The original Jan. 8 game with Miami was postponed due to condensation covering the United Center floor.
Thursday was the make-up game, and the only puddling being stepped in was the ongoing delusional hope on the part of the Bulls’ front office.
After watching the roster put together a somewhat impressive four-game winning streak last week, including a win in Minnesota and then beating Boston, there was optimism coming from the front office that if a deal – or deals – couldn’t be done by the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, there was still a playoff spot to chase with the roster as is, and then focusing on financial flexibility this summer.
Thanks to the 116-113 loss to the Heat, however, that’s now three straight losses, back to two games under .500 (23-25), and more still going wrong than right.
Already without Josh Giddey (hamstring) for the contest, the Bulls lost Jalen Smith during the game with calf tightness.
Not exactly what coach Billy Donovan was hoping for in what feels like a mini playoff series against Miami the next few days.
Besides the make-up game, the Bulls will now travel to South Beach, taking on the Heat in a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday.
Three games in four days against a rival that is within reach in the Eastern Conference standings? Sounded like a great time to make up some ground. Unfortunately for the Bulls, there’s the concept of making a push and then actually playing the games.
At least in Game 1, not a great showing at all.
“It was a grind-it-out game,” Bulls guard Coby White said. “We tried to make a push at the end. Of course we want to go to Miami and get two. The game from the jump, we were all saying (Thursday) was going to be a grind-it-out game for both teams. Ask both teams and they’ll both say they didn’t play their best basketball.”
Sure, there was the usual fourth-quarter charge after being down 13 points in that final stanza, and with 2:05 left the deficit was just three after an Ayo Dosunmu layup. Norman Powell answered with a layup of his own, but so did Nikola Vucevic.
It seemed like the Bulls would be in business on a Andrew Wiggins miss, but White was loose with the ball and Pelle Larsson made him pay with the steal. Powell, was awful in the ball security department, was holding for a late shot-clock basket but turned the ball over for a third time in the quarter and was forced to foul Dosunmu with 10.1 second left.
Two free throws by Dosunmu made it a one-point game and the Bulls quickly fouled to put Powell on the line with 8.9 seconds left. He made both, setting the stage for someone to play hero. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had other ideas, instead choosing to foul White immediately rather than let a three tie the game.
White made both and it was a one-point game with 7.1 seconds left.
Larsson caught the inbound and scored with 4.6 left, again leaving the door open for a game-tying three. Like it did Wednesday in Indiana, that responsibility fell on White. Like he did in Indiana, he fell short, as his 28-footer missed.
“It hurt my heart, man,” White said about the miss. “It came off my hand, thought it was good, it was on line. I got a clean look. Hit the back of the rim and just didn’t fall, but like I say you take it and learn from it. I’ve hit that shot before.”