Comeback win over Wizards hints at what Bulls can be

Coach Jim Boylen constantly stresses the importance of “toughness.” But time and time again, the Bulls have imploded during second-half meltdowns.

Not Wednesday.

The Bulls overcame an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Wizards in overtime.

It makes one wonder: Where have this fight and toughness been all season?

Though they’ve had some solid fourth-quarter victories, the Bulls have more often than not failed to finish out games. Just take the loss Monday to the Thunder as an example. The Bulls blew a 26-point lead in the second half.

But against Washington, the Bulls were resilient down the stretch on both ends of the court.

It was a total effort with four of their five starters scoring in double figures. And what really stood out is that guard Zach LaVine played like a leader, and forward Lauri Markkanen scored 31 points.

This is what the Bulls could be. But very little has gone according to plan, beginning with the start of their season.

The Bulls had a golden opportunity to rack up wins thanks to a relatively soft schedule. Instead, they’ve blown it by going 10-9 against teams that are under .500 and 1-10 against opponents that are .500 or better.

The front office made it clear that the goal was to make the playoffs. Anything short would be a disappointment.

Thirty games into the 2019-20 season, no one really knows what to make of these Bulls.

They’re last in offensive efficiency and tied with the Knicks for the worst field-goal percentage in the league.

It doesn’t help that two of the team’s main foundational pieces have had some issues. LaVine, who has had some big scoring games, was called out by Boylen for making defensive mistakes in a game against the Heat, and Markkanen has spent most of the season in an offensive funk. Wednesday’s game was Markkanen’s first 30-point performance since the season opener.

The Bulls also have dealt with injuries to Otto Porter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison.

Though the Bulls’ victory over the 8-18 Wizards doesn’t mean much of anything, it does give them momentum heading into their next two games against the Pistons and Magic, both of whom are in a similar position to the Bulls.

At least that’s what point guard Tomas Satoransky, who scored 17 points in his return to Washington, told reporters Wednesday he’s hoping for.