A Massive Comeback
The Chicago Bulls trailed throughout the first half of Sunday afternoon’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. The team came out with little effort and allowed the Grizzlies to light them up from beyond the arch. However, the Bulls flipped the switch in the third quarter outscoring the Grizzlies 40-16 to take the lead after trailing by 23 points.
The Chicago Bulls would keep their foot on the gas and turn a 23-point deficit into a 21-point victory. Zach LaVine & DeMar DeRozan scored 36 & 31 carrying the offensive load in the comeback victory. Coby White added 19 points off the bench, continuing his recent hot streak.
The Chicago Bulls finished the game with just one turnover, becoming the 2nd team in NBA history to accomplish that feat.
While Sunday Afternoon’s victory was impressive, the Bulls must build on their momentum to head into the Play-in tournament in their best form. The Bulls’ final four games will be against the Hawks, Bucks, Mavericks, and Pistons in that sequence.
On Tuesday night at home, the Chicago Bulls take on the Atlanta Hawks in a game that could seal a play-in tournament spot for the Bulls, but the victory is made even more important because the winner gains the tie-breaker in the standings (if both teams finish with the same record the team with the tie-breaker is seeded higher). The Hawks currently sit at the crucial 8th spot in the Eastern Conference.
Why is the 8th seed position crucial for the Bulls?
Leaping up to being 8th in the Eastern Conference would mean that the Bulls would need just one victory in the play-in to secure a playoff spot, and with a loss, the Bulls would get a redemption opportunity. Being 9th or 10th in the conference requires the team to win back-to-back games to earn a playoff spot.
The Chicago Bulls may catch a break if the Bucks can secure the 1st seed before their matchup. This would lead to the resting of Milwaukee’s star players. According to Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks are considering shutting down both Kyrie Irving & Luka Doncic to secure a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. This would make a victory even more feasible against an already struggling Mavericks team.
The season’s final game will be at home for the Bulls, who will take on a tanking Pistons team. Looking at the season’s last four games, the Bulls must bring determination to secure a winning streak heading into the NBA’s play-in tournament, which begins on April 11th.
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