The Chicago Bulls had every reason to be disappointed with Monday night's 109-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Bulls had established a 55-29 lead midway through the second quarter and had a 19-point cushion at the end of the first half. But they watched that lead evaporate in the second half and saw the game slip away from under their feet, which has happened far too often this season.
While there is absolutely no excuse for their massive meltdown, the game didn't come without controversy. On a jump ball between Steven Adams and Wendell Carter Jr., the referees called a foul on Carter for allegedly grabbing Adams.
But Carter insisted that Adams grabbed him first:
“He definitely grabbed me,” Carter said per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. “I know what I felt and I know what he does on the jump ball. I told the ref to watch it. They said he didn’t grab me.”
Bulls coach Jim Boylen used his coach's challenge. However, despite the replay showing Adams grabbing Carter first, the officials did not change their initial call:
Boylen used his coach’s challenge to dispute the call. But officials upheld the call, leaving the Bulls without a timeout with 1 minute, 22 seconds left. Dunn then fouled Paul on the ensuing possession, and Paul sank two free throws for a four-point lead.
“[Official] Tony [Brothers] said that Wendell grabbed him first,” Boylen said. “I’m going to trust my guys in those situations. If a guy tells me, ‘Coach, you gotta challenge that,’ then I’m going to trust him. I believe in my group.”
Nevertheless, that call alone isn't the reason why the Bulls lost this game. A horrendous second half where they scored just 38 points and turned the ball over eight times cost them their 11th win of the season.
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