For as much credit as I have been giving the Bulls lately, they still aren’t considered one of the league’s better teams. Honestly, they aren’t even a threat to the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have come a long way since the beginning of the season, and I still consider them to be on an upward trend. However, they need to start learning how to win if they want to take that next step.
The Bulls went 2-1 this week but could’ve easily been 1-2. The Bulls played one of their most complete games on Monday night when they dismantled the Houston Rockets 120-100. However, there was a tiny scare in the fourth quarter when the Rockets started to make a comeback. When the Bulls took on one of the worst teams in the league, the Minnesota Timberwolves, they made huge mistakes that forced the game into overtime. In the end, the Bulls prevailed 133-126.
The Bulls had a chance to win three in a row after playing one of the best teams in the league, the Phoenix Suns. But they played one of the worst quarters of the season and fell 106-97. The Bulls looked great through three quarters and were well on their way to one of the best victories of the season. They got outscored 32-16 in the final quarter, and it became one of the more disappointing losses this season instead.
The Bulls need to work on game management heading into the last week before the All-Star break. It’s not enough to have the lead in the fourth quarter. They need to maintain the play that got them the lead or fall right back into mediocrity.