A History of the TNT Bulls

Apr 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) react after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks in game two of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at the United Center. The Chicago Bulls defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-81. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) react after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks in game two of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at the United Center. The Chicago Bulls defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-81. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
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Apr 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) react after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks in game two of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at the United Center. The Chicago Bulls defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-81. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) and Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) react after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks in game two of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at the United Center. The Chicago Bulls defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-81. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night in a TNT matchup that will go down in history. A Bulls win will mean that they’ve won 20 straight TNT home games and 19 straight Thursday TNT home games – enter the TNT Bulls.

The TNT Bulls comprise the biggest thing that Bulls fans have to look forward to at the moment, so please humor us. What follows is a methodical, exhaustive guide to the entire saga. Let’s get right to it.

In life, and in basketball, it’s tempting to try to remove uncertainty. If we could just find the right statistic or the magic lens to see the game through, maybe we could unlock the key to “solving” the NBA. We could predict outcomes, say definitively who’s the best and, most importantly, we could explain what might seem inexplicable. This is a story about why that will never happen.

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Sometimes, things happen in this game that we will never fully understand, no matter how deeply we engross ourselves in real plus-minus or the four factors. Despite all of our analysis and research, despite the hours and hours we spend watching this game, it can still mystify us. Sometimes, the odds are defied and it doesn’t make sense. Sometimes, it’s even downright crazy.

Sometimes, the Chicago Bulls win 19 TNT Thursday night home games in a row.

The TNT Bulls began as just a casual observation on Twitter by FanRag Sports’ Jason Patt back in late 2015, but since then, they’ve stretched the streak from 12 games to 19 and found new and exciting ways to win games. In this story, we’ve got buzzer beaters and game winners. We’ve got awe-inspiring performances and confusing choke jobs. Giants are felled, Nate Robinsons are obnoxious and heroes are born, but I’m getting ahead of myself. We begin on Feb. 21, 2013 with two very familiar characters.