After the Cavs lost to the Magic on Tuesday, the Bulls clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2017, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“I’m happy for our guys, I’m happy for our organization,” coach Billy Donovan said of the playoff berth. “You want to be playing at that time of the year. A lot of these guys haven’t experienced this.”
However, Chicago lost to Milwaukee 127-106, raising more questions than answers about the team’s chances as the playoffs loom, according to Cowley. The Bulls were swept by both the Bucks and Sixers this season, and there’s a good chance they’ll face one of them in the first round.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Donovan said that resting players who feel like they need it over the last three games will take precedence, although he believes that playing would help them stay sharp ahead of the playoffs (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).
- That could be particularly important for Zach LaVine, who missed the team’s practice on Monday and shootaround on Tuesday in addition to the Bucks game. Donovan said LaVine’s left knee was bothering him Tuesday morning, but the team’s medical staff indicated that it likely wouldn’t be a multiple-game absence, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). LaVine’s status for Wednesday’s game against Boston is unknown, and he’s considered day-to-day going forward — obviously that could change with the team clinching a playoff berth.
- DeMar DeRozan said Lonzo Ball‘s impact on the team will be sorely missed, as Schaefer relays (via Twitter). “He brings a different type of swagger to us when he plays…From his passing, his IQ, his capability to knock down shots…The whole dynamic of the game changes with ‘Zo out there,” DeRozan said. Ball is expected to be shut down for the rest of the season after experiencing more discomfort in his knee.
Feels like guys are starting to quit on this team and ready for the next season to begin. Oh well, rest of the 1st rd games should be good.
Unless someone on the team is pregnant, I’m pretty sure you meant “playoff berth.”
Great catch, HaHaHa!!!
It would be 1st round exit if we face sixers or buck,we have better chance if we face celtics. But im still happy with this team, especially with ddr and lonzo.ddr is upgrade version of zach.older but better.zo is our best 3s shooter.ben simmond could learn from him. We need make some upgrade for next season.
Good season for the BULLS, but they’re clearly far behind the HEAT, BUCKS, SIXERS and CELTICS.
They need legit floor spacers, Coby just too erratic.
The need front court defense, they will never compete against embiid, Giannis, bam, or the nets with drummond if they continue forward with Vuc, he’s a western conference center in the current form of the nba, Coby doesn’t have the defense to be as inconsistent on offense as he is, must also be upgraded or find an undrafted rookie scorer to be the 4th PG
Dear lord I hope we don’t pay LaVine the max, hopefully we can move hime. Cannot win with this guy, still doesn’t play defense, we’re 8-6 this season when he doesnt play. The idea that he should be the highest paid player on the Bulls is laughable. If Bulls sign Lavine to the max this offseason, the bulls will never make it out of the 2nd rd of the playoffs thru the duration of the contract, gauranteed
I think that is a bold prediction, but unlikely to be linked the way you imply. The reason they might get stuck is not Lavine, it is Vooch. He does not know how to defend the bigs on the Bucjs or Sixers, and gets burned by the Heat’s mobility. This team needs to focus on pick n roll on both sides of the ball, and Nikola is the weak link there.
I assume Vuc is gone regardless, but I agree. If we could sign n trade lavine and package him with vuc to UTA for Mitchell or Gobert I’d day that’s a win. Clearly one of them in UTA has to go…
Why do you assume Vuj is gone? He’s signed through next year at a very reasonable price so you say he’s gone why? He’s a double double machine and can shoot 3’s, as long as he doesn’t get 3 happy it’s fine. If they can’t extend him I could see him being moved at the trade deadline next year maybe, But he doesn’t need to go, He needs help up front to play the bigger teams. Ridiculous statement that he’s gone. My feelings about Lavine are pretty well known, I’d move him.
What’s the point of CHI been 8-6 without ZLV… MEM is 20-3 without Ja… so would you kick him out as well?