Chicago Bulls: Can the team avoid collapse vs. Thunder

A potentially dangerous opponent lies on tap for the Chicago Bulls on March 16 as they take on the former employer of first-year head coach Billy Donovan. The Bulls are set to host the Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center on the night of March 16 as they will look to extend their winning streak to two games. Their last game saw the Bulls turn the corner in a win over the Toronto Raptors at home on March 14.

Getting that win over the Raptors was big for Donovan and the Bulls, as they looked bad in their first two games out of the All-Star Break. They got that win over the Raptors to cap the weekend by the final score of 118-95.

As the Bulls get set to take on the Thunder on March 16, they need to capitalize on the momentum built from all of the lineup changes enacted by Donovan from the Raptors game. Donovan moved veteran forward Thaddeus Young and combo guard Tomas Satoransky into the starting five in place of center Wendell Carter Jr. and point guard Coby White, respectively.

It still won’t be easy for the Bulls to move through the remainder of their March schedule given the quantity of games and the overall level of difficulty. The Bulls get a decently tough stretch of Western Conference foes for the rest of the week, which also includes the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs through March 19.

Importance of the Chicago Bulls vs. Thunder

The last time that the Bulls faced the Thunder this season was one of the bigger collapses we’ve seen from this team in recent memory. There were a few points in the third quarter in which the Bulls held a 22-point lead over the Thunder. They coughed that up by the end of the third quarter en route to a tough two-point overtime loss.

That previous overtime loss to the Thunder came on the road back on Jan. 15. Since then, the Bulls did find more cohesion in the core of their rotation, thus leading to more success in the win column. But what the Bulls showed since the conclusion of the All-Star Break definitely provides mixed signals for what’s to come in the second half of the regular season.

If the Bulls can take care of business against the Thunder this week, it will go a long way to giving the team the confidence it needs to roll through the rest of their games through March 19.

The Thunder bring a tough set of matchups to the table in the backcourt rotation. Rising star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is almost having an All-Star caliber season. He could be the responsibility of either Sato or star shooting guard Zach LaVine on the defensive end of the floor.

Putting more length on SGA to defend him could effectively keep a player that is averaging more than 23 points per game, five rebounds, and six assists, so far this season. SGA is also effective shooting from the field, as he’s hitting his three point looks at a 41.5 percent clip, and his attempts from the field at 50.9 percent.

This could be a game where LaVine puts on a show since his production has slowed a bit since the All-Star Break. It was nice to see LaVine let his teammates have the spotlight in a solid complete-unit effort in the win over the Raptors, but it’s only a matter of time before he breaks out again on the offensive end.

Sato is also likely going to get the start at the one for the second straight game. He was effective as one of the main ball handlers and distributors in the win over the Raptors, as he posted seven assists on the night.

Whoever is not guarding SGA in this game will have to take on veteran Thunder point guard George Hill. Don’t sleep on the former Indiana Pacer and Milwaukee Buck Hill, who is one of the more underrated veteran floor generals in the NBA.

The Bulls and Thunder are set to tip off at the United Center on March 16 at 7 p.m. CT. The Thunder come into this game with a record of 17-22. And the Bulls are sizable six-point favorites ahead of tip off.