To start with, let me be clear: defeating the San Antonio Spurs is not a reason for celebration. With a 16-game losing run, Gregg Popovich’s club has now tied a franchise-worst record. The Spurs are an astounding 1-9 in games where they have held a double-digit lead at some time, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Therefore, once more, we shouldn’t celebrate the Chicago Bulls’ 121-112 triumph. On the opposing side, a winning run of four games.
Let’s face it, we have to give credit where it is due. The first month of the season was less energy-packed for the Bulls than a nightclub for ninety-year-olds. This was a completely worthless organization, but for a few pivotal occasions involving Alex Caruso. But in the last two weeks, things have completely changed. In all of these recent wins, the Bulls have played with a feeling of urgency. Similarly, they have begun at last to put many of the statements we heard throughout the winter into practice. Over the past four games, the offense has shown much more resolve and balance, with the 9th-highest AST% in the NBA. According to NBA Stats, they’re averaging the fifth-most field goal attempts within five feet of the hoop during this time, indicating that they’ve made a deliberate effort to get shots off at the rim.
What has leapt out of the screen to me is their ability to remain true to who they are for the entire 48 minutes. We witnessed this team maintain their composure despite the Spurs’ impressive long-range start last night and the Bulls’ dismal first-half shooting percentage of 37.7 percent. They were still going to share the basketball and drive the tempo during transitions. They changed the course of the game gradually, and by the conclusion of the evening, four players had scored 20 points or more. It was a welcome change of pace from the previous four games in terms of team basketball.
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