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With the Chicago Bulls at the midpoint of the season, it’s safe to say that many expected a better record than their current 19-22 record. Looking back, let him highlight three points from his performance so far.
‘Clutch’ Subpar Record
Last season, the Bulls were one of the best teams in the NBA to finish games. They had a 25-16 record in the “clutch” (defined as a game within five points in the last five minutes). This year they are only 8-14 in such games.
Some of their losses were due to bad rest breaks (such as numerous missed calls like the lane violation committed by Donovan Mitchell), but the reality is that Chicago’s restlessness and lack of execution late in the game , which cost them heavy losses on several occasions this season.
Chicago gained the upper hand over Boston
The Boston Celtics have had their best performance this season. However, the Bulls have bested the incumbent Eastern and his conference champions in two of his four matchups.
The Bulls defeated the Celtics again, 121-107, on November 21 after giving them a 120-102 loss on October 24, before Boston won 107-99 on Monday. A game in which DeRozan scored 28 points and Zach LaVine scored 22.
The real surprise was how easily Chicago beat the team with the best record in the NBA, especially in the Eastern Conference. Had they been able to beat “easier opponents,” the Bulls would have had a better record heading into the second half of the season.
Contradictions everywhere
As great as the Bulls were against the best opponents in the East, they were just as baffled when faced with not-so-good opponents.
They’ve had a pattern of ups and downs this season, with big wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets and disappointing losses against teams like the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Losing to Minnesota was particularly embarrassing as he allowed the Timberwolves to drop his 150 points in a 150-124 massacre on December 18th.
Chicago’s recent stretch hints at a possible turnaround for the season. He has 3 wins and 1 loss in his last 4 games. But to get there, DeRozan and company must make sure they stop losing games they can win. If they can do it, the season’s biggest underperformer could be the NBA’s biggest dark horse come playoff time.
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