NEWSLETTER
After failing to advance to the Knockout Round of the NBA Cup, the Chicago Bulls revealed the final two games on their schedule.
The Bulls will now welcome the Charlotte Hornets to the United Center on Dec. 13 before heading north for a matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 16. This means they will face both Charlotte and Toronto a total of four times this season.
All things considered, these are two more very winnable games thrown on the calendar, which may not be the best news for Chicago down the road. All eyes will continue to be on the team’s draft positioning, as the San Antonio Spurs will snatch their 2025 first-round pick if they finish outside the bottom 10. The Bulls have already gotten off to a better-than-expected start to the year, sitting 8th in the East at 9-13. If they want to avoid a third-straight Play-In appearance and keep their pick, finishing below at least one of the Raptors (7-15) or Hornets (6-15) could be essential.
Chicago Bulls’ Remaining December Schedule:
Dec. 5 – @ Spurs
Dec. 6 – vs. Pacers
Dec. 8 – vs. 76ers
Dec. 13 – vs. Hornets
Dec. 16 – @ Raptors
Dec. 19 – vs. Celtics
Dec. 21 – @ Celtics
Dec. 23 – vs. Bucks
Dec. 26 – @ Hawks
Dec. 28 – vs. Bucks
Dec. 30 – @ Hornets
For those who may be a bit confused, let me remind you that every team now enters the regular season with 80 of 82 games on the calendar due to the NBA Cup. Since the league doesn’t know who will advance to the Knockout Round and wants to ensure as many Cup games as possible also count as regular season contests, they have decided to leave a gap in the schedule until Group Play is over.
In other words, the quarterfinal and semifinals in the NBA Cup will continue to count toward the 82 regular season games. Those teams who are eliminated in the first round of the tournament will also have one game added to their schedules. Those who lose in the semifinal will see no additions. Meanwhile, those who advance to the NBA Cup final will play an additional 83rd game.
You can take a closer look at all the games added to the 2024-25 schedule here.
