When players are in the zone during games, it’s a special feeling for them being in a position where it appears they can’t be stopped and can score at will. It also leads to them making some bold claims on how many points they can score on the night, just like what Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis did on Thursday versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

With 5:36 left in the fourth quarter, the 23-year-old Arkansas product was seen and heard yelling that he’ll drop 40 points. While he was on fire late in the game, Portis still fell short of the mark by two points, finishing with 38 points — a career high — to go along with eight rebounds and two assists.

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The Bulls also came short in their quest to return to their winning ways, suffering a tough 116-115 loss to the Sixers. It was their second straight defeat and spoiled Portis' big effort on the night, along with Zach LaVine and David Nwabe who finished with 23 and 21 points, respectively.

If there's any good news for Portis, he can charge the game to experience, knowing that he can score that many points against a tall and formidable frontline such as that of the Sixers. He may also carry the momentum he now has in their coming games, and use his strong outing as motivation to play even better moving forward.

Next up for the Bulls are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who they will face on Saturday and will look to upset them in order to snap out of their current losing streak.