The Chicago Bulls' 2022-23 season was on the brink of collapse after a shocking 108-107 loss to the Orlando Magic dropped them to 6-10. Not only was it the Bulls' fourth straight loss, but Zach LaVine was beefing with head coach Billy Donovan after the game for benching him down the stretch amid a wretched 1-of-14 shooting performance. With the streaking Boston Celtics up next followed by a brutal six-game road trip, Bulls fans were ready to push the panic button.
But instead of getting blown out by the red-hot Celtics, Chicago played one of its best games of the season in a 121-107 win. The Bulls' victory snapped a nine-game Celtics winning streak and actually gave Chicago a second win over Boston this season. The Celtics have lost just four games all season, with two defeats apiece against the Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Chicago also nearly beat Boston in the second matchup.
All things considered, this is a season-saving victory for the Bulls, at least for the time being. Things could easily still go downhill on this road trip coming up as Lonzo Ball continues to miss time, but this huge win helped shift the horrible vibes surrounding this team. It should hopefully give them some confidence heading on this trip that they can beat anybody if they play their game, and it was good to see LaVine move on from his debacle.
On the latest episode of Blue Wire's Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast, I talked about how important this win was for Chicago.
“The Bulls were kind of playing for their season. If they lose this game ahead of this long road trip they got and they're 6-11 with Milwaukee coming up and going out West for a tough trip, they're staring down the barrel of this season going right to s*** and maybe blowing it up. They come out with one of their best efforts of the year. … For right now, I would call it a season-saver because of how things were going in general with the Magic loss. Nice response by the whole team.”
LaVine didn't have the best game, but he still finished with 22 points and hit three clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help hold off a Celtics comeback attempt. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 28 points as all five Bulls starters scored in double figures, with Alex Caruso also scoring 10 points off the bench. It was a complete team effort, bolstered by 14-of-29 shooting from beyond the arc and domination on the glass against a Celtics team that has missed Robert Williams in this matchup.
Chicago starts its six-game road trip in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Most people will expect a loss, but perhaps the Bulls can build on their win over the Celtics and shock the world. If they can steal a few wins on this road trip and avoid a total disaster, it will go a long way toward weathering the storm as they await Ball's return to the lineup, whenever that will be. These upcoming games could not only determine Chicago's season, but perhaps the future direction of the franchise when it comes to this core group of players.
Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast is part of the Blue Wire Podcast Network. The pod can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts.
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