With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, every game is crucial for the Chicago Bulls as they hunt for the postseason. It looks like the Bulls are going to be playing in the play-in tournament yet again this season, but their seeding is still up in the air. Chicago wants to get home-court advantage for that first game, but they are in a tight race with the Atlanta Hawks. The final stretch is going to be crucial for both of these teams.
Like we've seen in this year's NCAA Tournament with 11 seed NC State, once the postseason hits, anything is possible. Obviously, the NBA is very different from college hoops, but still, getting hot at the right time is crucial. Every game is important right now, and the Bulls want to be on a roll going into the postseason.
“These final games and the last two weeks of the season – all of these games are critical and we’ve talked about that,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said to the media on Monday. “Certainly, you felt that way in the Minnesota game quite honestly, because it was an opportunity for them with where they are in the standings and how tight that race is at the top in the West [Western Conference]. Certainly, Atlanta and us are both battling [for a playoff spot]. Probability wise, it’s likely we will see each other again. So, I think the importance of this game, and all of these games for us are really important in terms of the competitiveness. I was pleased coming out of the Minnesota game just because of what happened. You knew they were going to make a run. They’re down by 10 and at some point, they’re going to make a run, and how we responded [was important].When they [Minnesota] got up, the guys did a really good job of making the plays necessary to regain control of the game, and regain control of the lead. That’s what you have to have. It felt like last night in Minnesota was like a playoff game, and I do think coupled with the fact that clearly there’s been a lot of talk in the league with the fouls not being called as much and the physicality has gone up. All of these things prepare you for the end of the year, so I think the emphasis and the importance for all of these games is critical. Regardless of what happens tonight, we’re going to have to come back in a few days and play again, and play again, and play again. So, I don’t want to sit there and say that all of these games are unimportant or this game is more important. You want to be able to play well.”
Final stretch for the Bulls
The Bulls are taking on the Hawks at home on Monday night, and after that, they have just six games left in the regular season. They will be playing the New York Knicks three times, the Orland Magic, the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards. Before Monday's game against the Hawks, Chicago held a 1.5 game lead on Atlanta. The race for ninth place between those two teams in going to come down to the wire.
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