Concerning trend emerges for Bulls in wake of back-to-back losses

After defeating the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs in back-to-back efforts, the Chicago Bulls dropped consecutive games to the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. In games against San Antonio and Brooklyn, the Bulls combined to score 267 points. In Chicago's latter two contests, the two-game total dropped to 231.

The Bulls put on an impressive offensive performance against the Pacers, dropping 123 points and converting on 21-of-50 three-pointers. However, Chicago's porous defense allowed Indiana to score 132 points and shoot 56.5 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Bulls forced 13 turnovers but failed to deter Indiana from good looks. Six Pacers scored in double-digits, and all but one knocked down at least one three-pointer.

Chicago's affair against Joel Embiid and the 76ers ended in a 108-100 defeat—quite the unusual score in a Bulls game. A combined score of 208 was the lowest total in a Bulls contest in over a month of play. Chicago shot 40.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point land. On a positive note, the Bulls held the Sixers to a 46.7 percent mark from the floor and a 25.0 percent conversion rate from behind the three-point line.

The 76ers bullied Chicago on the interior, scoring 54 points in the paint and outrebounding the Bulls 56-35. Besides being outrebounded, hardly any similarities existed between Chicago's most recent losses, except for one drastic re-occurrence. Chicago was outscored by an unimaginable 39 points in its last two second quarters. The Bulls have mustered a mere 36 points over their previous two second quarters compared to 75 from their opponents.

Bulls' lopsided second quarter leads to loss in Indiana

Against the Pacers, Chicago led by four points after the first quarter, thanks in part to knocking down nine three-pointers. The Bulls starters came out strong before being replaced by the bench unit that helped build Chicago's lead. All four Bulls' reserves who entered the game netted a positive plus/minus.

After a brief second-quarter lead, the onslaught began just under the eight-minute mark. The Bulls' deficit increased to six, and in response, Head Coach Billy Donovan trotted his starting lineup back out on the hardwood—albeit to no avail. Indiana built a 12-point lead over the next six minutes of game time. Chicago allowed the Pacers to shoot 61.5 percent in the second quarter while only converting 34.8 percent of their field goals. Perhaps most troubling, the Bulls shot 0-of-8 from three-point range.

Not one Bull recorded a positive plus/minus in the second quarter. Moreover, no Bulls' plus/minus exceeded the negative-9 mark. Chicago's performance was poor overall. Identifying the reasoning behind the abysmal performance is no easy task. The Bulls only turned it over three times, forcing two Indiana turnovers. Self-inflicted wounds weren't overly apparent, the Bulls just failed to make shots and allowed the Pacers to score at will.

Chicago's second-quarter woes reoccur in meltdown against Philadelphia

Then, the Bulls' second-quarter woes hit a new nadir in a bout against the 76ers. Following an impressive first quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 33-23 in the first 12 minutes, Chicago was outscored 39-17 in the second quarter. Chicago allowed the Sixers to score more than a third of their points in the second period of action.

The Bulls shot 52.2 percent from the floor in the first quarter, holding Philadelphia to a 37.5 percent mark. Most importantly, the Bulls held Embiid to zero points and an 0-of-6 effort from the floor. All five Chicago starters recorded a plus/minus of plus-5 or better. Chicago's starting backcourt, Josh Giddey and Coby White, ended the opening frame with a positive-10 mark.

Following the strong start to the game, Chicago's second-quarter lows continued against Philadelphia. The Bulls' first basket came nearly four minutes into the second frame. At this juncture, the 76ers had already caught up, cutting the once 10-point deficit to only a point. After a flurry of threes, Chicago was held scoreless for the next three minutes of action, allowing Philadelphia's lead to balloon to eight.

After trading multiple buckets, the 76ers continued to pour it on, building a 14-point advantage with less than a minute to go. Chicago stifled Embiid in the first quarter, only to allow the 7-footer to drop 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the second. Philadelphia's big three, Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, finished the second period plus-18 or better.

As for the Bulls, all five starters finished the second quarter with a minus-11 mark or worse despite playing less than nine minutes a piece. Furthermore, Talen Horton-Tucker, who played over five and a half minutes in the second frame, recorded an unfathomable minus-18.

This time around, unforced errors ran rampant, and interior defense was optional. The Bulls coughed up six turnovers and allowed Embiid, Maxey, and K.J. Martin to feast on the inside. The trio combined to score 29 points, 18 of which came from inside the paint.

Philadelphia ended the second period converting on 16-of-25 field goals and knocking down all five free throw attempts. Conversely, the Bulls made 5-of-20 field goals and shot 2-of-12 from downtown. Not a thing went right for Chicago. The rest of the contest went in the Bulls' favor, 50-46. Unfortunately, the gaping second-quarter hole was dug too deep to come out of.

Chicago's second-quarter woes will be worth monitoring moving forward. After two consecutive outings in which the Bulls were outscored in only two of eight quarters of action, there's real cause for concern. There doesn't appear to be a fix-all solution just yet, but if the Bulls' porous second quarters continue, a resolution may come to light.