Healthier Bulls return from break with seventh straight loss
As the Bulls returned from the all-star break, it's not clear if this closing stretch is a new beginning or just a different ending.
Besides the seven new players on the roster, the Bulls got three more back from injuries Thursday. The result was a mildly competitive 110-101 loss to Toronto at the United Center, the Bulls' seventh straight defeat.
Head coach Billy Donovan missed the game due to the death of his father Bill. Assistant Wes Unseld Jr., stepped in as interim coach. Donovan is expected back Saturday when the Bulls host Detroit.
The main attraction Thursday was to see what the new players could do paired with Josh Giddey, sidelined by a hamstring strain since Jan. 28. The early answer to that question: Not much.
Giddey finished with 5 points, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers in 21 minutes of action. Tre Jones had a better night, with 12 points and 6 assists. Jalen Smith (9 points, 10 rebounds) also returned to the lineup. Anfernee Simons led the Bulls with 20 points, while Isaac Okoro added 16.
With some new players available, the Bulls went 11 deep in the rotation, but newcomer Jaden Ivey wasn't one of them. He spent the entire night on the bench in the fifth game with his new team.
“Strictly a basketball decision,” Unseld said after the game. “It's really tough to play six guards. We played five guys, and I wanted to push to see if I could get Josh and Tre, their minutes up. We got them to a place where I think we were comfortable, given where they've been. And in doing that, somebody got squeezed.”
Unseld declined to speculate on how long this version of the rotation will last, especially since it will ultimately be Donovan's call.
“I talked to several guys this morning, and then I addressed the team about it, and it's just byproduct of where we are in our composition,” Unseld said. “So, I'm not going to sit here and say it's a night-to-night thing. Those basketball decisions will be made by coach when he gets back.”
At the beginning of this game, the new group looked awful. Giddey played the opening 4:42 and the Bulls trailed 10-2 when he took a seat. And the Bulls piled up 9 of their 23 turnovers in the opening quarter.
The Raptors (33-23) are trying to establish themselves as aggressive defenders. For now, that means a lot of pushing and shoving to see what they can get away with. With their extreme guard depth, the Bulls should be able to counter that type of strategy and they eventually recovered to take the lead early in the second quarter.
Giddey's lone basket of the game pulled the Bulls within 4 with 7:21 left, and they trailed 103-101 after a Simons 3-pointer with 2:12 on the clock. Both times, the Bulls got defensive stops, then turned it over on the other end, and that was the game.