At this point of the regular season, it’s becoming clear that second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls are forming together as a true postseason contender in the Eastern Conference. Following a big 114-108 win on the road over the Denver Nuggets, who were without the reigning MVP and superstar big man Nikola Jokic, the Bulls are now sitting on a record of 11-5.
That is tied with the Miami Heat, and 0.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets, for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference as of the evening of Nov. 20.
Yet, it looks like the Bulls are still getting some haters coming their way after the hot start to the regular season through the first 16 games. This was made apparent by a response that the veteran Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay had to a post on social media from the Bulls star shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan this weekend.
Rudy Gay has a response for DeMar DeRozan in a Chicago Bulls “Flu Game” look-a-like post on social media
Rudy Gay 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/l6YJimwMOG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 20, 2021
The post that DeRozan made this weekend included him and fellow Bulls’ star/shooting guard Zach LaVine following the big win over the Nuggets on the night of Nov. 19. Gay responded by bashing the post from DeRozan talking about the “fake” flu game indication from this picture.
This post from DeRozan showing him and LaVine was intended to replicate that of legendary shooting guard Michael Jordan and Hall-of-Fame forward Scottie Pippen following the historic “Flu Game” in the NBA Finals in the 1990s.
Something that probably played a role here in Gay responding is the fact that Jordan’s “Flu Game” came against the Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals, and the veteran forward currently plays for Utah.
Nonetheless, this is probably just Gay lightly joking with DeRozan and LaVine in response to this post. But the Bulls did get the best of Gay and the Jazz already this season, when they beat Utah at home at the United Center back on Oct. 30.
DeRozan and LaVine are both playing at MVP levels out of the gates this season, leading the Bulls to become one of the better teams in the East early on. Next up for DeRozan and the Bulls is a meeting with the New York Knicks on Nov. 21.