The New Orleans Pelicans came into their meeting with the Chicago Bulls as the second-worst team in the NBA. They held an 8-32 record and a -9.4 net rating. While Zion Williamson was back for only his ninth game of the season, the Pelicans were without their second-best player, Brandon Ingram.
It was a game the Bulls were supposed to win, especially in a year where they have repeatedly preached respecting the integrity of the game instead of preparing for the future. So, naturally, they slipped on a banana peel and cartoonishly slid into a brick wall.
- The Bulls lost the points off turnovers battle a staggering 28-11 and lost the second-chance points battle 25-17. They also gave New Orleans a +12 advantage at the free-throw line, allowing Trey Murphy to go a perfect 12-12. When you are this sloppy, it doesn’t matter if you shoot better than your opponent from both the field and behind the arc, which the Bulls did. They handed one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional teams the game on a silver platter.
- The second half proved to be particularly brutal. The Bulls’ allowed the Pelicans to beat them at their own game with a 30-18 advantage behind the arc. Instead of the Bulls forcing New Orleans to play their brand of basketball, they became stagnant at times and allowed the Pelicans to muck things up. I’m also perplexed by the fact they couldn’t keep Jose Alvarado in check. Chicago could’ve stolen this game down the stretch if it wasn’t for his 4-5 shooting display from three in the fourth quarter. To his credit, they weren’t the easiest makes, but it still served as a reminder of how poor this team’s perimeter defense can be.
- How many examples of this team playing up or down to an opponent do we need? This team has victories over the Celtics and Knicks this season to pair with losses to the Wizards and Pelicans. We have talked about this problem for the last three seasons, and I’m not sure how the front office can continue to sit around watching it happen. Not only is it an obvious sign that the roster they put together simply isn’t good enough, but it’s an indictment on the head coach.
- I suppose now is the part where I should throw in something positive. Lonzo Ball had his third straight game in double figures, scoring 10 points with 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. While I’m sure he’s just happy to be back on the court, he is showing other teams exactly what they should want to see before the trade deadline. For his sake, I really do hope a contender talks themselves into the 27-year-old. The most fitting end to his amazing comeback season would be a trip to the playoffs. He deserves to play meaningful basketball.
- Josh Giddey got off to a tough start with the Bulls but has looked increasingly comfortable as the weeks go by. Even though he only scored 7 points against New Orleans, he had 13 rebounds, 12 assists, and 4 steals. I give him a lot of credit for staying engaged despite some underwhelming shooting numbers. Bulls PR shared that he is now one of only four players to score at least 400 points, 250 rebounds, and 225 assists this season. He joins Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, and Domantas Sabonis, per K.C. Johnson.

- The Bulls might as well flush last night’s game. They will suit up against the Atlanta Hawks later tonight, who currently sit 20-19 on the season and one spot ahead of Chicago in the Eastern Conference standings. Nonetheless, tonight will be an opportunity for the Bulls to clinch the season series, as they currently hold a 2-1 lead. Doing so would boost them ahead of the Hawks if they were to finish with identical records.
- I find it more than fitting that Ayo Dosunmu’s first game of 2025 will come against Trae Young and Company. The guard has been a thorn in the Hawks’ side since his rookie season, and two of his best performances of this season have come against the team. He dropped 19 points on 7-10 shooting in the Bulls’ first victory over the Hawks before scoring 20 points with 8 assists on 8-10 shooting in their second victory. The Bulls lost their third battle against the Hawks 141-133 … and guess who wasn’t on the floor?
- Zach LaVine’s 30-point streak came to an end last night after a frustrating start. Regardless, he has been one of the single-best offensive players in the league since the calendar turned. Will this finally inject some life into his trade market?
- I chuckled listening to Stacey King talk about giving Jimmy Butler his famous nickname on Chicago Sports Network …
- As frustrated as I am with the Chicago Bulls, I have nothing but respect for acts like these. The team invited a young cancer survivor to join them on their recent road trip to Indiana. They’ve done this a couple of times in recent years, and the video is always such a heartwarming watch.
- We have some big updates coming to Bleacher Nation, including two things that a lot of readers have been asking for! Michael tells you more here.
- BN Bears takes a look at the national perception of the Chicago Bears head coach search. It’s … not great!
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