Blowing a 24-Point Lead, A Possession That is Burned in My Brain, TNT Bulls Return, and Other Bulls Bullets
I’m trying to think of ways to make these final 24 games worth watching.
Maybe a drinking game for every missed 3? Eh, I’d probably die.
Maybe watching it through a Snapchat filter on my phone so that every time the camera cuts for a close-up that person is bald? Eh, wouldn’t work on Alex Caruso.
Maybe bet an absurd amount of money on them to lose every game? Eh, that just feels wrong.
Oh well, 24 more nights of misery!
- I was more confident the Bulls could win last night’s game when the score was 0-0 than I was when they were up by 24 points. That’s what happens when you’ve blown numerous leads of 20 or more points in a season. The Bulls simply play their worst basketball whenever they’re ahead, and if that doesn’t emphasize how badly change is needed on this roster, I don’t know what does.
- I mean, seriously, you’d think fumbling one 21-point lead against the Pacers would be enough to ensure it doesn’t happen again. But the Bulls have repeatedly shown that they are incapable of learning from their mistakes. Instead, they consistently allow self-doubt to creep in and immediately shut down when adversity arrives. If it ain’t easy, this team doesn’t want any part of it. And it’s never going to be easy in the NBA (hence why they’re on a season-long five-game losing streak).
- Chicago was outscored 67-47 over the second and third quarters after winning the first period 39-15. The Pacers came into the night with losses in six of their previous seven games and the 4th-worst net rating in the NBA over that stretch. They were particularly struggling to shoot and rebound at an efficient rate. Yet, against this Bulls team, they finished 47.6 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle 41-38.
- While I give credit to the Pacers for knocking down some big shots, it was the Bulls’ lack of awareness on the defensive end that allowed those shots to happen. They gave solid shooters far too much room behind the arc as they got tripped up in rotations (Buddy Hield was 6-8 in the 2nd half alone) and were also blown by to the basket on numerous crucial possessions.
- What I think summed up this lack of awareness (care?) the best, though, actually came on the other end of the floor. After the Bulls let rookie Ben Mathurin give the Pacers the lead with a transition layup, Chicago failed to take advantage of an obvious five-on-four opportunity. LaVine lackadaisically dribbled the ball up the floor before feeding it to Vucevic for a contested 12-foot turnaround push shot. It was a moment that I think will forever be burned into my brain when I think about this season. I mean, seriously, just watch this crap:
- This Chicago Bulls team keeps making history, folks!
- Speaking of which, the Bulls’ recent shooting stretch from downtown was one of the worst we’ve seen in five years:
- Now, after losing five straight (despite insisting the playoffs were still the goal at the trade deadline), the Bulls will face a Milwaukee Bucks team that has won 11 games in a row. Even more stressful, tonight’s game could very well put an end to the legend that is the TNT Bulls. This will be the first time in six years that the franchise will host a TNT game at the United Center, which they technically haven’t lost since 2012. The icing on the cake for this team would be ruining this fan-favorite streak.
- I’m with Tony Gill here. With all due respect to K.C. Johnson, I don’t feel as confident as he comes off that the appropriate changes will be made in the offseason. This team has basically done nothing for three-straight transactional periods. Is Arturas Karnisovas dumb? No. But could he have blinders on and be a bit stubborn about what he’s built? Absolutely.
- A little bit of Eastern Conference news:
- The Bulls have reportedly pitched their case to Russell Westbrook …
- … But it sounds like that may not have been the most convincing case …
- It’s only a matter of time …
- Dear lord lol
- I know a team ready to trade!
