8:10 PM ET on Friday.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

Rays vs. Blue Jays: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0), led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., visit Yandy Diaz and the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.Find out how to watch the Tampa Bay-Toronto matchup below.When is Rays vs. Blue Jays and...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

more bulls news