The Chicago Bulls played their final home game of the regular season on Friday night, a 133-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Earlier this season, the Charlotte Hornets had been a team that the Bulls handled with ease, but that was not the case on Friday.
At halftime, the Bulls trailed 79-51, setting the record for the most points the Bulls have allowed in the first half this season. Frustrations that have been building throughout the second half of the season seem to have boiled over in this game. The boos rained in from disapproving fans at the United Center as the team shuffled into the locker room at halftime. Both fans and players have become incredibly frustrated with the team’s performance of late. In his post-game press conference, guard Zach LaVine addressed the booing:
Zach LaVine on boos the Bulls heard: “To be honest, they should. It’s embarrassing. We’re a really good basketball team and we’re not playing like it. They (fans) know that. We know that. It’s understandable. We understand they (fans) have our back. But we have to play better.”
In their last 20 games, the Bulls are 6-14. Fans have seen a stark difference in the team’s performance in the second half of the season compared to the first half. With only one regular season game remaining, the team has little time to try and correct things before the playoffs. There have been plenty of blowout losses that could have served as wake-up calls for the Bulls. An optimist may suggest that this monumental loss to the East’s 10th seeded Hornets could be what they needed, but don’t get your hopes up.
The Bulls conclude their regular season on the road on Sunday, taking on LaVine’s former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, April 16th, with the Play-In Tournament that the Bulls were fortunate to avoid.
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