Bulls
Caruso likely will draw the Trae Young assignment first, but with guard Ayo Dosunmu close to a possible return from an injured quadriceps, Young could face a two-headed monster.
The very concept that a Bulls team frozen in borderline irrelevance, let alone a Hawks squad that’s even worse, could eventually give the top-seeded Celtics any sort of difficulty in a best-of-seven series is farcical.
The teams’ contract with rights holder NBC Sports Chicago expires in October, though there’s a possibility that the sides could agree to a six-month extension, in which case Stadium would take over when the Sox begin play next year.
They’ve played some thrillers the last two seasons, and this could be another one, but expect the Bulls to send the Hawks to an early summer vacation Wednesday.
The Bulls gave the Knicks all they could handle before falling in overtime. Next up is Atlanta and the play-in game as DeMar DeRozan & Co. hope to finally find that signature moment this season.
Ayo Dosunmu (quad) has done a number on Atlanta’s Trae Young this season, and Andre Drummond (left ankle) has played some of his best basketball against the Hawks. Both could miss Wednesday’s play-in game.
As executive chef at the old Chicago Stadium and the United Center in the early 1990s, he cooked for athletes and their families as well as team owners. He later headed the kitchen for Smith & Wollensky and also worked at Chicago Cut Steakhouse.
While the No. 9 team in the Eastern Conference hosting the No. 10 team feels pretty meaningless in the scope of the postseason, the Bulls and Hawks are on the cusp of doing what they can to move big-money contracts this summer.
Coach Billy Donovan used the game to rest DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Alex Caruso. That meant an opportunity for rookie Adama Sanogo and veteran Jevon Carter to shine.
Locked into the No. 9 spot and set for a home play-in game against the Hawks, Billy Donovan used Friday’s game against the Wizards to rest his core three.
Also, we asked how excited you are to see the Bulls in the NBA’s play-in tournament. Let’s just say voters didn’t struggle to contain themselves.
The Bulls didn’t mess around against Detroit like they had in two previous games. They beat the lowly Pistons 127-105 and locked in a home play-in game against the Hawks next week.
Andre Drummond and Ayo Dosunmu missed Thursday’s game in Detroit and could be in danger of sitting out the last two regular-season games as the play-in approaches.
The team’s vice president of basketball operations knows more about the inner workings of the Bulls than almost anyone, but the blind spots are glaring, especially as the season winds down. It’s time to think about tanking.
It wasn’t bad enough to watch Jalen Brunson cook the defense for 45 points, but the Bulls also put together a blooper reel.
A source said Tuesday there has been no communication between the school and Donovan, who publicly has discussed how much the college game has changed since he left in 2015 — not necessarily in a good way.
With four regular-season games left, DeRozan wants to see the team finally play with some consistency and take that into the play-in tournament.
Donovan is focused on earning a home game in the first round of the play-in tournament. In the big picture, however. he admitted, “I don’t think anyone is happy with where we’re at.”
The Bulls made the guard a top priority in free agency last July, but Carter has watched his playing time continue to dry up in the last month.
Collins always seemed to be plagued by poor timing or bad luck. But after his entire basketball resume was looked at by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he earned induction as a member of the Class of 2024.
The Knicks and Bulls hit an odd part of the schedule as the regular season comes to an end, playing three times in 10 days.
In building a case for Thibodeau’s dismissal in 2015, the former Bulls front office played the minutes card and played it hard. That false narrative has stuck with Thibodeau, despite the numbers saying something different.
The Green deal could be the difference between the Bulls falling short in the play-in games or surviving them.
The way this season ends should send a strong message to the front office about much-needed changes that need to happen this summer. The problem is that conversation hasn’t happened yet and might not happen at all with exec Arturas Karnisovas’ mindset.
The Bulls’ up-and-down ways have been on display in the last week. Do they have what it takes to get out of the play-in tournament and reach the playoffs?
But the Bulls have an easier schedule than the Hawks, who have seven games left and must face the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Mavs. The Bulls have six games left, and two are against the Wizards and Pistons.
“Coming down to these final games, last two weeks of the season, all these games are critical,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “Certainly you felt that way in the Minnesota game.”
DeMar DeRozan was the headliner with 27 points, but you can’t ignore Alex Caruso’s performance. He provided his usual stellar defense and added 21 points.
Vucevic is no stranger to criticism, especially this time of year, but Donovan says the 33-year-old’s skills are not diminishing.
White’s season has gone from breakout to suddenly broken, but his coach and teammates are confident that a rebound is imminent.