It’s been a problem all season for the Chicago Bulls. They have gotten off to a great start in the first quarter, but they’ve struggled to close out games.
Last night was another close loss to the Chicago Bulls, as they lost 107-105. Coach Fred Hoiberg knows that in order to win, you have to close out games and finish strong.
"I thought we came out the gate (first quarter) with unbelievable energy... We just need to find a way to make one more play" - Coach Hoiberg
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 3, 2018
Antonio Blakeney had an opportunity to seal the deal on a win, when he hit a huge three pointer and drew the foul.
Antonio Blakeney 4-point play to tie this game with 30 seconds left! Ridiculous.
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) November 3, 2018
Watch the end on @nbcschicago or stream: https://t.co/ug9EyTbpfv pic.twitter.com/WqfbcBZ47E
Blakeney was the best player on the floor for the Bulls. The former NBA G-League M.V.P finished the game with 22 points, which is his career-high.
Pacers win, 107-105. Justin Holiday's good look at a 3-pointer in final seconds was off. Antonio Blakeney's last-second try amid chaos was blocked.
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) November 3, 2018
Chicago falls to 2-7. Blakeney's career-high 22-point night wasn't quite enough.
The Bulls made many mistakes in the second half, but what stood out was the game winner for the Pacers. Darren Collison hit a wide open mid-ranger to seal the deal. Question is, where was the defense?
Darren Collison closes out the Bulls in Chicago (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/NqLlCYlkpQ
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) November 3, 2018
Another issue for this team was foul trouble. Because of multiple players being in foul trouble early on, it led to Fred Hoiberg going to his bench early. Wendell Carter Jr. and Zach LaVine had great nights, but probably would have been a lot better if they didn’t get into foul trouble early on.
Specifically with Wendell Carter. Carter led the team scoring to start the game, but due to two early fouls, Hoiberg had to rely on Cristiano Felicio.
Even though Carter had limited playing time, he showed early on, why the Bulls took him with the seventh pick.
He don't want it!
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 3, 2018
❌by @WendellCarter34 pic.twitter.com/zI7VwSjslm
The kid was all over the place, making significant contributions on each side of the court. He had seven points in the first three minutes of the game.
He was having a great game offensively and defensively, but what stood out was his ability to pass the ball.
Six assists is a career high for him and he continues his strong play this year. For the Bulls, if they continue to not close out these close games, it hurts their chances of making it to the playoffs this year, along with numerous injuries to key players, including, Portis, Dunn, and Markkanen.
The goal shouldn’t be to make the playoffs this year, unless your Fred Hoiberg. The goal is to develop the young talent, when healthy and to get a good sense of who will make a contribution to this team, when they do make the playoffs.