The Chicago Bulls suffered a 145-117 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 28-point defeat was Chicago's third-worst loss of the season. The Bulls shot 44.9 percent from the floor, 31.4 percent from beyond the arc, and committed 20 turnovers.
Only three Chicago starters reached double-digits, not including Coby White, whose 20-plus scoring streak was snapped at 15 games. White scored only seven points on five shot attempts. It was White's second-lowest scoring output and the fewest number of field goals he's attempted in any contest this season. The two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week was a woeful minus-39 against the Thunder.
In his return to Oklahoma City, Giddey scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. However, the fourth-year guard shot only 40 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range. Giddey's plus/minus wasn't too distant from White's, at minus-24.
The Bulls were abysmal against the top-ranked Thunder
Arguably, no Bull played well. Patrick Williams scored 16 points, his most in two months, but finished the contest as a minus-32. A caveat could be included for every Bulls' performance. The only three Bulls to net a positive plus/minus were reserves and recent DNP-CDs, Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, and Talen Horton-Tucker. The trio combined to score 43 points, with all but two coming in the second half.
Nothing went Chicago's until the final frame, where the Bulls outscored the Thunder 43-31. While a tiny bit impressive, it goes to show just how much the Bulls were down against the NBA's best team. Chicago trailed by 43 points in the third quarter and entered the fourth down 114-74.
Losing against the Thunder is nothing to gripe about. Only eight teams have defeated Oklahoma City this season, and all but two possess winning records. The Thunder are certainly no walk in the park. The Bulls weren't expected to defeat Oklahoma City—especially on the road (even though the Bulls are better away from the United Center).
Three main takeaways from the lopsided loss
However, there are three main takeaways from this 28-point drubbing. First, the Bulls have fallen to 10th place in the Eastern Conference pecking order. Following the Miami Heat's 25-point win over the lowly Washington Wizards, Chicago is now a game behind ninth place. Consequently, Chicago's now the favorite to finish 10th, at 48 percent, according to PlayoffStatus.
Second, if there were any doubters of the Bulls' post-All-Star break and March success, they've been validated. The Bulls were as feisty as ever in March. The squad battled defensively, won close games, and continued to churn out points. Nevertheless, Chicago was completely overmatched from start to finish (end of the third quarter). The Bulls never managed to cut the lead within striking distance once it got out of hand, they appeared lackadaisical on defense, allowing the most points all season, and lacked attention to detail.
Lastly, although the Thunder are a Western Conference squad, this contest was representative of what the Bulls would run into in the first round of the playoffs. If Chicago makes it out of the Play-In Tournament, they'll square off against either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Boston Celtics—two teams on the Thunder's level. Cleveland has already notched 60 wins, while Boston, winners of nine straight, is four games away from the 60-win plateau.