After easily dispatching the Los Angeles Lakers the night before, DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls just couldn't keep up with the Clippers on Monday night.
The visiting Bulls trailed by seven at halftime and instead of turning things around following the break, they went the other direction and let go of the rope. They fell behind by as much as 25 and never threatened the lead once their hosts pulled away.
“We didn't bring no rhythm whatsoever,” DeMar DeRozan said, via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “They were hot and stayed hot. We were a step slow. We didn't give ourselves a chance.”
Chicago has all but secured their place in the play-in tournament, holding a three-game lead over the 11th-placed Washington Wizards who seem to be trying to execute a late-season tank. However, only one game separates the Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors for the eighth seed and a guarantee of two lives in the play-in.
An impassioned DeRozan implored his team to take the proper sense of urgency given the lack of games remaining. They managed to go 2-1 in their brief road trip but each win or loss could be the difference for a higher seed and their chances to ultimately make the playoffs.
“We got two games out of (the trip) but we need every game,” DeRozan said. “We got seven left. We gotta start a rhythm.”
The Bulls have managed to turn it up of late, going 7-3 over their last 10 games dating back to a strong March 8th win over the Denver Nuggets. DeMar DeRozan doesn't want them to rest on their laurels.
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