A Hornets Rematch, L2M Strikes Again, College Drama, and Other Bulls Bullets

Feb 02, 2023

Rumor has it Punxsutawney Phil projected six more weeks of continuity.

I hate that Groundhog. He’s already freakin’ right.

Are the Chicago Bulls’ woes against the NBA’s worst teams finally seeping over to their games against the best? The matchup with the Clippers on Tuesday felt like one the Bulls would annoyingly win. LA shot just 39.8 percent from the field despite having both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the lineup. At one point, Chicago was up 19 points and cruising with all five players eventually scoring in double figures. While they had blown these games in the past, we had reason to believe they would keep their foot on the gas against this star-studded opponent. After all, it’s what they did against teams like the Bucks, Heat, Nets, and Celtics this season.

Nope. Instead, the Bulls channeled the same kind of dysfunctional play that lost them a game to the Charlotte Hornets a few nights earlier. The competition on the other end wasn’t enough for this squad to tighten the screws, turning the ball over 20 times and losing the offensive rebounding battle 11-6. I’d say the Bulls’ ability to hang with the upper echelon is the one thing the front office has been able to clutch onto. But if this also becomes the norm against the NBA’s most competitive squads … the writing is on the wall in all caps.

Now, Chicago will face that same Charlotte team that embarrassed them with a 15-point victory. The Hornets’ quickness and 7th-ranked pace in the NBA gave the Bulls serious trouble last week. They scored 19 points off 13 Chicago turnovers and shot 22-41 in the second half. The Bulls completely fell apart on both ends as the game went on, shooting just 32.6 percent over the last two quarters, including an 0-10 showing from long range. One would like to think that as long as they don’t drop that far off a cliff tonight, they could earn the victory. Unfortunately, there is no world where we can guarantee that.

The refs have done it again, folks. I’m far past caring at this point, especially since the Bulls deserve a chunk of the blame for blowing another double-digit lead, but the Last 2 Minute Report confirmed a crucial missed call in the final seconds. According to the officials, Terry Rozier should have been called for a reach-in foul when DeRozan went for the go-ahead layup with 38 seconds left on the clock.

Look, I don’t know if the Bulls win if DeRozan gets a chance to take a one-point lead at the free-throw line. But I can completely understand the frustration that he voiced after the game. I haven’t fact-checked this and it may be just a biased take, but I really do think the Bulls have had more games pulled out from under them this season than any squad in the league. It’s a bummer.

We shared DeRozan’s thoughts on the call in yesterday’s bullets:

Another Late-Game Blunder, That’s Not How Continuity Works, a Defeated DeMar, and Other Bulls Bullets

This pass from Patrick Williams simply isn’t normal.

Watching some Clips-Bulls from last night and…

Has Patrick Williams ever made this pass before? pic.twitter.com/VtMM1hzbac
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) February 1, 2023

If the Bulls don’t open up some space for Patrick Williams to have a bigger second-half role, it could be a missed opportunity …

Regardless of what happens at the trade deadline, I really hope the Bulls can prioritize giving more opportunities to Patrick Williams.

His confidence is growing and you have to reward him for that. His development remains key.

I want more of this: pic.twitter.com/cELwcjWVQh— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 1, 2023

My alma mater got into it yesterday with the Iowa Men’s Basketball program. It’s no secret that these two organizations do not like each other, and this latest beef is intense. The Orange Krush student section accused Iowa of costing them roughly $6,000 after revoking their tickets to this upcoming game. Their side of the argument can be seen below:

Statement from the Orange Krush: pic.twitter.com/etb13geis1
— The Orange Krush (@TheOrangeKrush) February 2, 2023

Iowa clapped back and said that the Orange Krush used a fake charity alas to purchase the tickets, which is why they deemed them invalid. Instead, the Hawkeyes have now handed the Boys and Girls Club of Cedar Rapids the available seats.

A statement from the Iowa Athletics Department regarding Saturday’s game vs Illinois: pic.twitter.com/8gzZmf87Ns
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 2, 2023

Look, if we’re being honest, I think both parties are probably in the wrong here. Do I think the Hawkeyes were looking for an excuse to keep the Orange Krush out of the arena? Absolutely. Does that mean their excuse isn’t valid? No. Even though it appears that using a charity alias to purchase bulk tickets is a popular form of practice when opposing student sections buy bulk tickets, it is a bit of an icky practice. This is especially true since Orange Krush has as much of a right as anyone to purchase those bulk tickets. The Iowa release kind of makes it sound as if the program bought tickets that were strictly meant for charitable organizations, but that’s not true (as far as I know). They’re just bulk tickets that any group can purchase legally. So, yeah, the whole thing is weird.

To tank or not to tank? The odds of doing it successfully are the same either way.

How Do the Bulls’ Chances at a Top 4 Pick Compare to Their Chances to Make the Playoffs?

I forgot to send Coby White congratulations!

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1620593306102005762?s=20

I’m in!

https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1621163782641946625?s=20

I wish we could have mock draft season …

Mock Draft Season Begins, Thoughts on 19 and 88, Mediocre TV Ratings, and Other #Blackhawks Bullets https://t.co/miWrbHnSIG pic.twitter.com/K34pRa7eSV
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 2, 2023

written by

Elias Schuster

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.

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A Hornets Rematch, L2M Strikes Again, College Drama, and Other Bulls Bullets

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