On March 14, the Chicago Bulls finally moved the needle in the right direction after the All-Star Break with their first win of the second half of the regular season schedule. First-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls topped what was an improving Toronto Raptors team at home at the United Center to round out the weekend.
With how Donovan’s team showed out in the two games prior since the conclusion of the All-Star Break, it seemed easy that the Bulls would not put their best foot forward against the Raptors. The Bulls wound up topping the Raptors on March 14 by the final score of 117-95 to snap their two-game losing streak.
In the moments leading up to tip off against the Raptors, Donovan had a noteworthy quote regarding the current state of his team. He reportedly stated that this young team “desperately needs practice big time”. That statement ironically implied something much more important than just much-needed practice for this young Bulls team.
It showed that the Bulls still have a long way to go despite all the progress they’ve made in the standings so far this season.
Billy Donovan: “This team desperately needs practice time.” Big strain in a condensed schedule, especially for a young team
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) March 14, 2021
The Chicago Bulls after the win over the Raptors
Donovan and the Bulls can’t get complacent after their win over the Raptors. Just because they snapped their two-game skid doesn’t mean that it won’t be a difficult road ahead. The month of March is not a friendly schedule to the Bulls.
After their win over the Raptors by a comfortable margin over the weekend, the Bulls have three Western Conference foes in a span of four days. They have to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets on the road all by the end of the day on March 19.
The Bulls will now carry a record of 17-20 into their March 16 meeting with Donovan’s former team at home at the United Center in the Thunder. Earlier this season, the Bulls had one of their most catastrophic second half meltdowns in recent memory on the road against the Thunder.
Nothing will come easy this month for the Bulls as they look to continue their quest to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Hopefully the losing streak in the first two games out of the All-Star Break will be a permanent wake up call for this young Donovan-led team that has more cohesion down the stretch.