Chicago Bulls: How many times can this team collapse?

In what is becoming all too common of a rendition for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and this Chicago Bulls team since the conclusion of the All-Star Break, another second half collapse doomed them entering the weekend. Donovan and the Bulls were slated to face superstar big man Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the road in the Mile High City on March 19.

This looked like it was going to be a difficult win for the Bulls, but one that was not an insurmountable challenge. And the Bulls took advantage of a Nuggets team that came out of the gates slow. For much of the first half, the Bulls controlled the pace of the game, and the look on the scoreboard.

All seemed to be turning a corner for the Bulls until their second half woes struck again. Bulls fans had to witness this team melting down in the second half for the second game in a row and for the third time since the All-Star Break let out last week.

Details of the Chicago Bulls loss to the Nuggets on March 19

This was might be harder to believe in the end, though. It took a three-pointer from standout guard Jamal Murray to push this game into overtime. The Nuggets dominated down the stretch, largely thanks to Jokic and Murray finally catching fire.

The Bulls also fell flat at that point with turnovers becoming rampant and shot makes hard to come by. The foul trouble bug also bit this Bulls team down the stretch once again.

A quad of Bulls players that stood out for them in this game wasn’t enough to get the win in overtime. The Nuggets topped the Bulls by the final score of 131-127 in overtime, after Murray’s insane three-pointer to tie the game in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter.

Two of the Bulls players that were really solid in this game were star shooting guard Zach LaVine and veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr. Coming off the bench in this game, OPJ gave the Bulls a solid 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block. And he shot 9-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

The player that really came to the forefront once again for the Bulls in this game was LaVine. He registered a team-high 32 points, to go along with two rebounds and four assists. And LaVine shot 10-of-20 from the field, 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.

This aforementioned same old story for the Bulls is getting really old for the fans. They had two massive collapses in their last two games, which came at the hands of the Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs from their loss at home at the United Center back on March 17.

Donovan and the Bulls now hold a record of 18-22 following their four-point overtime loss to the Nuggets on March 19. Next up for the Bulls is a meeting with the divisional foe Detroit Pistons on the road in the Motor City on March 21, with tip off time set for 6 p.m. CT.